GRIP: Combat Racing

GRIP: Combat Racing is a futuristic arcade combat racer by Caged Element. The vehicles are built for extreme speeds and tracks that are not bound to the ground: races run across walls and ceilings, while weapons and power-ups decide duels on the track.

The current version combines classic double-sided scooter vehicles with the AirBlades added later. This way the game combines ground-based combat racing physics with anti-grav vehicles within the same race structure.

GRIP: Combat Racing was released on Nov 6, 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The game was developed by Caged Element, and Wired Productions acts as publisher.

After launch, GRIP was expanded through free updates. The AirBlades update from May 2019 was especially defining, permanently adding a second vehicle class with anti-grav racers to the game.

Native versions were released for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Nintendo still lists the Switch version in its store and also marks it as compatible with Switch 2; this is backward compatibility, not a separate Switch 2 version.

The PC version on Steam also supports a VR mode via SteamVR.

GRIP combines high speed with vehicle combat. Steam currently lists 29 tracks on four planets, nine weapons and power-ups and 30 armored vehicles. Depending on the track, walls and ceilings can be used as a regular racing line as long as speed and downforce allow.

Alongside the single-player campaign there are arena battles, 19 Carkour time trials, team modes, local split screen for up to four players and online races with up to ten participants. Progress unlocks cosmetic vehicle customization.

Steam lists the minimum as an Intel Core i3-3220 or AMD FX-6300, 4 GB RAM, a GeForce 560 or Radeon 6850, DirectX 11 and 8 GB free storage. Recommended are a Core i5-3570K or FX-8320, 8 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon 380. VR requires SteamVR and a gamepad.

The free AirBlades update from May 9, 2019 permanently added anti-grav vehicles to GRIP. AirBlades race against the double-sided scooters on the existing tracks and use their own hover physics; new tracks were also added.

This turned the combat racer, originally built on wheeled vehicles, into a shared rule set for two very different vehicle classes.

Online, up to ten drivers can race in races and custom tournaments. Locally, the PC version supports split screen with up to four players. There are also team races and Deathmatch modes, plus five arena maps.

The multiplayer structure is therefore not a separate add-on mode but part of the core game, drawing on the same vehicles, weapons and track mechanics.