The single player in GRID 2 was quite thrilling in that demo from a few months back, but Codemasters knows that many will be snapping up this one first and foremost for the multiplayer modes and fortunately, the game shines even more here. A few members from the dev team rolled into NYC with a new demo that just so happened to be on the same day and in the same hotel as Namco Bandai’s Global Gamer’s Day, so it made for an exciting start to a long day packed full of great upcoming titles. The Xbox 360 version was set up (and looking fantastic, by the way), but being the only writer to pop up at this first session meant playing against the people working on the game and only having the slimmest of chances of beating any of them during the bunch of races about to take place…

Before tackling that challenge, there was a presentation from all present on the game’s new features and how Codemasters is separating their online mode from the other racers on the market. For starters, the single player and online modes will be separate,with solo play focusing on the story the game spools out about its new racing league and many events while online will be focused on players interacting with each other in that race to the top of the worldwide leaderboards. With their RaceNet system (which will also come in desktop and mobile applications), everything you do online is tracked and stacked up against other players, so there’s never going to be a lack of competition.

Up to a dozen players can race on each course and the AI will fill in when the number drops under that to allow a full track experience for the best challenge. There’s also a two-player split screen mode for couch play, a nice addition for those who just want to hop on with a friend and not play online at all. Speaking of online, better anti-cheat/anti-grief functions are guaranteed to keep annoyances to low levels, as the game penalizes drivers who cut corners and shows icons in different colors based on how well players make it around the tracks. This way, players who want to race with more skilled live opponents can keep an eye out for ranking and icons that show they’re safe to race with. Those who want a more crash-happy time can choose to deal with the corner cutters and terminal tailgaters at their leisure.

Racing clean means more end of race XP and upgrade cash,  so it’s best to spend a ton of time learning what you can of the ever-changing courses. The road tracks modeled from their real-world counterparts never change, but the team has chosen some magnificently tricky tracks to test even the best road race fanatic. Another cool feature to keep your racing on track is your following will grow or decrease based on performance. Your totals after a race help grow the number of followers you have, and you’ll actually gain a percentage of new ones by beating a better car with a slower one that’s been tricked out (or not customized at all, if you can pull that off). The goal of placing high in each race is important in terms of XP gained, new followers and a few other factors that should separate the community into a few camps as the game gains traction amongst players.

It’s more than clear that Codemasters has some long range plans for RaceNet and GRID 2, and that also includes a few online ESPN promos (that SHOULD migrate to the channel as actual ads for the game that use gameplay footage from each week’s best video posts – which is just a suggestion from me, by the way). Players will be also able to upload race videos to social networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, so expect a ton of activity on those sites as times and bested, egos are fed and rivalries rage on about that guy or gal who keeps smashing your records by fractions of a second a few seconds after you’ve pulled off a spectacular win.

On the presentation front, Codemasters is doing a superb job with the 360 version, which looks excellent, runs smooth as silk and other than some crowd detail, looks almost exactly like the PC game. The beautifully rendered street courses will feature layouts that alter slightly to greatly as you return to them, making mastering a particular city’s course difficult, yet always exciting to drive around. Speaking of driving around, after presentations about the amazing customization features and a few other things, it was time to hit the road and play against the team. By this time, another writer had strolled in, so he got to miss out on the game info and got dropped right into the race session that was beginning. This time, it was Dubai, the Algarve road course, and a lovely Paris to race through in a few different events. As expected, the game controls perfectly using the 360 gamepad and each of the cars has its own distinct handling model that makes you consider carefully what you’re going to drive.

All the courses were fun, but it was Algarve and its crests and dips leading to sharp curves that became a personal favorite. You know you’re all having a total blast when the developers mix it up on the track and cause you to spin into the dirt as they pass before almost getting into a wreck a few turns later. The best I did in any race was third place, but I stuck around for about a half hour or so longer until the next set of appointments rolled in because I wanted to keep playing. Being able to hang around with Graham, Ian, Lee and the rest of the crew twice with this game has been one of the highlights of the past few months, particularly as GRID 2 is shaping up to be a serious and seriously fun racer that a lot of fans will enjoy tremendously.

You won’t have too long to wait for this one, as the game is set to hit PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 28, 2013. If you’re too tired to click away for more info, there’s some long press release content to pore over below for even more (and official) info…

GRID 2 Multiplayer Modes: Whether players want to dive into a quick race online or in two-player split-screen, specialise in their favourite event or become one of the best cross-discipline racers in the world, GRID 2 offers a multiplayer experience that revolves around the gamer’s play style and choices. GRID 2’s wide-range of game modes can be played online with up to 12 players, including custom races based on player preferences and choosing from pre-defined playlists to jump straight into the action. Players can modify their cars with upgrades and make their mark on the grid by customising their car with a simple yet powerful livery editor which offers up to 6 billion different combinations. New anti-griefing technology includes player grouping, so gamers who like to trade paint will be brought together online whilst clean racers are more likely to find similar drivers in their online sessions.

Game modes: Race (Including LiveRoutes), Endurance, Drift, Touge, Checkpoint, Face Off, Time Attack. Global Challenge events also includes Overtake and Power Lap.
RaceNet: RaceNet, Codemasters’ free online browser-based extension which tracks players’ races, rivals and rewards, launches fully with GRID 2 and is the beating heart of the game’s multiplayer mode. RaceNet will go far beyond visualising progress in-game and will provide players with new objectives, rivals and rewards for progress. Players can also track community stats, leaderboards and participate in weekly Global Challenge events. RaceNet can be accessed on player’s desktop, tablet or mobile device and will have dedicated apps set to release around launch. Players can sign up today and get ready for GRID 2’s launch by visiting www.racenet.com.

GRID 2 Rivals: Gamers will always have someone to play and always have a new challenge with GRID 2’s Rivals system, powered by RaceNet. GRID 2 features three types of Rivals. Weekly Rival: RaceNet automatically selects a weekly Rival to compete against based on ability and activity in game to ensure a well-matched challenger. Social Rival: Players can choose Social Rivals from friends or players previously raced. Custom Rival: Players can select a Custom Rival based on parameters including event type or geographical location.

Global Challenge: Global Challenge is where player’s rivalries come to life in this brand new asynchronous game mode. Players can compete against Rivals even when those Rivals are offline and earn XP, in-game Cash and RaceNet Followers(see below) as they compete in up to nine weekly Global Challenges selected from across GRID 2’s wide range of game modes and locations. Players can track progress in Global Challenge in-game and online through RaceNet.

RaceNet Followers: As players perform on track they can gain online fame and bragging rights by increasing their RaceNet Follower base. The better they perform, and the more objectives completed, the larger the increase in Followers players will get. Followers can be stolen from Rivals by beating them in weekly Global Challenges and gained on RaceNet by taking part in online events, participating in Community Challenges and completing RaceNet objectives. Gamers can also unlock RaceNet Rivals cards on the site to show off Follower Achievements and RaceNet will showcase players with the most amount of Followers.

Get Social: Players can show off great overtaking moves or spectacular crashes online as GRID 2 allows gamers to quickly upload highlights to YouTube and RaceNet from in-game and easily share their favourite videos through Facebook and Twitter.