One of the most talked-about features in GRID Legends is the unique Driven to Glory story mode. Here, you play as Driver 22, a rookie driver who joins the struggling Seneca Racing team competing in the GRID World Series championship.
The rags-to-riches story is told in slick live-action cut scenes that use the same virtual production technology as The Mandalorian, with actors performing in front of computer-generated backdrops instead of traditional green screens. There’s plenty of fan service for players familiar with the GRID games.
Driven to Glory sees the return of Nathan McKane, who drives for Ravenwest Motorsport. Nathan has appeared in three GRID games including the original Race Driver Grid. However, this is the first time he’s played by an actor in live-action cut scenes. Nathan McKane isn’t the only returning character in GRID Legends, however.
Warning: major story spoilers lie ahead for GRID Legends.
James Randall returns
After completing the final race in Driven to Glory, don’t skip the end credits. During interviews in the credits, drivers from various teams reflect on the season. Once the credits are over, a mysterious character walks into the shot, sits down, and introduces himself.
“My name’s James Randall, I used to race back in the eighties,” a reporter tells him to say in the interview. Codemasters racing game veterans may remember James Randall as the antagonist of TOCA Race Driver released in 2002. The well-spoken former race driver has a lot of history with the McKanes.
Who is James Randall in GRID Legends?
In TOCA Race Driver, James Randal is a rookie driver who causes a fatal crash at the start of the game. This results in the death of legendary driver Kyle McKane, the father of Donnie and Ryan McKane who witness the accident.
The story picks up 15 years later with you playing as Ryan looking to make a name for himself in racing. While racing, he encounters James masquerading as a rookie driver named Nick Landers and avenges his father's death.
Fast forward to GRID Legends, and Ryan has retired from racing. He's now the team principal of Ravenwest Motorsport, which is dominating the GRID World Series championship. Ryan is also the uncle of Ravenwest’s top driver, Nathan McKane.
Towards the end of the story, Nathan's teammate Lara Carvalho tips off your race engineer that Ravenwest is using unsanctioned mods on the computer-assisted steering in Nathan's car to gain an advantage. After Seneca wins its first-ever GRID World Series championship, Ryan is arrested for charges of “criminal conspiracy and reckless endangerment.”
After the credits have rolled, Ryan's old nemesis James steps in and becomes the new team owner of Ravenwest. “Do we have to talk about the McKane's? Those lovely men still very much hate my guts,” he says. “I’m the new owner of Ravenwest. Let’s get this show on the road.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kolaO0GrC8E
The ending possibly hints at a GRID Legends sequel with James Randall at the helm of Ravenwest. But with GRID Legends struggling to sell at launch, we may never find out what happens next in the story.