Grid 2

The game includes numerous real world locations and cities such as Paris. It also includes motor vehicles spanning four decades. In addition, it includes a new handling system that developer Codemasters has dubbed "TrueFeel", which aims to hit a sweet spot between realism and accessibility. Races do not include a first person cockpit view. The popular gamemode "Drift" was shown in a gameplay preview by Codemasters.

Drivers are given certain cars before some race modes, and can unlock others through other vehicle challenges. Car liveries can be customised by the player, using preset graphic designs adapted with colours or varying shades.

Grid 2 received "generally favorable reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic.

IGN wrote positively about the game's graphics, audio, and gameplay, ultimately concluding, "A well-curated car list, a great sense of speed, and a well-thought out career mode combine in a racer that is a lot of fun to play through." Game Informer lauded the bespoke nature of the World Series Racing mode, alternate track routes, and multiplayer, and noted that it was not particularly innovative. PC Gamer wrote, "for all its top-class visuals and excellent handling, somehow the game doesn't seem to believe that just racing is interesting enough on its own," criticizing the title's threadbare story while praising the realistic AI and variety of modes. Destructoid, by contrast, was disappointed by the lack of sim gameplay, and wrote, "instead offering a stripped-down version of itself that is filled with lazy design, unfair AI opponents, special ESPN 'live' broadcasts that no one really asked for, and to top it all off, its bizarrely irritating narrator and loudly drunk or completely apathetic fans."