Game Reviews

Blur Overdrive

Star onStar onStar onStar halfStar off
|
| Blur Overdrive
Get
Blur Overdrive
|
| Blur Overdrive

Blur is considered by many to be the game that sealed the fate of UK studio Bizarre Creations - its commercial failure forced owner Activision to shut down its creator.

That makes the decision to license the game for smartphones all the more curious, but this pint-sized resurrection actually performs better on the track than you might expect.

In Blur Overdrive, the basic building blocks remain in place - the game combines breakneck racing with aggressive combat, making for some especially tense races as you and the other drivers compete for places whilst avoiding incoming projectiles.

To pick up items - which include defensive as well as offensive options - you simply have to drive over the symbol on the floor. You can carry three at any one time.

Wheelie good

Using a free-to-play model, Blur Overdrive dangles in-app purchases in your face at any given opportunity, forcing you to wait for newly purchased cars and upgrades unless you're willing to spend in-game currency to speed things up.

While it's possible to resist such urges, this is clearly a game which has been designed to suck at least a little cash out of players.

Blur Overdrive translates the thrill of the original very well indeed, but the move from the large, open tracks to more compact circuits results in a markedly different experience overall.

With less room to manoeuvre, it's hard to negotiate the tighter corners without running into an electrical mine or getting hit from behind by an incoming missile.

Asleep at the wheel

The controls - which comprise a on-screen steering wheel and brake - also cause some issues. Tilt control would have been a better choice, and the weapon buttons are packed so tightly together that it's a little too easy to accidentally trigger the wrong one when you're in a pinch.

Still, the frantic pace and action-packed races make for an adrenaline-filled experience that keeps the Blur brand alive - and that's something to be applauded, given how criminally underappreciated the original game was.

Blur Overdrive

It may not be the work of the original Blur team, but Overdrive captures enough of the magic of its predecessor to make it a worthwhile download - although be prepared to dig into your pockets to purchase in-game currency
Score
Damien  McFerran
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.