The last time I remember feeling the same rush of adrenaline and sense of speed (in a video game, mind you) that I did from Blur was Burnout Paradise. If you want the down and dirty explanation of the game, take one part Mario Kart, shake in some Motorstorm, and then add some of that special Burnout 3: Takedown sauce. Blur wastes no time in drawing those comparisons. You’ve got the power up-based attack mechanics from the former, the rails-to-rails physical feel of Motorstorm, and the aggressive screen-tearing behavior of the latter.

Right off the bat you’ll notice that Blur moves at an incredible pace. Most races are complete in under 3-4 minutes, even at the lower vehicle classes. After a few hours of lingering in the C-D class races, my mind nearly exploded at the speed increase of the A-class cars. Those don’t come very often during the single player, but you can definitely tell when they blast a hole in your eyes. Screw 3D; all the in-game immersion you need is present in a fast-paced Blur race.

Speaking of the single player campaign: trash it. While the mode eases you into the world of Blur and provides a grasp of the experience system and the limited car customization options (seriously, just power ups and paint jobs?), its difficultly ramps upwards at an offensive pace. Rubber-banding is present in a nontraditional sense, as AI racers frequently land perfect power up attacks on you and miraculously avoid yours. I often found myself out-classed and relying only on the hope that the AI might make too wide a turn or randomly crash in order to get first place.

Blur’s multiplayer is where the game shines. I don’t remember having such a good time playing an online racer with my friends. Chatting with an out-of-town buddy while dominating the D-class or screeching at a neighbor-awakening volume when he edges past me at 200+ mph to earn the checkered flag is a fantastic and intense experience. The same EXP system (counted in the form of in-game “fans”) from the single player is present in multiplayer, although the two (disappointingly) correlate but don’t integrate. Earning all of my cars over again made me question why I should have even bothered with the single player in the first place.

Bizarre takes its Geometry Wars friends list challenges to another level in Blur. Those same alerts and leaderboards are present in the racer, although you can issue specific challenges with custom tweaks to your friends. For example, you could really break your friend’s balls by one-upping that “beat my time on this track” throw down by adding “oh, and you have to do it while earning 1000 fans.” It’s not my cup of tea, but those who viciously defend their Geometry Wars 2 score from all takers will have a new tower to perch on.

The most important aspect of any racing game is the controls. Blur’s scheme felt instantly familiar. There’s essentially zero learning curve if you’ve played any of the aforementioned racers for more than a few hours. I was even able to successfully guess a few of the more advanced options (switching between power ups, specifically) and continue the race without incident.

Other than that, Blur is a pretty straightforward racing title. You accelerate the overtake opponents, drift precariously around corners, and keep the car in the middle of the road. I’m oversimplifying it, but that’s what Blur is: simple, and that’s great. Just don’t play the single player, got it?

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Things We Liked: Great intuitive controls. Intense and satisfying races. Fantastic online modes. Cool experience system integration.

Things We Disliked: Single player game is dreck. Limited depth in car customization. Frustrating AI. Experience system is the same but strangely separated between single player and multiplayer modes.

Target Audience: Arcade racing fans. Geometry War high-score defenders. Speed demons.

(Blur – Developer: Bizarre Creations. Publisher: Activision. Available on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 – Xbox 360 version reviewed. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Unfamiliar with CFD!’s review system? Read our newly revised explanation here.)