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Sep 26 2005
GripShift Review
PSP Game Review | Racing
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| Summary: Strange, one-dimensional, but fun overall
90
From the get-go, Gripshift promises a puzzle, platform, driving and action experience. Sure enough, the game is an oddly hobbled-together bag of tricks with a strange style of gameplay.
As much as the developer or publisher would like you to think, this is a driving game at the core of it. It is leagues away from being anything akin to Ridge Racer or Need For Speed, but you still accelerate, maneuver corners, race other cars at times and there is even nitrous in the game. However, the similarities stop there.
Rather than just race against other cars and to get cash which you can use to trick out your car, you get stars to unlock new gameplay modes, cars and other features. There are a numbing 100 levels spread across 4 different worlds (Desert, Jungle, Ice and Horror). Each level consists of increasing difficult challenges in obtaining these stars as you have to try to not fall off into oblivion and improve your time scores to unlock new tracks.
There are also 8 mini games that you can play with up to 3 friends, including Penguin Bowling, Bomb Pool, Soccer Crazy and others. To improve replayability even more, the game comes with a built-in track editor, allowing you to make your own courses, test them out and even share them with other players. This track editor is actually quite easy to use and feature-filled, allowing you to really go crazy with building your own course and immediately be able to try it out. Giving players the option of sharing these tracks is a huge bonus, and one-ups Wipeout Pure's infrequent track updates. It would be great if Gripshift players could upload their own graphics or even customize the cars to a greater extent.
You can choose from 6 players, 2 of which are unlockable, and you can also customize your car a bit. You have 6 cars to choose from, 2 of which are unlockable. Each car has varying stats such as Top Speed, Acceleration, Handling, etc. It is also possible to change the car skin, wheels, hood decal and body color.
One of the game's strong points is the soundtrack. There is a variety of techno, drum 'n bass, hip hop and other electronic music tracks that you may not be entirely familiar with. All the tracks have personality and are licensed from actual record labels, unlike other games that provide a generic soundtrack by an in-house musician.
Some may find Gripshift's utter lack of a storyline to be a serious drawback. What is the point behind all this? Where are we driving? And how are all these race tracks floating in mid-air? Trivial questions, perhaps, but at the same time, the entirely missing backbone can be a little dis-engaging. We got bored quickly on some levels and lost the desire to progress or unlock new levels or cars because it didn't feel like there was much point. At the same time, 90% of puzzle games are built upon this same repetition and focus on improving your skill level. Lumines is entirely 'pointless' in story as well. With Gripshift, you may find a similar desire to shave seconds off your track times, get more stars and medals and unlock new goodies simply for the fun of it.
The gameplay itself is very well tuned, unlike other PSP games which were visibly rushed to market. The environments are lush and graphics are fitting, load times are very quick and the game feels like a finished product.
You should definelty at least consider renting the game, as it's hard to pigeon-hole who might be totally bored of this strange mix of gameplay and who might be senselessly addicted. It's by no means a short play or for kids only. Big points must be given to the track editor and the well developed gameplay. Hopefully a sequel can make the game a little less one-dimensional.
REVIEW IT
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Comments
09/27/05
3 
jonathantl
| Florida USA
great review, I rented this game and love the addictive game play. after you master the controls it feels like your flying from platform to platform on some kind of rocket rather than car.
+
09/27/05
3
midnight
| UK
don't you think 90% is a little high for a game thats 'one dimensional' and got boring quickly on some levels? 
+
09/27/05
13
captain
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| Ontario Canada
Why do people keep questioning my scores? It has faults, all games do, but it is also an incredibly polished game and deserves props for that. I'm not just reviewing the game for myself, others have enjoyed it immensely, and I am certain that others will enjoy it as well.
+
09/27/05
28
yoyo_pete
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| Ohio USA | SOCOM: [BC] YoYo-Pete
It's your review captain... If you think it's a 90, then it's a 90. That's why this site is great. If you disagree, then post your own review.
I think a 90 is a decent score for the game. In another year or so when developers make better games to compare it to, it may get a lower score. Today though, it compares very well against other games out there. This really is one of the better games out for the PSP. It's well done. It's up to you to decide if you like puzzle games that involve cars.
+
09/27/05
13
captain
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| Ontario Canada
Like I said in the review, the game has many strong points. And one-dimensional isn't entirely a bad thing, look at Lumines, utterly "pointless", and to be honest, I didn't enjoy the game at all, but I'm aware that most people are addicted to it. In my reviews, I always try to consider others, because I'm not aiming to just give my opinion, but also consider how others might view a game or accessory.
+
09/27/05
mOOsE
| Colorado USA
not that I have played it, but why do people state its one-dimensional. The pics look like every other PSP game? Is the game play different that the pics?
+
09/27/05
13
captain
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| Ontario Canada
I meant one-dimensional in the sense that there is no element besides the 'doing' of the game. IE, in Metal Gear Acid, there is a story, which is an addition to the strategy gameplay. Whereas Gripshift only has the racing aspect. In the graphical sense, it is 3D. Pardon any confusion this may have caused.
+
09/28/05
12
LordByron
| New Jersey USA
Hmmmm...don't know about anybody else but captain's reviews have yet to steer me wrong....
+
09/28/05
1
Rage
| Indiana USA
Captain is a great reviewer
+
10/01/05
7
OSCAR
| California USA
hey this game is really good. my friend has it!
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