Blur Member Review for the PS3

Blur is the racing game that all arcade racing fans have been waiting for. There has been an influx of flashy racing games that are a blast to play, but have no party value.. Need for Speed Shift, anyone? Blur is exactly what it was marketed as, Mario Kart for adults. Mario Kart is hard to take seriously with it's cartoon graphics, go-karts, and limited availability to true console owners.. Wii is not a console, it's a toy.

Blur excels at what it was designed to excel at: local multiplayer. Never before has a game been so fun to play with three buddies than Blur. Blur is an arcade game from to bottom. It isn't Gran Turismo, never will be, was never designed to be. What we have here is a game where four people can sit in front of the TV and drive fast, blow stuff up, and be treated to flashy graphics, amazing sound, and stellar control.

The primary (and most fun) way to play Blur with four people is Powered Up, which is a seemingly never-ending list of tracks with powerups scattered throughout, such as boost, homing missiles, mines and more. The game picks the first track for you and when the race is over and awards are given out to the racers (for highest speed, longest jump, most powerup hits, etc.) you are given two tracks to choose from, and you do so by voting with the triggers. The track and class with the most votes wins and that's the track you race. The process of getting everyone signed in, racing, and on to the next race is seamless and makes for stress-free drunken racing enjoyment.

The classes of cars are broken down nicely and even though there are huge differences between them in terms of handling, speed, acceleration, and resiliency to powerup hits, they are all equally fun to race with.

There are other ways to race, Hardcore, Mashup, etc. but this is a member review and I don't think a lot of people read deep into these, so I'm just going to stick with the basics.

Blur is hands down the most fun local multiplayer game I have played in years. Even if you don't enjoy racing games, Blur is an absolute blast to play with your buddies. The single-player experience will bore you quickly, but if you frequently have people over that enjoy games, Blur is a MUST BUY. The replay value is endless.

Gran Turismo and Forza are clearly where it's at for simulation, but Blur is the arcade racer we have been waiting for. Its beautiful presentation, endless number of tracks, and the fun it induces with friends doesn't get near enough credit. Don't take my word for it. Rent it, call three buddies, and if you're not grinding away for points well into the night, then this reviewer be damned.

GRADE:  A-
+Brings true multiplayer back to the racing genre
+Great presentation/menus
+Best weapons in any racing game ever
+Sense of speed makes you cringe
+35 tracks... THIRTY-FIVE

-Single player, while fun, lacks the luster of multiplayer
-No car customization beyond paint