Gran Turismo is the finest racing game of all time. Gran Turismo was commissioned by Sony and developed by Polyphony Digital as a response to a lack of appealing racing games for car enthusiasts. Its release in 1997 made a massive impact on the racing genre and spawned a thousand imitations since. Currently in its 5th generation Gran Turismo continues to dominate the racing genre.
The mixture of real world physics, the ability to upgrade your car, excellent tracks and TV style replays sets Gran Turismo apart from the crowd. As the game was quite serious and the handling based on the performance of the actual cars you weren’t allowed to simply jump into a car without first passing a few tests. These acted as a right of passage to the more serious side of Gran Turismo where you could race to earn cash to upgrade your car to win more races.
Gran Turismo has been accused of being a car collection simulation and it is true that there are hundreds of cars and different versions of cars to find but this adds to the game as a true hardcore driver’s game rather than detract from the fact. Gran Turismo is also one of the few games which consistently delivers an array of replay options for both the single player and multiplayer modes, something which is severely overlooked in other racing games.
Damage has not yet been seen in any Gran Turismo game which is a shame, but I expect that the licences required for each manufacturer have clauses which prevent such deformation of their creations. This does impact on the feel of realism within the game but at heart, Gran Turismo is not a stock racing game and should be played with precision, preferably with the appropriate steering and pedals peripherals.
Gran Turismo 5 is due out soon and will, for the first time boast online play which should help expand the player base and allow Gran Turismo to become the definitive hardcore racing game for the masses.
The mixture of real world physics, the ability to upgrade your car, excellent tracks and TV style replays sets Gran Turismo apart from the crowd. As the game was quite serious and the handling based on the performance of the actual cars you weren’t allowed to simply jump into a car without first passing a few tests. These acted as a right of passage to the more serious side of Gran Turismo where you could race to earn cash to upgrade your car to win more races.
Gran Turismo has been accused of being a car collection simulation and it is true that there are hundreds of cars and different versions of cars to find but this adds to the game as a true hardcore driver’s game rather than detract from the fact. Gran Turismo is also one of the few games which consistently delivers an array of replay options for both the single player and multiplayer modes, something which is severely overlooked in other racing games.
Damage has not yet been seen in any Gran Turismo game which is a shame, but I expect that the licences required for each manufacturer have clauses which prevent such deformation of their creations. This does impact on the feel of realism within the game but at heart, Gran Turismo is not a stock racing game and should be played with precision, preferably with the appropriate steering and pedals peripherals.
Gran Turismo 5 is due out soon and will, for the first time boast online play which should help expand the player base and allow Gran Turismo to become the definitive hardcore racing game for the masses.
