Gran Turismo 4

"A Wonderful, Largely Realistic Driving Experience"

Few things are more exhilarating than being behind the wheel. Buckled in, pedals at your feet, rubber gripping the road as pistons pull you around a corner—driving is truly a one of a kind experience; and in this way, Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 4 can be considered an auto-enthusiast's wildest dream breathed to life.

Released last February, the self-proclaimed “Real Driving Simulator” allows gamers to take front seat as driver, collector, and mechanic as they compete on actual driving circuits. Boasting photorealistic graphics, an accurate physics engine, and over 600 cars to drive (everything from the famed DeLorean to a PT Cruiser) —without a doubt, GT4 is the most comprehensive racing game ever, but it isn't without a few dents in its well-rounded frame.

Like many addictive titles, Gran Turismo 4's gameplay is one that advances through difficult, albeit fun stages of progression. Players begin with a small sum of money; venturing to a used car lot to select their first car from a range of low-end models. From this initial purchase, they enter races to compete for money and new vehicles. These events take place on more than fifty unique tracks, including snow and dirt races, downtown areas, and actual speedways. Polyphony Digital did an amazing job of recreating the real-life circuits, going on-scene to measure and photograph specific details—billboards, terrain, and even subtle marks on the road are well-represented. At some moments, it's difficult to tell if what you're seeing is real, and this is quite a feat for the PlayStation 2.

The races also take advantage of Gran Turismo's superb and convincing physics system. In the beginning, drivers will find their instincts taking over; trying to blast through every corner at full-throttle. But after seeing that you can't take a turn at 80 mph, the game forces one understand how important effective braking is. This and other real-life driving skills are necessary to progress in the game.

But after a few victories, as players enter more difficult events, they'll find their once-slick ride struggling to handle corkscrew corners, and losing pace against quicker opponents. At this point, they'll retreat to the tuning shop and purchase upgrades for their car. Racing tires, an improved transmission, nitrous oxide, and weight reduction are just some of the ways that performance can be enhanced, though making the perfect racer requires more than simply a heavy wallet in GT4.

Prior to a race, players have the option of making more specific technical adjustments. Gear ratios, suspension, oversteering assist, weight distribution and other settings can be tinkered, and all have a direct and observable impact on how a car performs on the road.

For example, by tuning up the exhaust system, a car can achieve greater power in the high RPM ranges, but will lose torque in low RPMs; this can affect acceleration on courses with varied elevation. Lowering the height of your car's body will improve aerodynamics, but it also increases the risk of “bottoming out.” Reshaping your engine block may drastically increase horsepower, but the extra force makes it more difficult to brake, and fuel will be consumed more quickly.

This interplay between upgrading and driving is incredibly engaging, and through it, players will find themselves understanding more about how cars operate as they customize. Extra features, such as a real-time odometer, the ability to change oil and wash your car, and purchasing wheel rims and spoilers add to the realism and the closeness a player develops with their vehicle.

But there are downfalls to GT4's attempt to be the perfect racing simulation. The tuning process is, as in real life, very complicated. While the menus are easy to navigate, those without deep knowledge of cars will find themselves frustrated at times, trying to figure out the best combination through trial and error. Many of the later races essentially require you to have your tuning perfected; in this way an in-depth tutorial would have been helpful, and is noticeably absent from the game.

Sadly, this isn't the only weakness players will come across in Gran Turismo 4. While the list of drivable vehicles is long, there seems to be a bias towards Japanese manufacturers. More than 150 Nissans and Hondas made the car list; many of them only updated versions of the same model, but only 17 each of Ford and Chevrolet are included. Ferrari and Lamborghini's licenses weren't purchased by Polyphony, and none of their cars available in the game. For a series that's sold very well in America, it's surprising that there weren't as many domestics put into GT4.

Finally, while the game's physics are undeniably unmatched when it comes to car handling and movement, collisions are terribly unrealistic. Other than a temporary loss in speed, players receive no real penalty for running their expensive BMW or Mercedes into a wall at full speed, and opponents don't seem to react at all to being forced off the road. There's simply nothing in the gameplay that discourages a player from playing “bumper cars” with their opponents, and damage isn't modeled on the cars whatsoever. If vehicle damage inhibited a car's performance, a repair shop could have been programmed into GT4, requiring drivers to pay for reckless driving.

Gran Turismo 4 is successful in creating a game where players can feel excited and involved in being behind the wheel of a car. In many ways, it's a masterpiece—the cars and tracks are as perfectly rendered as they could be on the PS2, and vehicles respond realistically, making the driver feel immersed in the experience. Though gamers may encounter a few potholes along the way, there's no reason they shouldn't be racing Gran Turismo 4 into their homes at top speed.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/05/05