Are you tired of simulation racing games getting all the attention? Are you bored of trying to perfect that one turn over and over again? Do you get cravings of wanting to blow up the cars that are ahead or launch storm fields on their path? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then Blur is very likely the game for you.

The primary mode of the game is the races. The added twist are the power ups that players can use in order to gain an advantage over the opponents. These power ups are highly varied and include homing missiles, nitro boosts, storm fields and shields to name some. It can be said that Blur is very similar to Mario Kart, however it features real cars and the action is faster, louder and a whole lot more chaotic.

This is definitely more arcade than simulation meaning that it is easy to pick up and play. However, it certainly pays to turn the corners well. In addition to power ups the race tracks also feature short-cuts and alternative routes that add a strategic element to the game.

The game truly stands out with 20 car races where the intensity is turned up a notch. Due to large number of opponents and the restriction of carrying 3 power ups at a time, it can certainly take a bit of luck to win a race. That being said, strategy, in terms of which routes to take and which power ups to keep and knowing when to use them plays a very important role. Many of the power ups also have alternative uses that give the player more flexibility.

Single Player:

As with most racing games, the single player mode does not have a story. Instead the races are divided into 9 chapters, each chapter consisting of 6 races and a one-on-one battle at the end. Chapters are unlocked by gaining 'lights' and cars are unlocked through gaining 'fans'.

Lights are awarded for finishing between 1^st and 3^rd. Two additional lights are awarded for completing fan runs, which involves going through gates, and meeting a target number of fan points in a race. Fans are earned for completing fan objectives, winning races and pretty much any successful use of power ups.

Races in the single player modes include regular races, checkpoints races and destruction mode, where players pick power bolts and attempt to take out other cars. The good thing is that not all races have to be completed to progress to the next chapter. Furthermore due to the element of luck involved, the developers made a smart move by awarding lights for finishing 2^nd and 3^rd as well.

Although there is no story mode, the various demands of each chapters keeps the single player mode refreshing. My only gripes are that there is a sudden jump in difficulty in the 4^th chapter and that some demands require the player to complete a task and finish 1^st too which can be frustrating.

Players can also issue challenges to their friends based on their success in a single player race. These challenges can be accepted and once beat, can be sent beck. This is a nice touch that keeps the competition going even when offline.

Multiplayer:

As one would expect, the multiplayer mode is the best part of the game. The level of chaos and intensity improves upon drastically when human elements are involved. The multiplayer modes include 20 and 10 car races, a mosh pit (where cars try to destroy each other to get points), team racing and even regular racing for those that for some strange reason want to race without power ups.

The multiplayer mode is very similar to that of Call of Duty, there are various challenges and an experience points system (fan points again) that are used to unlock more vehicles. My issue here is that the unlocked cars from the single player mode do not carry over the multiplayer, hence forcing the player to grind a second time.

My second issue with the game is that the leveling system required to unlock better equipment is better suited for FPS games and not so much for racing. This is primarily because in an FPS, once you take out the person with the better weapon, you can use it yourself. In contrast, players with better cars will always have an advantage over you.

Fortunately the game features a lobby that restricts levels 1 to 10. In addition fans are rewarded for doing pretty much everything, which makes leveling faster and easier. These issues are minor and easily forgotten when you get into the race track.

The game also features local multiplayer with 4-player splitscreen, a key aspect for a game like this. This part of the game is really well done as the width of each player’s screen feels sufficient. Furthermore there is no drop in performance.

Again it has to be stated that particularly in the 20 car races, I did feel that I was not in complete control and that there was an element of luck involved. Therefore this mode might be frustrating for people that have an obsession with coming first rather than having fun. Also I did experience a bit of lag in the 20 car races from time to time, but I did play this game in the Middle East.

The Final Word:

I have played Mario Kart on the Wii but I didn't get attached to that game as I have with Blur. Not only does Blur have a greater sense of speed, seeing real cars constantly flipping and being blown away certainly gives this game a higher level of intensity.

Genre: Racing

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed on Xbox 360)

Developed by: Bizarre Creations

Published by: Activision - Blizzard