Gran Turismo 4

"A tried and true formula that leaves you wanting something more."

After what seemed an eternity, Gran Turismo 4 finally hit U.S. shores. Being a fan of the series since it's first incarnation, I was hoping for nothing less than near perfection from the latest and possibly last GT game on the PS2. What I got instead is a game that shines above all others in the series, yet fails to live up to the high expectations of the fans.

Here's my breakdown of the game:

Graphics: 9/10
There simply hasn't been another PS2 game that can match the beauty of GT4. With that said, the only reason it loses a point is because of the lack of environmental anti-aliasing. Even when using the hi-definition options, the majority of the environments lack the polish of the cars.

Sound: 9/10
The sound effects in the game sound great in Dolby Pro Logic II. Some of the car engine sounds are a bit off, but that's really the only complaint thus far.

Music: 3/10
Sadly enough, GT4 is hurting in the music department. It's best to just turn off the music and turn on the radio or pop in a cd. Not all of the music is bad, but what's there isn't enough to warrant a second listen.

Control: 4/10, 9/10
The control gets 2 different scores because of the 2 different controllers used to play. The lower score is the score belongs to the Dual Shock 2 controller. Although the game is by no means bad if you use the Dual Shock 2, it just wasn't designed around that controller. You can do just fine using one, but I feel that you're missing out on the best the game has to offer unless you use the controller designed specifically for the game; the Logitech Driving Force Pro. The DFP simply adds a level of realism to the game that the DS2 cannot. I recommend getting it to anyone who can afford to get one.

Gameplay: 6/10
Anyone who followed the development of this game and owns it now can tell you about all of the features that were promised but were ultimately left out. There's no online play. There's no advanced A.I.. There's not really so much of an improved car list. The track list is immense, but for some reason, several of the better tracks from past GT games didn't make the cut. There's also B-Spec mode, which desperately needs to take some advice from FORZA Motorsports's drivatar mode. The B-Spec driver A.I. on some tracks is nothing short of a bad joke, even when it's trained very well. These flaws aren't game-killing, there's vast room here for improvement.

On the plus side for gameplay, there are enough challenges to keep you busy for quite some time. If you get tired of racing in the different series and championship races, there's the fun and aptly named Challenge Mode. Challenge Mode consists of 34 different events, ranging from simple corner overtaking exercises to grueling single lap catch-up races. It's far and away the best addition to the series to date.

Flow/Progression 8/10
There are two ways you can start your career in Gran Turismo mode. Those with saved games from GT3 may go to their Home and load up their B and A licenses, as well as an additional 100,000 credits. Those who don't have GT3 saves are given 10,000 credits to buy something from the 3 different used car lots. You really can't go wrong either way you choose to start.

After selecting a car and either doing some of the lesser races or obtaining your different licenses, you'll find yourself progressing nicely through the various Beginner events. You'll eventually work your way up the Professional events, which are only marginally more challenging, with the exception of the Gran Turismo World Championship. This championship is comprised of different Le Mans type race cars, and seems to be the "make it or break it" point for a lot of GT4 players.

After completing the Beginner and Professional events, you'll then gain access to the Extreme events. The events here seem to be a notch lower in difficulty than the GT World Championship, but they do bring about a major complaint. There are simply too many "race car" races here. I would have preferred to have fewer of those, but more challenging events using normal cars.

You'll unlock Endurance events upon obtaining 25% completion of Gran Turismo mode. In here you'll find some old favorites, such as the Laguna Seca 200 Miles, as well as new favorites, like the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. Before you ask, yes, it does take 24 hours to complete. This is also a gripe of many GT4 players. Not everyone takes pristine care of their PS2 systems, so leaving it on long enough to finish 1 of the 3 different 24 hour races may indeed spell doom for their PS2s.

Overall: 7/10
There's a whole bunch of great stuff packed into this game. I only wish, along with the hundreds of thousands of other owners, that everything that was promised had been delivered. If you're new to the series, there's no better place to start. If you're a seasoned vet, then you're in for more of the same, albeit a whole lot prettier of it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/04/05