video game reviews

July 5, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

‘BLUR’

Grade: B

Publisher: Activision (for Microsoft Xbox 360, also for Sony PlayStation 3, PC)

Arcade-style racing games like “Blur” don’t have the level of technical sophistication a simulation like “Forza” or “Gran Turismo” would have.

But it does offer a ton of high-speed fun.

“Blur” (rated E; $59.99), which features name-brand cars racing on realistic tracks around the world, with an added bit of whimsy in the form of several kinds of power-ups.

The feel of the game is like a less-futuristic and far-less-floaty “WipeOut” title — the races move fast and rely heavily on drifting around corners and unleashing power-ups at the right time.

Each racer can carry up to three power-ups at once, and there can be up to 20 cars in a race (online or off), which means a lot of sparks flying in heated events. Powers range from defensive shields to a homing missile to a speed boost to a close-range shockwave, among others.

Players aren’t just racing to win — they’re racing for lights and fans. The former are awarded for finishing in certain positions and for race performance, and collecting enough unlocks new events in which to compete. Fans are won with crowd-pleasing racing maneuvers, well-delivered attacks and fulfilling fan demands, such as driving through a series of gates. Increasing one’s fan base unlocks new cars.

The game is broken into several groupings of racing events in several flavors, with a unique adversary to defeat at the end of each group and a special vehicle to win from him or her.

—Justin Hoeger, The Sacramento Bee