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DEVELOPER
Polys Entertainment
PUBLISHER
SCEI
AVAILABLE
Now
MEDIUM
CD Rom
PLAYERS
Two
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 hat
can I say about Gran Turismo that hasn't already been said? A sleeper hit
is the best way to describe this title, as it sort of just came out of
left field and took everyone by surprise. Sporting an arcade mode and simulator
mode, loads of tracks, over 150 cars and an obscene amount of options,
Gran Turismo is the racer to end all racers.
And these aren't just a bunch of cars from some programmers imagination,
these are actual, production model vehicles from such manufacturers and
Chevrolet, Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Chrysler and Aston Martin. Not only do
you get the expected sports cars like the NSX, Supra and Camaro, but also
a full complement of sedans, touring wagons and so on. Cars that really
have no business being in a racing game at all, but whose presence only
serve to strengthen the amazing replay value present. Plus it's kind of
cool to race around a high speed course in a little beige 4 door sedan,
something that looks like your first car.
Along with these production models there are also a small selection
of famous racecars. The Mazda RX-7 LM Edition, the Nissan Nismo GT-R LM,
the Subaru Impreza Rally Edition, the Honda NSX-R GT1 Turbo, the Mitsubishi
GTO LM Edition and the famous Castrol Supra GT. Each one comes in two colors,
and cost a mere 50,000,000 credits.
That's right, in simulation mode you actually have to buy your cars.
You start off with 1,000,000 credits, which ain't a whole lot in this game.
About all you'll be able to afford are some of the used vehicles available
at certain manufacturers. The difference in the used cars is basically
that they're older (ranging from 1988 to 1995) and that you can't choose
the color. By winning races and championships, you earn bonus cars and
credits. Pretty soon, you'll have a full, diverse stable of cars from which
to choose. But wait, there's a catch…
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No, this is not FMV, this is a realtime replay of
a race.
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In order to compete in any tournaments in simulation mode, you must
first earn one of three different license classes. These are earned by
successfully completing short tests that involve perfecting acceleration,
braking, cornering and overall control. While this is a cool idea, it does
get kind of irritating if you just can't seem to complete certain trials
after multiple tries.
On the other end of the spectrum is arcade mode. This is exactly what
you'd expect it to be, a collection of available cars, four tracks, three
difficulty levels and a set of goodies to uncover. By finishing all four
tracks on each class, you unlock another four tracks. Completing these
makes available four new sets of cars, along with an ending video. There's
also one other secret, but you'll have to earn that for yourselves.
The game controls beautifully, especially with the analogue controller.
For those of you who decided to pick up the Japanese dual shock analogue,
Gran Turismo also supports that. In fact, it really adds to the overall
feeling of the game. Each race only consists of six contestants, but they're
still intense. Polys have incorporated a great AI into Gran Turismo, as
each car seems to be able to keep up and the pack stays pretty tight. Not
like Mario Kart 64, mind you, but much more realistic. There are usually
a couple stragglers by the end of the race.
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Note the active suspension. This game is a graphical
tour de force.
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After each race is a replay, which really shows off the time and effort
put into getting the computer drivers jus right. You will seriously have
a hard time believing that this is a video game, and not a television broadcast.
Everything moves so realistically, and the graphics are top notch. Rather
than use light sourcing on everything, Polys decided to use a reflection
routine on each car. The result is a highly polished look that's light
years ahead of any other driving game on the system to date.
The in-game graphics are great, too. Basically looking like a highly
refined Rage Racer engine, fully functional headlights and break lights,
beautiful, panoramic backdrops complete with grandstands and billboards,
it's all here. All with virtually no pop up or seam breaking, the game
is simply gorgeous.
As hard as it is to believe, the engine noise is pretty varied from
vehicle to vehicle. As far as music goes, yeah, there's music. But unfortunately,
it's not all that noticeable, or all that good. That's fine with me, I'd
rather hear the music from the engines anyway.
The bottom line is this. You have not seen a racing game this good or
this complete on a home console, ever. The sheer volume of machines coupled
with the unequaled graphics and the excellent control and gameplay makes
for an instant legend. Buy the import version, though, since many of these
cars will be cut due to licensing when Gran Turismo hits North America.
-- Greg Sewart
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