I have been playing RR3 since it came out, and RR2 for a short time before that. I'm not a stranger to IOS racing games, or racing games in general. I was playing Need for Speed games as a child, and played alot of Gran Turismo of various models. I realize that these are all mostly considered "arcade games", and that there is a difference between arcade and simulator.

If any of you have played "Grid Autosport for IOS", then please, by all means, give your attention and any opinions!!!! So how many of you have tried "Grid Autosport" for IOS?

I understand that Grid has typically been "simcade", but "Grid Autosport" is mostly simulator. I have to admit that I was really excited about it, and I bought a new Ipad so that I could play it. I have sunken alot of money into RR3, and to have something that costs $11 to play endless content seemed like the answer. I was really excited about it, until I played it. I have tried hard to learn the game, but I can't quite become successful. Now, I can eek my way into the top 1%er in RR3 TT with a fully upgraded car, and this week, with the Silverstone National Circuit with the Mercedes CLK GTR upgraded to 71.8, I have made my way to the halfway point of the top 5%. I'm not an incompetent driver, and my reactions are good.

So with Grid for IOS, I spin-out all the time. In career mode, there are even some tracks that seem impossible. Simple press the gas on certain portions of track, and you will instantaneously spin. There is no good way to play, I'm afraid. Hell, in real-like, I've raced high performance go-karts (like the 50mph ones), and I've driven BMW M3 (E92), BMW Z8, Mercedes SL55 AMG, VW Golf GTi, and others in real life. I think the frustration is pure down to the devs not really considering the ramifications of their simulation with binary acceleration and braking. I think the steering is ok, but even that seems to be off compared to the AI driver hand movements.

Grid is totally off. Some tracks seem to work better than others. There are times when I think I know a track well, and then I need to go through a section at idle throttle just because throttle application on certain portions of track will immediately end in spinning. It's frustrating. There are certain techniques like knowing the track REALLY well, but even then, nothing is a sure thing. I think a previous spin will make certain areas more slippery, and tires become metal rims after a few laps. Tracks seem more realistic than RR3, but the sensation of speed is lacking. RR3 is more about braking points and racing lines through corners. Grid, being more of a simulator, seems to be more about technique, combining braking points, racing lines, and acceleration with balance through corners, contact patches, and racing surface. Really interactive between tire and road. But that just doesn't work with binary braking and acceleration!

The Grid stop and go doesn't work well, and you end up idling through many corners. The algorithms seem to prevent you from going faster than a certain speed through certain corners, which makes you need to apply brakes precisely. That's good, but even the ABS doesn't work...Full braking even with an LeMans Prototype will result in a spin into certain corners. Also, the cars are REAALLLLYYY touch in top gear near their top speed. You better aim for the dead center of the track. Aim for the left side prior to a right-hand corner, like after the long straight on Panorama, and you will be spinning into the wall, at best. So, I know that the cars in RR3 are really fast. But the cars in Grid seem too slow. It's like if you aren't on the exactly proper racing line, then you WILL SPIN or hit the wall.

I think alot has to do with the limitations of IOS platform, binary steering, acceleration, and braking. But it seems like the Devs would have been able to do something about that. Anything! I can still manage to win some races with AI settings medium. It's still fun, and I keep the game on my device, but I need to be in the mood to play it. I'm in the mood less than for RR3, unfortunately.

The game still has potential though. I see what it was meant to be. I love driving in cockpit view, and it has manual shifting! That's certainly something that RR3 could learn from. Sure, it gets complicated, but you get the hang of it. I can still bring a Ford GT40 around Spa with manual gear shifting and really great sounds!!! I love that! I mostly play the game when I want to drive the tracks with a classic car and not be concerned about anything else...except being frustrated by the binary gas and brakes.