Hasta La Ideas

If you’re the kind of gamer (like us) who’s tired of the hyper-realistic, hundreds-of-different-button games that flood the gaming consoles of today, then Blur might be for you. On the surface, the new racing game from Bizarre Creations is an absolutely beautifully realistic game, chock full of real cars, and actual environments rendered at the peak of today’s graphics capabilities. But beneath the complex visuals lies a game that keeps it simple with both game play and controls, making for just plain fun. Oh yeah, there’s also the array of power-ups and weapons á la Mario Kart—booyah!

The comparison to everyone’s favorite multiplayer racer is impossible not to make. But while Blur might remind you of Mario Kart in essence, the game goes well beyond the offerings of the Nintendo classic, and just might be a whole lot better.

Forget Yoshi, Blur features a range of cars, from a Land Rover Defender SVX to an Audi TTS Coupé. Tired of racing in Rainbow Land? How about Dumbo, Brooklyn or Shutoko, Tokyo? Did I mention you can shoot forwards and backwards, and even knock fools out from behind?

Don’t even get me started on multiplayer. Blur supports full-on classic split-screen multiplayer for up to four players, and taking the leap online ups it to 20 people at a time. I think they broke some sort of record there. After playing Blur, Mario Kart will seem more like snore.org.

To sum Blur up, the near-perfect multiplayer racing game incorporates an aggressive array of features that cover everything from speed boosts to blasting opponents. All wrapped up in a beautifully designed game that takes you racing around the world in insanely real cars and environments, Blur seems like the perfect game for playing while kicking back with the bros.

Available now for Xbox, Playstation and PC, get Blur from the online store. Make sure to check out the game’s site to learn more—there’s also a clever animation that alludes to the Mario Kart comparison and totally kicks its ass.