No, GRID Legends does not have free roam

GRID Legends is the latest installment in Codemasters‘ GRID racing series. This arcade-style racer opts for closed circuit tracks over an open world driving experience – there is no free roam mode to explore.

Lack of Free Roam Aligns with GRID Series Design Philosophy

The GRID series has never emphasized aimless free roam driving the way playground-style racing games like Forza Horizon do. Instead, the priority is crafting intriguing circuits that test driving skill. Codemasters focuses development efforts on diversity of routes rather than open world square mileage.

In an interview with Traxion, GRID Legends creative director Chris Smith explained this design choice: "We don’t have the acreage of land that Playground Games use for the Horizon series, but we have more tracks and routes than you could race in a lifetime."

GRID Legends Packed With 130+ Tracks and Varied Race Types

So while tearing around city streets in free drive mode isn‘t on the menu, GRID Legends doesn‘t lack for diverse driving content across its 130+ tracks:

• Point to point routes through global locales like San Francisco, Paris, London, and Moscow
• Real world circuits like Brands Hatch, Indianapolis Speedway, and Sepang
• Street racing and drifting on tight technical tracks
• Off-road rallycross and stadium circuits

Add in race varieties like Elimination modes or Electric Boost races, and GRID Legends aims to deliver excitement through competition rather than exploration.

Lack of Free Roam Draws Mixed Reactions from Players

In online reviews and forums, player opinion on the lack of an open world is split:

• Some enthusiasts decry the omission, feeling limited by closed courses
• Many praise the diversity of routes and pure focus on racing competition
• Others feel an open world element would make a good addition for future installments if combined with GRID‘s racing breadth

Below is a snapshot of player feedback on not having free roam capabilities:

So while a significant portion of players do desire more freedom, Codemasters‘ focus on racecraft over free drive also has its supporters.

Lack of Free Roam Unlikely to Impact GRID Legends‘ Success

Based on preview impressions, GRID Legends seems poised to continue the series‘ success. Early reviews praise its breadth of racing content even without an open world element.

And looking at sales data comparisons tells a similar story:

While Forza Horizon dwarfs GRID in sales, the GRID series still maintains a strong niche among racing gamers. So Codemasters‘ design decisions seem commercially sound even if omitting the recent open world trend.

The Verdict: Lack of Free Roam Aligns with Series‘ Vision

As a longtime racing game enthusiast, I don‘t view GRID Legend‘s absence of free roam as a detriment. Codemasters consciously focuses its efforts on crafting a specific racing experience – one emphasizing variety of routes rather than open world square mileage.

By concentrating on diversity of tracks and race types, I believe GRID Legends still delivers exciting driving action. It accomplishes precisely what it sets out to do.

That said, I do think an open world element could make a great addition in future installments if combined with GRID‘s strengths. Codemasters could pull this off given their racing and track design expertise.

But for GRID Legends, limiting free drive in favor of racecourse breadth works given the series‘ vision. This design choice may disappoint some enthusiasts but makes sense for Codemasters‘ particular brand of racing game.