Nothing has been able to replicate the sheer joy of all those years trying to shave off seconds in Mario Kart or strategically placing a turtle in the right spot. Then along came the SSX series where the speed, collecting of items and upping the difficulty setting a new standard in a 'racing game'.

Now let me clarify why I am mentioning SSX here. SSX especially the later games had an amzing amounts of things to collect and tons of unlockables. So does Blur. It seems like 100 times more.

The game play is very similiar to that of Mario Kart. Go fast, be tricky and beat the pack (or destroy them).

The overall package and replayability of Blur is HUGE. If you want a sim racer stay away from this game. It comes nothing close to a sim. If you want to relive that previous Mario Kart experience with a grown up attitude this is the game for you.

If you want a more relaxed experience start the game on easy mode. Playing on normal ramps up the difficulty of the AI really high really fast and you may find yourself getting frustrated at retrying tracks. I for one like the normal difficulty but that would be one thing to point out if you are just starting out.

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Preliminary review. Playing it right now.

Repeat this mantra "Not a sim, Not a sim, Not a sim..."

If you read many of my other game reviews you'll see I like driving games. Specifically sim driving games. Being I am no where near a millionaire I probably will never drive any of these cars in my lifetime. So I think of sim driving games as a way to bring a bit of realism into my living room. When I got Blur from my game rental place, I was about to pack it up and send it back to them asap. I had seen the clips and other snippets of the game and a driving game with power ups and all that had no place in my stable of _real games_,

or so I thought.

My son and I really enjoy Mario Kart Wii. This game is a more grown up version of that. The commercial you see on TV now with the mario like character wanting to play a grown up racing game is spot on. It combines the fun of that with real cars. Unlike Mario Cart, you can get up to 3 power ups and keep them in a queue on your back bumper. When you want to use it hit X and fire away.

Models: +

First off I love the realism of the car models. They really do look pretty good. You start off like many other car games of this genre and you get a hooptie to begin with.

Fan system: +

Play this online and you earn fans. Fans are like Rock Star games ( musical ones not the company) and these fans can get you benefits, boosts and cool toys for your ride.

Lights: +

Lights unlock the cars. The higher you finish, the more lights and better cars you can get.

Damage: +/-

Damage in this game is pretty good. Based on an arcade model of damage that is. Your car will be blown up and shot into the air, land on its roof and keep going. Its done well though and not too kitschy.

Lack of Achievements: +

As of right now I don't have any and that is a good thing, some games seem to launch them at you for just logging in. Not here. You have to complete some tough challenges to get a _sticker_. These are your badges that can be seen as a trophy. 4 complete challenge = 1 sticker. These are tough.

Power Ups: +

This game has a ton and each are a blast, literally. Of course there is nitro and boosts to speed. Also there are some really crazy ones that can take your opponent out in a blaze of less than glory.

Ease of play: +

This is very easy to control with the six axis controller. Right trigger is gas, left brake and X is fire off the next power up you have in your queue.

First Impression: +

Overall this game has won me over. Its definitely something you would see in an arcade, but that doesnt make it any less fun. Take it as it is and I think you will have a good time with this game.

I plan on playing this a ton this week and will update this review as I get more into it.

Thanks for reading my review.

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Most people compare this game to Mario Kart, and it is similar! Until now Mario Kart was my favorite driving game. I'm not a huge fan of driving games such as gran turismo and need for speed. They seem very repetitive to me. Drive around in circles bla bla bla.

I like games that have different elements to it and THIS IS IT! I actually find myself driving like a maniac when I am done playing because I am all amped up.

Power ups, very challenging tasks, vibrant colors, big track selections that look amazing, a huge selection of cars (new and old), very fast paced...what more could you ask for!

There's a lot included in this game that will have you playing for quite some time. Plus its more than just racing. There are many objectives other than just racing cars. There are destruction tracks where you have to destroy other cars and checkpoint tracks where you have to race against the clock. Haven't tried the online play yet, but I'm planning to soon.

Some people complain that the graphics aren't that great. I think they look just fine. Guess people are a little too picky these days. Maybe they forget what Atari was like...??

I thing I did notice and should mention is that my driving speed was seemingly a little slow. I couldn't keep up for the life of me with the other cars I was racing. I initially switched my control settings so that the X button was used to accelerate, but just recently set it back to R2 to see if this would help and surprisingly IT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!! I'm blazing past cars and keeping up with ease now. Not sure why this would even be a problem. Tried it on 2 different controllers to make sure my controller wasn't the issue. It was very weird, but also something to look out for.

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I thought this game to be one of the most fun racing games I've ever encountered. I was never into these sorts of games, until Mario kart Wii, which I decided to give a try. The same with the midnight club series. Combine those two and a little bit more and you've got BLUR. It's not all flashy colors that give you the illusion of fun, we have Mario kart for that (Mario kart is still pretty fun though); but I wanted something mature...something that would keep me interested and addicted to, like modern warfare 2 and other wonderful titles. I was hoping for fun, a sense of speed, and exploding my fellow friends along the track, laughing at their novice stature. I'm just a kid, but, this game is awesome. The only problem is some of the loading times, and its increasingly difficult A.I. I loved every minute of this game. I hope you do too.

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I've been a gamer since the late 1980s and only a few games have kept me "addicted"...I got this game 6 days ago and it has kept me addicted to playing the game every day. This game has so many modes to play--single player career mode, various online mode including team racing. This game has sidetracked my regular routine of daily exercise and TV viewing. The graphics in this game are excellent and at times I feel like I am really driving fast. I do like the fact they use licensed cars and the tracks they use I think are pretty accurate in capturing the locations look and feel. The music in the game is pretty good too and the overall presentation is good and kind of reminds me of the Fast and the Furious movies. Also, as you progress throughout the game in single or multiplayer mode, you get to drive more licensed cars, which keeps me wanting to play the game more.

I bought this game "on sale" but I think I would even pay full price for this game. Also this game has local multiplayer split screen--haven't tried it yet but looking forward to this feature when one of my friends comes over to play.

By the way, I also have Mario Kart Wii--and yes this game does resemble Mario Kart somewhat--but in a more mature way and much much better graphics with more online players (up to 20 players in Blur).

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I bought this as a Father's Day gift and he could not be happier. My husband and our sons play it and have a blast. They highly recommend the game!!

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im from the caribbean & now i see what the fun is in blur. yes...i must first say that blur didnt disappoint. its pure fun for any racing fan out there. the power ups just match the game & the theme of the game is just about fun. there is always an element of surprise while ur racing, for example u could be coming around a corner doin 170mph & all of a sudden a mine is around the corner, u could b goin over a ramp & a mine is in the air, u could comin around a corner & a reverse shunt just hit u. a racer could b infront of u & u dont no if he'll forward his power ups are reverse them...it kinda reminds me of playin grid with the element of surprise. its hard 2 tell how a race is goin 2 b. there is never 2 race that arr the same, u could b in first place for 2 laps & a simple mistake takes u all the way 2 last place in just seconds. gettin into an online race is quick & simple compare 2 other online games. there is always hundreds of ppl playin online. ive been playin blur for 3 weeks none stop & i just cant get bored, there is so many ways to play. online is truly where the fun is.........& i mean fun. the levelin up will keep u hooked. my cousin told me that blur aint look fun, so i lent him & now he doesnt want 2 give me back.lol..lol. there is only 3 things that i didnt like about the game (1) i wouldve like 2 use x- as gas, ::- as brakes, R1 2 fire my power ups, L1 2 switch power ups & O- as hand brakes (2)the cars arent balanced. in (C) class the grippy cars are totally slow compare 2 the drifty cars, if u are in a race usin the adui and u get hit, ull have to use alot of boost 2 catch back up, the car is just not fast to compare to the muscle cars. in (A) class the drifty cars are super fast compare 2 the grippy cars. i like the nissan skyline & the drifty cars just blow pass me, there is no grippy cars with speed 2 match. i hope they will send out a patch that fixes that. in (B) class the bmw tti has the best handling & its handling is 3/5........the ford focus rs & the volkswagen has 5/5 handling & cant corner as smooth as the bmw tti....(3) i wished that drivers had voice overs like mario kart 64. when u pick mario.he says "lets go", when ur boostin with toad he says "yahh hooooo", when donkey kong drop a banana skin he makes his ape sound. i just tink that my driver shouldve had someting 2 say when he hits someone with a shunt r a barge, its not a big deal but for me i wouldve like to see how it wouldve make the game play......over all the game is just screamin fun. the tracks are ok. the control take a few mins to get used 2 & navigatin the menus is a breeze. lastly i just want to say that anybody who is plannin on buyin blur, u wont go wrong.

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If I had to rate the single player alone, I'd give Blur an 8/10... but the multiplayer is unbelievably fun and addicting. Don't listen to the 7/10 score on IGN, because the multiplayer is awesome... The guy who reviewed it obviously didn't play it online enough to get past the noob bashing (which will happen). That being said, I had a lot more fun getting accustomed to the intense multiplayer battles in Blur than I did playing Modern Warfare 2.

Pros -

Multiplayer is a blast

Realistic racing physics (not Gran Turismo real, probably similar to Grid/Dirt)

Satisfying and balanced weapons

Seriously the multiplayer is a blast

Cons -

Single player is a bit short (although it ties into the multiplayer somewhat in that the "Boss" cars are usable in multiplayer once you defeat them)

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After playing Split Second and Blur at the same time, it would seem the only thing they have in common is the genre. I won't compare the two since they are completely different in look and feel; the whole apples and oranges thing.

The graphics are better than most racing games. The gameplay is challenging because it is not the simple drive to the finish line type game. Having played Project Gotham, I expected some of that to leak into the gameplay but Blur has very little of the Gotham feel. The concept is not unique. Drive and use power-ups to beat your opponents. What makes this unique though is that driving and power-ups is not enough to win. Track physics and vehicle type is extremely important to winning the race. Besides winning the race, there are fan requirements as well. Winning the race will get you to the next event but without the fans, you will not have the car selection to make a difference.

Overall this is a challenging driving game. I did give it 4 of 5 because some of the minor annoyances throughout the game including the initial install makes it difficult to avoid yelling at the TV screen at times. When comparing Split Second and Blur, Split Second wins in the single player part but Blur wins in the multiplayer part.

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This game is lots of fun. I play it with my son (almost 7 years old) and we both love it. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that by default the AI level is too hard but again maybe we need to practice more.

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After spending now 6-8 solid gameplay hours both online and offline, here are my impressions of Blur:

Graphics: This game looks awesome. Damage to the cars is as "realistic" as you're going to get for a kart style game. The real vehicles are used in this game, and look the part. Powerups are really cool when used, and the color in this game is incredibly vibrant. The tracks that I raced looked great as well, from the actual track to the scenery. Everything in the game pops with vibrant color.

Music: Nothing that got on my nerves, but nothing that was incredibly memorable so far either. It's appropriate, high energy for a racing game.

Controls: If you got frustrated in games like Gran Turismo that you couldn't take a tight turn doing 100 in a Dodge Viper, you'll find more of the same here with some of the cars, as they handle just like their real life counterparts. For those that can handle the drifting cars, you'll definitely gain a boost in speed. The controls are mapped logically as are most PS3 games (accelerate with R2, brake with square, etc.). One of the major keys to the game is matching the car type (drifting, off road, etc.) with the track type.

Presentation/Ingenuity: Each races starts out with a neat take on a countdown (not just a simple 3-2-1). I found that to be really cool. You're never really out of a race with the powerups available, though the Shock one that is shot out in front of the leaders is really hard to avoid if you ARE the leader. You likely won't win too many blowout races in this game. I found the powerups to be neat takes on other ideas (example: The "Shunt" acts like a Red Turtle Shell in Mario Kart, which homes in on your target). Your goal in each race is to light up all the "lights" to move onto the next race. However, the secondary goals (getting enough fans, and going through all the gates) do add replay value to each track.

Online play is where this game really shines...as you advance in rank you unlock more cars, there are tons of trophies/accomplishments that can only be done online, this game runs butter smooth even with 20 cars racing at the same time, simply put, it's the best online racing experience on the PS3 and Gran Turismo 5 better have this figured out as least as well.

Replay Value: With all the stickers to earn, online leaderboards, challenges you can put to friends, Facebook/Twitter compatibility, as well as all the challenges on each track, this is one racing game you're not going to blow through in 5-10 hours. Through 8 hours I'm only 16% complete on the single player campaign, and heaven only knows how long it will take to get everything.

So overall, since people like those 1-10 scales:

Graphics: 9.5/10

Cars look great, explosions are awesome, and the tracks are nice and varied

Sound: 8/10

The 8 is on the strength of the sounds, not necessarily the BGM. Burnout Paradise

is far superior as they had licensed songs in their game.

Controls: 9/10

Pretty good for a racing game, not so punishing as a Gran Tursimo would be, but not unrealistic like many arcade racers are. It's a really good fit.

Presentation/Ingenuity: 8.5/10

Some of the ideas (like the whole powerup thing) you've seen all the way back to games like RC Pro AM for the NES. However, the layout of the races, the different modes, the linkability with FB/Twitter, etc. shows the developers are paying attention to the changes in techonology.

Replay Value: 10/10

There is SO MUCH to do in this game and accomplish, and when you add in the online multiplayer/challenges, you will most certainly get your $60 worth out of this game.

In closing...

Buy this game if:

- You've got fond memories of Mario Kart and like the fact you're never out of a race

- You want a robust, deep online multiplayer racing experience

- You like collecting trophies and a game that takes a while for 100% completion.

Don't buy this game if:

- You're expecting a simulation style racing experience

- You're hoping to hear epic BGM while you are racing

- You're going to play split screen (2 player) multiplayer a lot (this is one place the graphics/gameplay take a hit)

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This game is: So. Much. Fun.

Like....almost.... TOO much fun. And by that I mean your time pretty much goes right out the window. You can easily start playing at 2:00 and soon come to realize that it is already 8:00 and your afternoon/evening is gone.

Not that you'll miss it with this game!

I would have given this game all 5 stars had it had a decent soundtrack. I wouldn't dock a whole star for it, but they don't have half stars here. But when I play a driving game I expect it to have some great tracks to race or battle to. The soundtrack on Blur was really very disappointing. Especially given the high/chaotic energy of the game.

But other than that....this game rocks my world!

-The graphics are amazing (really)

-The tracks and locations are cool

-Easy to learn

-Cool and helpful tutorials

-Body damage is real

-The energy is fast and chaotic

-Lots of cars to play with

-The races and demands have just the right amount of challenge (Not so hard you can't move forward, but not so easy that you breeze right through)

-The goal/story is simple and straight to the point (Kick ass, drive fast, WIN!)

-Auto saving

-Load time between races is minimal

And....

-IT'S JUST A LOT OF GOOD FUN!

I could go on and on....

And I haven't even played split screen or online yet!

Everyone should own this game, so do yourself a favor and just buy it.

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I know most people out there have always wondered what would happen if Mario Kart and Need for Speed met and had a baby? Well folks, "Blur" would be the result. Imagine you are in a ZR1 (Corvette for the vehichluarly challenged) and first place is just out of reach. You probably tell yourself, "well...second place aint that bad". Now in Blur, second place is the least of your worries. At best, you got one car in front of you and 18 behind you. When I say MK, I don't mean Mortal Kombat, I mean Mario Kart, alright? You have shields (MK equivallent..Ghost which ironically, there is a perk that lets you convert attacks that hit you with your shield active to power-ups, but they dont steal them), mines (MK version of Green Turtle Shell...both forward and backwards firing), shunts (MK version of Red Turtle Shell)nitro (MK version of Mushrooms) The beauty about the nitro, if your team racing and you got some jackass behind you, fire the nitro backwards and airbrake (yes....AIRBRAKE) and have him slam into you, while your team flies past him to the finish, then it boosts you back up to speed. Gotta love it. Shock (MK version of Lightning...duh. Only thing is it doensn't shrink your opponents. It's more like the EMP you saw on "2Fast 2Furious". Then there is the Barge (NOTHING LIKE IT ON MARIO KART). If there are a couple jerks in front of you, hit the barge and kindly give them a nudge out of your way. I mean sure your running at 150+ MPH, but if they weren't driving so slow, they wouldn't be wrecked now would they? Unfortunately, there is no Blur version of the infamous Spikey Shell that owns everything until it reaches the unsavory victim who happens to be in 1st. Another thing about Blur, is the ranking system. Those that are familiar with the "challenges" from the last few COD games, will feel right at home. THERE IS NO PRESTIGING, so don't think you are gonna talk crap to ppl telling them to "get your gold cross, noob". Blur has various game types such as Team Racing, Hardcore Racing (with radar and HUD), Extreme Racing (No powerups to save those that cant drive) and my fav, Motor Mash. If you remember that game many MANY moons ago for Playstation called "Destruction Derby"? If you liked it, you will go Ape TIHS over this game. BOTTOM LINE, get the game and play. Its worth it

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It is a good game and fun , still wish a few aspects would have been better. I would recommend this game for a casual gammer looking for some fun here and there.

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......just as the title implies, if you've played a Mario Kart game and enjoyed it, you should probably stop there. Blur is just a carbon copy Mario Kart game with better graphics, just as the commercial admits to, and I must say I personally love the commercial for it's humor and honesty. Now, I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing to borrow elements from successful games and make them your own, just like the saying goes imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, however Blur doesn't do anything new with what it borrowed. For example, Darksiders which I personally loved, borrowed many elements from various games but Darksiders made it their own and it worked very well with the over all game play. Blur on the other hand is just nothing new, only graphically superior to Mario Kart, and I must say the premise works better with Mario Kart than Blur. If you're looking for a good enjoyable arcade racer with a twist pick up Split/Second, if you've never played a Mario Kart game then you might enjoy Blur. So, overall not a horrible game but nothing new and in my opinion not really anything special, if you're into arcade racers and have never played (or can't play) a Mario Kart game then try it.

Feel free to add me on PSN, my ID is MikeJMele! Happy gaming and please help us save the controllers, too many of them have been thrown in aggravation thanks to very frustrating games!

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