GripShift

"An interesting puzzle/platform/racer."

One of the things you first notice about this game is that it is different. You start out with a tutorial that makes you think just how weird this game is. It can get addicting pretty quick. There are a lot of things to do in this game. The game is set in the middle of nowhere really. It never tell you where you are. All you see is a giant bottomless pit that is screaming to be morphed into what you want. Onward now!

Gameplay: 9/10- This game is very easy to get into. The controls are simple and responsive. X is accelerate, square is reverse, r is turbo, L is the emergency brake, and either the directional buttons or the analog stick is for turning. And circle is used to fire off the weapons you get. There is only three weapons to fire; TNT, a missle, and a sheild.

Challenge mode is about facing the difficulties of er... challenges. You keep going to tougher challenges the farther you get. In each difficulty you earn credits which are used to unlock stuff like mini-games and the next tier of challenges. Nothing like falling off repeatedly.

Then there is the track editor. This is where the game really shines. There are many options to choose from that the possibilities are limitless. You have loops, traps, islands, and tons of customizable roads. The only problem is you have a limit on what you can put it it is nothing to major.

Mini-games are also here for your pleasure. The first ones your going to get are the free park where you have ten minutes to collect 99 stars, to penguin bowling where you knock your car into penguins to get the highest score. Very fun.

Graphics/Sound:8/10- For the most part the graphics are good. The character models are kinda cartoony but they work for the atmosphere of the game. The environments are cool, as are the floating island.
Sounds are so and so. Some of the tracks are good but it is nothing that is going to last in your head.

Replayabilty: 10/10- This mostly goes to the track editors and the mini-games. They are the best part of this game. Challenge mode is worth a try, but you will probably spend times making you wacky courses like me.

Buy or Rent- I would say rent it first. If you like it, great. Go get a copy. If you don't no harm or foul. This is definitely one of my favorite PSP games to fiddle around with. The final score is 9/10.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/06/08

Game Release: GripShift (US, 09/12/05)