Gran Turismo 4

"One of the finest games available for the Playstation 2"

Introduction

Gran Turismo 4 could be considered one of the finest Playstation 2 games ever made. As the fourth game in the series, Gran Turismo 4 improved greatly on the previously successful Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, which at the time of the release of A-Spec seemed unthinkable. The game is unlike any other in its racing genre ever made, because of the way it combines simulation with the excitement of the races. Simulation games are now considered to lack much action and therefore fun, which would put the general gamer off, but Gran Turismo can be enjoyed by anyone even if they are not a car fanatic or if they are not interested in the more technical aspect of racing. As well as including very detailed tuning options, the game also provides excellent gameplay making it fun to play, which is the top priority of games- providing entertainment.

With over 700 real life cars included in the game and 50 tracks, some of which are actual circuits from around the world, Gran Turismo offers more than any other game in its genre. Starting off with little money and buying a used car with very low performance, you are able to enter races, complete license tests, and driving missions while accumulating credits. These credits can then pay for a better car to complete those more difficult races with. You're personal aim may be to collect every car, ranging from the Beetle made by Voltswagon to a Formula 1 racing car, or to simply reach 100%. There are many different ways of playing through the game and it is up to you to decide how you would like to do it.

Gameplay

The gameplay, of which the basics can be learnt very quickly, allows new-comers to enjoy and appreciate the quality of the game. However, the more experienced gamers will still find this game incredibly hard to master, and will learn new techniques even months after playing. Knowing that you have become good at this game gives you a great sense of achievement, and it is this what makes Gran Turismo so rewarding to play.

The extreme depth of this game is what makes it so much fun to play. Upon the first hours of gaming you may feel overwhelmed by the number of techniques that can be used for gaining the best lap time, etc, but learning these is what creates the fun. Some gamers may find themselves unable to complete a lap without crashing at least once when they first play this game, until they realise that this is unlike any other racing game they have ever played before. Gran Turismo rewards good driving, such as smooth turns and steady acceleration, unlike other arcade style racers that reward taking corners at 100mph.

Starting off relatively easy, Gran Turismo lets beginners learn how the game works. License Tests are available to enter from the start and it is recommended by most that these should be completed first as it is a great way of learning the basics such as corning and braking. This may sound simple, but its not; cornering can be extremely difficult, as oversteer (when the car spins out) and understeer (when the car does not turn enough to make the corner) is common occurrence if the driver does not know how to control the car. Mastering the cars is not easy however, as every car handles differently, so a new car means that you have to learn how to drive it, adding even more realism to the game.

Towards the end of the game things become a lot more challenging, and this is what provides great satisfaction for those who manage to complete it. The driving missions are a good example of this. The first mission is fairly easy: overtake a single car round one corner, but the last mission is extremely difficult: overtake five cars that have over a minute lead on one of the hardest tracks of all, the Nurburgring.

With the Dualshock Controller, controlling the cars seems to come as second nature, as the analogue function allows controlled and steady acceleration and delicate turning. If you do not with to use the analogue function then the other buttons are pressure sensitive as well. Overall the control throughout the game is excellent, and should you decide to purchase a steering wheel then this creates more realism and make you feel like you are driving a real car.

Graphics/ Sound

Graphics are definitely the games strength, the cars look like the real thing, and when watching the reply it is sometimes easy to forget that you are watching a videogame. Something which some racing games lack is the detail in the background during races, but not Gran Turismo, some of the backdrops in this game can be quite amazing. The Grand Canyon is one of the many places where you can photograph you're car, which because of the brilliant graphics is a well thought out addition to the game. Photos can be taken from replays of races as well as locations from around the world.

The sound on this game is very clear and is what you would expect to hear from a cars engine, though there is little the games designers could do to make it more exciting without making the game loose it realism. The soundtrack has enough variety to keep everyone happy, ranging from classical to rock, and can be modified so that you can listen to a play list of your choice.

Play Time/ Replayability

The length of time it takes to complete this game is huge, and that depends on what you class completed as, whether you just want to get 100% or whether you want to collect every car and attempt to earn the most a-spec points possible. The a-spec points system can be easily overlooked as unnecessary but if used properly it can create a whole new objective to achieve. More a-spec points are awarded for the difficulty of the race, so entering with a clear advantage over the other competitors will result in few a-spec points being awarded, however by making the game more of a challenge and entering with a disadvantage earns you more a-spec points.

Another feature new the Gran Turismo 4 is the use a b-spec. This allows you to let the computer drive for you as you give the orders from the pit lane, but this is frowned upon by some because you are not achieving anything yourself. Most people will be glad its there though when they attempt to complete one of the three 24 hour races.

Upon completion there is still reason to continue to play as there will always be a car you have not yet tuned and raced. With no network play it means that Gran Turismo cannot be played online, causing much disappointment for fans of the series, but with so much else to do you'll rarely miss it. Despite this it is still probably the biggest game in terms of life span available for the Playstation 2 and it will have you addicted to it for months.

Final Recommendation

Even if you feel that cars are not for you, you should still try this game as it is one of the best experiences on the Playstation. If cars are your thing then this game will not disappoint due to the hundreds of licenses that were available when the designers created this game.

Do not miss out on the opportunity to play this game, you will find no finer game available. Failure to buy this game would be a big mistake.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/31/05