It's been a while since I played a really good racing game that wasn't part of an established series. Codemasters manages it with "GRID."

"GRID" feels like a mix of other racing games. The driving mechanics are "Forza" meets "Project Gotham Racing." The game also includes many types of races, from straight street racing to destruction derby racing to Japanese-style togue racing (racing up and then down a short stretch of narrow mountain road).

The cars also are a mix, with muscle cars, imports and exotics. Most of the time, the type of car you can drive depends on the race.

Races take place in three regions: Europe, the United States and Japan. Drivers earn a good reputation for placing, and that reputation earns more sponsors, more money and higher-level licenses. After you've created your own racing team (a few hours into the game), you can hire and fire other drivers. The teammates can be helpful, though at times they're more of a hindrance.

While the game doesn't require you to pay for damage to your car, it does pay attention to it, with an indicator at the bottom of the screen telling you if your tires are shot or your engine is about to blow. Depending on the damage, your car can drive differently. I spent one race with the car pulling sharply to the right because I'd rammed into a wall at high speed. Oops.

But here's where it really gets interesting: "GRID" uses an instant replay system that you can access in the middle of the race. When you crash or spin out, you can jump into the replay, back up to a point before you screwed up and use a "flashback." Yes, you can literally turn back time.

There are limitations, however. The in-game replay only goes back maybe five seconds, so you can't delay if you want to fix your position. Also, you only get a set number of flashbacks per race. At the end of the race, unused flashbacks translate into money, so it's better not to use them.

It's an interesting system, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. The cars handle nicely (and differently from each other), and the races have variety and are well-paced.

I also liked the voice-overs, which can be set to say your name. I broke into a huge grin when, in my first race, my person in the pit said, "Nice job, Aimee!" Unfortunately, pronunciations are chosen from a list, and less common names aren't on there.

Still, I found "GRID" to be extremely well done and a nice change from the repetition of sequels. Racing fans should take it for a spin.

GRIDBy: Codemasters, for Xbox 360 (also on PlayStation 3, PC)Rated: EveryoneCost: $59.99Score: 8.5/10