Gran Turismo 5 might be one of the many games exclusive to the PS3 but its by far the most awaited especially by hardcore simulation racing fans.With its roots from the PlayStation 1 days,the fifth true instalment (read: that doesnt have the word Prologue attached to it) has been almost five years in the making.And were pleased to report that it delivers in every way possible.
The Good :
Accessible and rewarding for newcomers and veterans alike
Uncompromisingly realistic handling
Loads of great cars to drive and varied courses to drive them on
License tests are no longer mandatory
Premium cars are incredibly detailed.
The Bad :
Quality of visuals is wildly inconsistent
Outdated and impractical online lobby system
Too easy to win early races simply by entering in a powerful car.
From car handling to the engine sounds,everything has been faithfully replicated in such a way that youd be hard pressed at times to distinguish between the game and reality.Its just so well done.From the everymans Swift all the way up to exotic supercars like the Tesla Roadster theres a lot of cars to choose and drive.In fact theres around a thousand of them or so.Then again this is to be expected from Polyphony Digital,a studio of car freaks that masquerade as developers.The attention to detail is insane.So much so that the cockpit view (available in premium cars only,more on that in a bit) puts everything else to shame including Need For Speed: Shifts superlative attempt at it.
As mentioned in the earlier paragraph there are premium cars.These are 200 cherry picked vehicles that are gloriously detailed,sport a cockpit view and have advanced damage modelling.The other tier consists of 800 standard cars which dont have an interior view and have basic damage modelling.Its pretty weird that the cockpit view is restricted to just 20 per cent of the cars in the game given how well its done.
Aesthetics aside every car regardless of which category it belongs to handles as uniquely as it should.Each car comes with its own learning curve.If youre expecting a game where you can just jump into a Ferrari and tear across the circuit youd be in for a very shocking surprise.And if youre a long time fan of the series youd comfortably slip into GT5s gameplay like nothing has ever changed.
That doesnt mean that everything since GT4 and GT5: Prologue has remained the same though.Theres a host of game modes to choose from apart from the standard career and arcade modes.These include the much hyped kart and NASCAR events that give you a taste of racing beyond the simulated beauty that youre accustomed to.All of it is done brilliantly well,giving some much needed diversity and respite from the often gruelling career mode.Speaking of diversity theres a B-spec option which allows you to manage and guide a team of drivers to the podium as the team director.The following are the modes that can be unlocked within A-spec, each having their own different type of events:
Amateur Series
Professional Series
Expert Series
Extreme Series
Its a managerial simulation at best with sparse options and limited tutorials but its a welcome change if youre tired from all the actual racing. Oh and race you will.There are stunning tracks.Loads of them... 71 to be precise.From classics like Nrburgring to the TopGear test circuit theres enough of real-life scenery to drive through.And if that isnt enough,there are a variety of fictitious ones to choose from and theres a rudimentary track creator as well ensuring that youll never really run out of road.
Everything isnt exactly hunky dory though.For a game with so much content the menus could have been better designed and easier to access for newbies to the series.The user interface is clunky at best to the point where youd be greeted with loading screens within menus and every time you want to upgrade or purchase a car you have to mosey back to the main menu.With all the obsessive attention to detail making the sheer wealth of features available took a backseat.Throw in a mandatory and massive hard drive install and huge updates and youd perhaps be waiting more than youd be playing.
All said and done however this is the most comprehensive racing simulation this generation.It might not have the slick menus or optimisations of its contemporaries,but its got its heart in the right place.This alone is reason enough to warrant a purchase if youre a racing junkie or interested in the genre.
