Blur (video game)
Arcade racing with real cars and vehicular combat.
Blur is a 2010 arcade-style racing vehicular combat game developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Activision for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It combines real-world cars and locations with arcade handling and combat, serving as a spiritual successor to the Project Gotham Racing series. The game was the penultimate title from Bizarre Creations before the studio was shut down by Activision in 2011.
Quick Facts
- Publisher
- Activision
- Engine
- Horizon
- Released
- May 25, 2010 (NA)
- May 26, 2010 (AU)
- May 28, 2010 (EU)
- Genre
- Racing, vehicular combat
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
- PlayStation 3
- Xbox 360
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Blur's gameplay centers on vehicular combat, with eight powerups available on tracks. Cars can hold up to three powerups at once, which can be switched, activated, or discarded. Five powerups are weapons; the others are a defensive shield, a repair wrench, and a nitrous boost. Some weapons can be aimed forward or backward and used defensively. In career mode, the player is advised by Shannon, voiced by Natalie Lander, and encounters various characters and licensed cars such as the Dodge Viper and Lotus Exige, plus tuned vehicles like the Ford Supervan with an F1 engine. Each car has unique traits: Acceleration, Speed, Drift, Grip, and Stability. Some car models were designed by Bizarre Creations. Tracks are simplified versions of real-world environments, including Los Angeles river canals and parts of London. Characters have distinct racing styles, power-up setups, match types, locales, and cars. Players earn fan points by reaching the podium, performing stunts, and using powerups in certain ways, which advances the career, unlocks cars and parts, and builds a fan base. Fan icons on tracks trigger short challenges, such as shooting another car or performing a long drift, rewarding bonus fan points. Each career challenge ends with a boss; defeating a boss grants access to their mods, which enhance standard powerups, and customized cars. The final challenge features all bosses in one race.
Development
A trailer and tips video on Xbox Live mentioned a feature called double tap, which would have allowed players to combine several powerups of the same type for a stronger effect by double tapping the special power button. This feature was not included in the final game, and the video was removed near release. The double tap feature was absent from the free multiplayer demo on Xbox Live.
Reception
Blur received favorable reviews on all platforms according to Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu gave it 29 out of 40, while Famitsu X360 rated the Xbox 360 version 31 out of 40. Edge scored the Xbox 360 version eight out of ten, stating it provides too little engaging structure behind its racing to be more than a series of thrilling rides. GameZone gave it 7.5 out of 10, calling single-player an average racing game with a powered-up twist, noting that repeating races and acquiring beautiful cars without customization grows old, and that the outdated rave vibe in music and menus hurts the presentation, but calling multiplayer absolutely exhilarating. In the US, Blur sold 31,000 units in its first five days and ultimately 500,000 units. Despite disappointing sales, Bizarre Creations' Nick Davies announced in July 2010 that the studio intended to create more games in the series, attributing the sales to a busy time for racing games and the simultaneous release of ModNation Racers and Split/Second, but believing the strong multiplayer component would give it staying power. Activision closed Bizarre Creations on February 18, 2011, stating that the racing genre's fundamentals had changed significantly and that Blur did not find a commercial audience.
Sequels
A sequel to Blur was planned and work had begun on an all-new engine, but it was cancelled when Bizarre Creations was shut down. Post-mortem work-in-progress videos were released, showing a race on Blur's Brighton track with a rainstorm, an Audi R8 racing in Dubai with the ability to temporarily run sideways on a curved building, and an Ultima GTR racing down a snow-capped mountain during an avalanche. On October 25, 2013, a free-to-play spin-off mobile game called Blur Overdrive was released on Android, developed by App Crowd and distributed by Marmalade under license from Activision; an iOS version followed on November 1, 2013. Blur Overdrive uses a top-down perspective with eight powerups and six cars upgradeable in ten steps, with touchscreen controls offering a floating steering wheel, slide bar, or virtual pad. Player mods and powerup mods are separate from car upgrades and alter how powerups affect combat.
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