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GripShift Mini Review
Chris Leyton
16/12/2005
Starved of quality, original titles, GripShift from Sidhe Interactive and Ubisoft bucks the trend of Playstation2 conversions, resulting in one of the handheld's finest hours since Lumines first introduced the PSP...
Billed as "PUZZLE - PLATFORM - DRIVING - ACTION" GripShift is a puzzling combination of genres that initially fails to impress, but leaves a lasting impression that keeps you coming back for more, more and more... Essentially it's a series of insanely designed tracks (ala Trackmania) with three objectives governing a players progress and success; namely to complete the track within an allotted time for a gold medal, collecting a certain amount of stars and occasionally discovering a hidden icon.
As a racing/driving game with its somewhat questionable vehicle physics GripShift leaves you wanting for more... but then the platforming aspects become apparent and the realisation that GripShift is quite unlike any other slowly dawns upon you. Describing a racer as a platformer is never going to be easy however give me some room with this one. The design of the track and in particular the layout of the stars is done so in such a way that promotes successfully completing the objectives in one attempt, although many will have you coming back on repeated attempts to complete the stage in its entirety as successfully completing one objective is enough to open up the next stage. The actual platforming angle stems from the Turbo and Handbrake controls, allowing players complete control over the vehicle from turning on the spot to flying through the air, techniques that become essential to navigating the increasingly fiendish tracks. What this gives the game thanks to the combination of controls and track designs are a racing experience quite unlike any other, and one whose rapid succession of sort stages provides the perfect blend of quick-fix gaming that oozes the "one more" appeal.
With approximately 10 different stages to each of the game's 5 difficulty stages there's plenty to get stuck into when it comes to playing GripShift; however that's not all, as along the way you'll unlock a plethora of bonus modes and other goodies to sustain your interest and provide respite away from the frustratingly addictive single player mode. From the nefariously designed Playground to the joys of Penguin Bowling, GripShift's unique focus lends itself well to such variations on the basic theme which helps to extend its considerable lifespan significantly.
As if that wasn't enough GripShift also contains a Track Editor which provides everything you need to create the type of courses only bound by your own imagination. Given the huge amount of options presented the clear canvas can be a little bewildering to begin with, however the technique soon becomes clear and you'll find yourself placing loop-the-loops, insane jumps and other such objects to keep your friends frustrated for months to come. Naturally there is also a multiplayer mode which suits the nature of the game ideally, however the lack of a Game Sharing option feels like a missed opportunity to spread the word on just how much fun GripShift is when it's marketing budget will probably fail to get the message across.
Given the high level of enjoyment and addiction that GripShift instils in the player criticisms are few and far between; the odd occasional glitch such as becoming stuck inside an object appears, whilst those with slightly less tolerance could find themselves flinging the PSP towards the nearest window on the game's tougher tracks - but that's hardly a complaint with the game.
Piled under a list of Playstation2 conversions the PSP has been crying out for an original title since Lumines first highlighted the strengths of the handheld format.
GripShift is a portable game designed to near perfection, it's Super Monkey Ball crossed with Geoff Crammond's legendary Stunt Car Racer; a unique concept that fully utilises its format, resulting in one of the most frustratingly addictive titles on the PSP to date.
