Blur Preview

At first glance, Blur seems like a typical arcade racing game. There are more than 30 tracks, and many of them take inspiration from real-world locations. There are also many cars to drive, which include fully licensed brands, such as BMW, Ford, and Lotus. Where Blur differentiates itself is in its use of power-ups, which enable you to launch homing missiles, deploy mines, or drop electromagnetic pulse fields on competitors. There are eight types of power-ups available. You're able to hold three at any time.

Blur's online multiplayer supports up to 20 people, which is currently the largest available in a console racing game. There are eight different game modes to choose from. Your goal in most modes is to simply cross the finish line first, though other modes, such as Motor Mash, require you to earn points by damaging cars with power-ups or by ramming them off the road. The game employs a rank-based system, which is similar to that of such shooters as Modern Warfare and Gears of War. Competing in events earns you fans, and the more fans you get, the higher your rank, which, in turn, unlocks new game modes, cars, or mods.

Mods allow you to change how your car deals with things, such as power-ups or damage. They are organised into three distinct types: aggressive, defensive, and show-off. You can choose three mods for each race and pick from each category. You can also save your favourite combinations of mods in custom categories, allowing you to easily switch between them for different races and cars. Some of the mods available include battering ram, where your car deals more damage in collisions; splash damage, which increases the range of the barge power-up; and fan favourite, which gains you extra fans for finishing a race. Not all mods are unlocked from the start of the game.

If you're familiar with Project Gotham Racing, then you'll see some similarities between the two games. Car handling is forgiving, and it's only once you've unlocked some of the more powerful drift-style cars, such as the Ford GT, that you'll run into any trouble. The vehicles look good, and there are plenty of nighttime locations on offer to show off their shiny surfaces. The most impressive effects come from the power-ups themselves, which erupt in brightly coloured bangs and flashes when used. They're accompanied by some great sound effects, which we were told took most of their inspiration from science fiction films, such as Star Wars and Star Trek. The bass, in particular, is brutal and makes the power-ups that much more satisfying to use.

Combining over-the-top power-ups with realistic vehicles and tracks gives Blur the feel of a grown-up Mario Kart. The in-depth multiplayer ranking system also looks to be a great addition. The game is due out later in May on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.