Currently Playing: Blur Beta

I wouldn't normally bother with a Beta. However I managed to grab a code from Eurogamer and I'm a huge fan of Bizarre Creations Project Gotham series. I never thought the online component of the 360 versions matched the, to my mind, peerless PGR2 but this new franchise of battle racing could be worth a look.

The Beta version is a generous slice of content. There's a handful of tracks and about ten cars that can be unlocked as you work your way up the ranks (Capped at 10 for the demo) as well as upto four racing modes for you to try.

Of course being a Beta there's only online racing but as of last night there where plenty of people playing and I didn't have any problem getting a lot of racing action in.

Said action is as solid as you'd expect from BC with hints of PGR in the mix but it's certainly all new. The tracks branch with different routes and, no doubt, short cuts to be found. The handling is perhaps a little understeery for my liking and I miss the feedback when drifting that the escalating Kudos score gave you in PGR. Here you get a score at the end but it's difficult to tell how you've earned it.

Mind you that's the least of your problems once the action commences. The Beta features a rolling start which eases, but doesn't totally do away with the first corner lottery that was always PGR's online calling cards as the other racers seemed to forget they've got brakes and just cause huge pile ups in the first corner. Once you reach the first set of powers ups it almost complete carnage from beginning to end.

That's not to say it's not fun.. Because it is. Eye popping, palm drenching nail biting fun but there's frustration there in equal measure. Presumably once handling the up to three power ups at a time on the fly becomes second nature and courses have been learnt there'll be room for strategic play but at the moment it's a *ahem* blur of lightning strikes, mines, missles and shunts causing absolute mahem. Suffice to say if you're looking for a technical racer look elsewhere.

Overall though a tempting taste of how it could turn out.