So I have now spent a few hours with the Blur open beta and I thought it was about time to weigh in on it. 
 
First off let me say that I have always enjoyed racing games, even though I'm not that good at them. In fact "realistic" racing games have only really become fun for me since the introduction of rewind features in games like GRID and Forza 3. The ability to jump back to make up that one mistake that slipped you from 1st to 8th makes those types of games much more fun for someone who isn't the most technical of drivers... 
 
That said, Blur is in no way a realistic racing game. The handling feels good, though not accurate, and obviously the addition of power-ups moves this game squarely into the realms of fiction. Some have likened it to the Wipeout series of games, but I have always felt that they lacked the damage and crashing feel of on-wheels games. Others have looked towards the Mario Kart games for a reference point, but the cartoony style again means that there is no sense of damage. In fact, for me, this game feel a lot like my favourite series of racing games of all time, Rollcage. 
 
The beta really does well in getting you into the action and the available "tracks" are varied enough to get a feel for the game in general. The one thing that really makes the beta enjoyable is the addition of Call of Duty 4 style perks and ranks. This customisation gives the game just enough persistence to make the quick and frantic races seem worth-while, even if you are coming in at the bottom end of the leader-board. 
 
I do wonder how fun the single player experience will be, as I am not sure that some of the mechanics will translate as well over from multiplayer. That being said, the combination of fast paced gameplay and online persistence makes this game a purchase for me, and I look forward to seeing what the full version of the game brings to the table.