Play Grid Runner Online Free for PS1/Playstation.

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If it's been awhile since you played Grid Runner, then now here's your chance to play it the way it was meant to be played. Released on the Sony PlayStation, this retro classic is ready the second you press start — no downloads, no setup.

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First registered run claims the top spot. It won't stay easy for long.

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It is frequently described as a cross between tag and capture the flag, but the playing field is a maze-like grid which the players can manipulate to an extent. Grid Runner is an action game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment for the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Microsoft Windows in 1996.

The Story Behind Grid Runner

Here is where Grid Runner came from and how it reached the Sony PlayStation.

All of the game's cast of characters were first sketched on paper, then turned into sculptures, before finally being rendered in 3D to limit the use of "work-intensive, expensive rendering workstations". Grid Runner was first announced under the title "Eurit". While investigating a seemingly deserted alien ship in the asteroid field, Axxel is captured by an evil witch, Empress Vorga, who then forces Axxel to play a deadly game competing against her demonic minions.

If he wins, the witch is destroyed and Axxel escapes just before the ship explodes. According to Virgin Interactive Entertainment producer Stacy Hendrickson, the developer Radical Entertainment thought of Grid Runner as a "fun, original alternative two-player game" that would be neither a fighting or a sports title about a decade before the game was finally made, and that they also put "a lot of work on the AI" of single-player enemies. The game met with a generally positive response from critics, who generally said the game is at its most fun in the multiplayer mode.

How Grid Runner Plays

Grid Runner is a retro game for 1 player, played here with your keyboard or any USB or Bluetooth gamepad.

Upon starting the game, two players must race to find the first flag. In single-player mode, each level is split into three rounds against an opponent, which the player must win in order to succeed. The map is in a grid, featuring numerous types of tiles allowing the player to speed up in one direction, teleport or allow further pathways to appear.

Grid Runner is a top-down game similar to tag. Each player is armed with a laser gun that can slow the opponent down, and each player may build "bridges" to overcome gaps. Opponents often come with certain abilities, such as better control on ice, or being able to build two "bridges" at once.

Why Players Still Load It Up

Grid Runner is a retro game that Sony PlayStation players still load up; the reviews and rankings below say why.

While remarking that the graphics are not as sharp as the PlayStation version's, GamePros Tommy Glide was pleased with the variety of stages, tight controls, and combination of intense chases with strategic maze navigation. Paul Glancey of Sega Saturn Magazine gave the game one of its few negative reviews, commenting, "What games did you buy your Saturn to play? The protagonist Axxel and his partner Tara, a pair of freelance space adventurers, are sent on a mission to the Gridonion Asteroid Field, a path between Earth and the Nether-Planets, to find out why ships have been mysteriously disappearing.

Background sources: Wikipedia.

Grid Runner — Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play Grid Runner online for free?

Absolutely. The full game loads in the player at the top of this page and runs right in your browser — no installs, no plugins, no waiting.

Do I need a controller to play Grid Runner?

No. Keyboard controls work out of the box (see the controls panel), and any USB or Bluetooth gamepad is detected automatically.

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