Blur + Power-ups = Racing Fun!

Posted Friday, July 31, 2009 at 9:48 am by Jason Cartwright |

The newest racing game from Bizzare and Activision, features some crazy, arcade style racing.

20-car races across 14 locations and loads of power-ups all come together to make a game with one purpose. Fun!

Power-ups include (source: Wikipedia)

Shock – This sends out an electromagnetic pulse that can be use to disable cars in the blast radius or used to target a specific driver. This is recommended for use in large packs of cars for maximum benefit.

Barge – This emits a wave of energy out of either side of the user’s car to knock another car away. This power-up is best used on the apex of turns or at path junctions to veer the driver off course.

Shunt – A projectile-like weapon that shoots out the front of the car to give the player in front a lurch forwards. It’s best used at an angle or near a row of obstacles or in team races to give the team mate a nudge forwards.

Nitro – This item gives the player a short speed boost, as the name suggests. This weapon is usually a main staple in racing games thus far. It’s best used for boosting on clear stretches of road for maximum speed.

Mines – Another self explanatory weapon, the mines can be laid out behind the car for other opponents to run into. These must be placed carefully around the course so that it’s almost impossible for opponents not to hit them.

Repair – This power-up recovers almost all lost health for the car but is instead represented as a thin yellow haze as opposed to a simple colored box with a symbol and name on it. This is the only non-offensive power-up of the bunch.

On the serious simulation side we have racing games like Forza 3 and Grand Turismo 5 to look foward to, but if you just want to have some fun with mates, then Blur looks like a great option. This is the sort of game that will suit the younger and casual gaming crowd very well. It’s visually impacting and strives for enjoyment rather than reality.

Available: Q4 2009 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

More @ Joystiq & the Official Blur website.