We want most modes to come with various options to increase replay value, such as weather changes and time of day, as well as modifiers that let you enable or disable certain pick-ups and change how they work. Want an explosive match where racers are equipped only with unlimited mines? You can do that. How about disabling pick-ups altogether to make it just about the driving skill? Sure, why not.

There will also be variations on game modes, like knock-out (eliminate last place driver each lap) as well as points for inflicting the most damage.

Our aim is to supply the player with the ability to cater their experience to how they want to play. This customization will extend to other options menus as well, including graphics, where you'll be able to tweak to your heart's content on PC.

An illicit sport that spread like napalm

GRIP has its origins in the illegal street racing scene that spawned in the early 21st century. At that time the races were reasonably harmless. A danger to the public, certainly, with inexperienced drivers managing to destroy their rides in ill-judged corners. But most of the time, it was only the drivers themselves that wound-up dead. It was characterized as an underground movement, largely ignored by law enforcement, with only a handful of arrests ever being made. The world had other worries.

Then things started to change. The scene became dominated by major players with big egos. Full of bravura, their cars evolved and became all about the speed, and with that the danger began to grow. Elements of the public started to become interested in the drama and a whole new subculture gravitated towards the action. This was racing alright, and everyone in it was out to win, whatever the cost. Accidents happened often, and that too became part of the allure. This sport was really taking off, despite the intensifying efforts of authorities to bury it.

In the end, the races became so testosterone-fueled and running so close to the edge that even pirate TV started to cover them. The channel known simply as GRIP became synonymous with the whole scene, which exploded with massive public interest running counter to government crackdowns on the problem. Funded by gambling income and black-market TV subscriptions, the hacker crew running the TV link became very wealthy indeed.

The drivers in these races quickly realized what they were missing, and they were more than just a little displeased, they were harbouring some righteous anger. Some TV network taking over their scene - taking all the rewards yet sharing none of the risks, what the hell was that about? The fury erupted, and the big dogs made their grab for power. Fierce fighting broke out between the two groups, but the network was no match for the drivers and gave way to superior force. Faced with no choice but to accept the offer they were given, a balance of power was struck, and everyone moved forward. The network retained a cut, but the drivers were now collecting an income for their risk, a real income that allowed them to pimp their speed machines even further.

But money corrupts, and in GRIP it corrupted absolutely. The cut from the races was split between all the drivers, those that ended first received the most, and those that didn’t end at all, well, received nothing. It wasn’t long before this fact was viciously exploited. The cars, originally built purely for racing, slowly evolved to become armed, and armoured. Fewer people finishing a race meant more money for those that did. It wasn’t just about racing any more, it was about destroying your rivals along the way.

The government really couldn’t tolerate such an obscene display of violence and weaponry in their backyard. The regular police were hopelessly outclassed, so they sent in the military. But as they became increasingly involved, this just added to the whole drama of the scene. Though still very much underground, it was becoming rampantly popular. It was everyone’s favourite new addiction, their guilty pleasure. For the drivers though, the military intervention was just killing it. The racing was already intense enough, but fighting on two fronts was all but impossible. Something had to be done, this was a way of life now, and it wasn’t going to just stop. So the whole thing started to move, not just into the far reaches of the desert where it would be less conspicuous, but eventually off-world to try and find places where they could race to the max without wasting munition on government forces that they would much rather save to fight against each other. It was all about the winning.

Now, in the age of streamlined interstellar travel, GRIP has come of age with its fiery cocktail of cars and carnage spreading throughout the known star systems - the organizers now crashing exotic planets and bulldozing environments to create improvised race tracks to battle upon. That is, until the region's authorities show up and try to ruin the party with a hail of gunfire and rockets. Not only are racers dealing with each other's explosive tendencies, they now contend with a fierce war between those that want the anarchy to continue, and those that would extinguish what could become the biggest televised spectacle in the galaxy.

Welcome to GRIP.

Just as in Rollcage, the cars in GRIP are extraordinary. With larger wheels that extend not just below the frame but also above it, with GRIP's cars there is no right way up and they can flip sides whenever they need to and just keep on thrusting forwards. But that’s not all. These cars also develop a tremendous amount of down-force, so much down-force in fact that driving on walls and even ceilings becomes possible. And in GRIP, this isn’t just possible, at times it’s essential. It’s all about survival, and getting to the end of the race, whatever it takes.

All of the vehicles in GRIP are heavily armed, and most of them heavily armoured. There’s a variety to choose from, ranging from sleek and light thoroughbreds built purely for speed, all the way over to ironclad behemoths that can not only deal out the punishment, but also take it. Whatever your thing is, there’s a ride in GRIP with your name all over it.

UPGRADES

You will start with a very capable car as you enter the GRIP arena, anything less would be suicide. Slowly but surely however, you will be able to upgrade your car with money earned from scoring a decent race position as well as salvage recovered along the track while racing. You’ll be able to visually customize your beast with a selection of paint-jobs, rims, wheels and body armour kits.

It’s not enough to just cross the finish line first in GRIP, more important is how you got there, and how much destruction you wrought upon your rivals along the way. Weapons and power-ups are now an integral part of the races that you will be taking part in. Here is a selection of what will potentially be on offer:

Liddo 5: A sphere enveloped by lush alien jungle that is very much alive. The GRIP league drop their materials and crew through the thick canopy of trees to lay as much track as they can before the planet starts to take over again. The world was once peppered with research facilities, but most have subdued to the plant life's lust for reclaiming its territory.

Orbital Prime: Essentially a floating metropolis, this planet is one big city, devoid of landscape, vegetation or wild life. What it lacks in natural colour, it makes up for with its Red Sun district and flashy advertisements. Orbital Prime is mostly a seedy, corrupt place full of outcasts and criminals, and would make the perfect place to drop a race if it weren't for the affluent oligarchs running the show with the local militia rewarded well to assert their will.

Norvos: Once a highly utilized military installation that strategically borders an opposing planet, this cold, barren landscape became just too hostile for habitation. Knives of ice jut out from the planet's hardened crust, and brutal ice storms mercilessly ravage the surface without end. Authorities rarely attempt to shut down the races here, and for good reason.

Jahtra: What we would call the very epitome of blistering desert, this arid but resource rich location quickly showed itself to be ideal for GRIP's show-downs. With its massive surface size, access to an abundance of fuel and the ability to drop track sections in and out with ease, Jahtra quickly became a prime racing location.

We've been lucky, and are very honoured to have such an impressive roster of musicians wanting to get involved. Not only that, but they love what they see of GRIP and are making their passion clear for wanting to create some truly wicked tunes for the game. Full Kontakt have done a great job of defining most of GRIP's soundtrack, and our additional artists have also made some really killer tunes!

SOUNDCLOUD LINKS:
Full Kontakt
Xtigma
Tyler Michaud
Kevin Greenlee
Silence Groove
Authentic Music

Here is a list of the team members and contributors who have helped with GRIP's development so far. Some of which have come and gone, but their contribution will never be forgotten.