Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

"Wait for the real thing"

Let me start off by saying I paid $10 for this game. Knowing that, I still feel like I overpaid.

I have been a fan of Gran Turismo since it was on the Playstation 1. Back then the game was hailed for pretty much the same thing as it is today, extreme realism. Polyphony seems to be living in the past, though, as I would much rather play an old Gran Turismo if this is what they are going to be releasing from now on.

Graphics - Probably the first thing you notice when you jump into a game. The graphics in this game are about as close to real life as you can get, except when you look into the distance. As you look into the distance (for example this one course has a large, snow covered mountain as the backdrop), it seems as though someone photoshopped a still image into the game instead of actually creating a detailed backdrop. 8/10

Sound - The sounds of the car are top notch, as is expected. The music on the other hand, is pretty bad. 8/10

Gameplay - As I check the calendar, I see we are approaching the year 2009. Polyphony must think we are living 10 years in the past, as there is still NO DAMAGE. In a game where the opening scene touts lifelike realism, there is NO DAMAGE. Going beyond that aspect, you get what you expect from a Gran Turismo game. 4/10

Online - Finding a game is relatively easy. It probably takes about a minute to get a game going. The problem is, you have no idea how many people are going to be in your race. You could wait for the loading to end and have one opponent or eleven opponents. Once in the game, the no damage aspect comes into play again. If you make contact with a wall or another racer, your car will flash for 3.5-4.5 seconds and your speed will be slightly reduced as a penalty. Again, we are approaching the year 2009, this sort of thing is unacceptable. Beyond that, the only other gripe I have would be your opponents skipping on screen due to their bad connections. 5/10

All in all, GT5:Prologue is essentially a demo. The "game" should retail for around $5. I was lucky enough to get this game new for $10, but I know people who spent $30+ and I can't help but feel sorry them. If you are thinking about buying this game, do yourself a favor and wait until the full game comes out.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 12/23/08

Game Release: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (US, 04/15/08)