If the name Caged Element it doesn't tell you anything, you don't have much to complain about, but if the word called into question is nothing less than Rollcage then the question is different. Starting from the playful concept of this historic game, the team has created nothing less than its spiritual heir, that is GRIP: Combat Racing. With more than one team member participating in the creation of the first aforementioned title, the team supported by Wired Productions has brought to light a particular title, which certainly does not shine for an impeccable technical realization, but which conceptually and practically manages to give us healthy challenges, without being deceived by the apparent ease that can be encountered in the opening bars. Buckle up and prepare your stomach, the world is about to turn upside down.
Upside down
If the basic idea is to follow a sacred monster like Rollcage, you can imagine that on the level of the game we do not differ much. GRIP: Combat Racing will see us face countless races in the most disparate futuristic locations, taking advantage not only of the speed of our vehicles, but also weapons (which will not be very many, but of which we can keep two at a time and use them tactically) and the laws of physics, with our racing cars that can also walk vertically on walls… e on the ceiling.
The tracks become in GRIP pit without rules, if not that of the strongest: properly exploiting all parts of the track will become essential both to survive and to perform amazing feats, without forgetting to have an arsenal available. Clearly to come to our aid there is the fundamental peculiarity of the cars, that even flipping 180 degrees horizontally, they will continue their unbridled pursuit of victory. The three-dimensionality of the tracks is clearly an added weapon, even if double-edged: it will not be uncommon to get confused, to get caught up in the agonistic enthusiasm, and to miss that last corner by taking a full obstacle. On the other hand, taking advantage of the turbos placed on the ground, the reloadable shots, and some types of weapon, could guarantee you last-breath comebacks when all seemed lost. If that sounds like a lot, we're just the starter.
The law of death
Although it might seem like it, be able to master GRIP: Combat racing will not be child's play for everyone. Even if the basic mechanics are fundamentally simple, succeeding in this will be very difficult, having to manage the track, speed, weapons, but also the braking properly, and all while guarding our backs from our fierce enemies (who presentAggressive AI, but not particularly smart). As anticipated, we will be able to keep up to two weapons with us at a time, even if they will not shine for variety: there will be rockets, search missiles, a machine gun, a shield to protect us from the blows from the rear and turbo shots that will give us an inhuman speed at the expense of cornering grip. Managing them as we get them will be fundamental: we will judge on the basis of the race we are managing, if it will be better to continue shooting without discounts everything that happens to us, or if, for example, to keep the shield up until it is necessary, but occupying a slot .
If speed is not enough, here we come in support of green plates which will give us small accelerations, which are essential to maintain a high pace on some specific tracks, e one standard shot available for all vehicles, which will give that extra bit of acceleration, but which will take time to recharge once used.
A Perfect Circle
The macrosections that we can find in the game are 4: the main one is the mode Countryside, where we will compete in various levels which in turn will be formed by different tournaments (minimum 3!), and in which the rules of the competitions and the conditions of victory will be different. The others are single player with all kinds of races, multiplayer, and the much appreciated return of Split-Screen. In the campaign, the competitive spirit that is created is good, and with every race you run you will always want to have the next candy immediately. Please note that even if GRIP offers us a lasting experience, it lacks a marked monotony, not so much in the races themselves, which depending on the rules, map and vehicle used will be different, but due to an excessive standardization of the game system, and a fairly marked similarity in the objectives: whether it is a classic race, an elimination race or a "king of speed", the difference perceived by the pad player to the hand is minimal. To come to our aid, however, there are the Arene, large maps where the bedlam will consist in tearing us apart with our opponents in deatmatch, steal the loot and time bomb. For the thrill-seekers of the timed collection, Caged Element has finally entered the mode Carkour, which provides obstacles of all kinds and millimeter precision!
The future, today
What certainly makes the game enjoyable, net of not exactly negligible technical problems, is the level design. Even if the available locations are generally few, each track has its variations, showing us more faces of the same planet, and above all subjecting us to different challenges. The construction of the tracks was fundamental to create an overall good game, and one that was able to involve the player even in the event of a repeated defeat. We are not talking about an extremely hardcore game, given that for example in the campaign mode there will also be given the possibility to start the race all over again, even once it is finished (hypothetically eliminating the possibility of obtaining poor results). Furthermore, the difference in the vehicles, with a couple of exceptions, remains minimal, and hardly any change will be felt in the hand. The outline is sufficient, with an appreciable graphic realization despite the purely indie nature of the product, but with an anonymous and anything but scoring soundtrack. Very appreciable, the localization in Spanish, which in what little text there is, offers us the language of the Bel Paese.
The thing that drastically drops the appeal for the game in a future key, however, is an extreme difficulty to find online matches: even if the main campaign will keep us busy for a long time thanks to a series of challenges to shoot "cannon" one after the other, once finished it is practically impossible to continue your experience against other players, a real shame given the potential that certain challenges could propose.
