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PS2 | Driving | Gran Turismo 4

Boxart for Gran Turismo 4
Gran Turismo 4 132 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 5.0
  • SOUND: 5.0
  • CONTROL: 5.0
  • FUN FACTOR 4.5
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.3
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.5
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Update: Import Review - Gran Turismo 4

Update by FUNKYZEALOT | 01/21/2005 | 20:41:18 PM PST

After a series of delays, GT 4 was finally released in Japan, greeted with predictable acclaim and adoration--how did it hold up when the game was put through its test runs?

When the first Gran Turismo was released on the PlayStation, people were in awe; they saw top-notch graphics and driving physics worthy of the phrase "ultimate driving simulator." After three installments however, the coolness of its physics has mostly worn thin, and the luster on its cars grown a bit dull.

Minor Tune
It's not that the game does anything wrong--it still remains the undisputed king of racing games. A virtual museum, the game brings a mind-boggling number of cars to life, spanning from Daimler's first car to high-tech concept cars of tomorrow.

But despite its new additions of nostalgic cars such as the 1970 Skyline GT-R, or the Honda CRX, there are still painful omissions from its gigantic line-up of cars: while Project Gotham Racing and upcoming Forza includes Ferrari, Gran Turismo doesn't. As car enthusiasts can attest, Pininfarina's designs, which include the Ferrari 360 Modena and Testarossa, are one of the most highly celebrated--the collection feels ultimately incomplete without its inclusion (not to mention Lamborgini and its Murcielago and Gallardo super cars). Aside from import lovers, most would probably prefer such Italian hot rods over minute variations of Silvias and FTOs.

The modes in the game are nothing surprising--the only completely new features are the photo modes and B-Spec Live modes. Photo mode gives you the opportunity to take more detailed shots of the cars in scenic locations, and is great for just admiring the cars and the attention Polyphony took to recreate them. B-Spec Live mode allows you to act as a coach to advice your AI-controlled car--which might be moderately fun if you're into that sort of thing.

Gran Turismo mode remains largely unchanged, and still (unfortunately) has those excruciating license tests. Although they're pretty easy to finish if you're a Gran Turismo veteran, they're quite a hassle to go through. Load times between each test are a lot longer, and you now need to pass 16 different tests to get each license (there's four of them). Developers in the future may want to consider making the tests optional, because unless you're one of those fanatics that strive to get all golds (since that opens some of the best cars), it's more dull than a morning commute through rush hour traffic.

The interface has gotten considerably more clunky, too. Different racing venues and car dealers seem chaotically sprawled over the navigating map, and is needlessly convoluted. Loading times are longer across the board, further adding to the frustration.

Port & Polish
The core driving physics, however, still shines. Each car has its distinct tendencies and idiosyncrasies that faithfully mirror its real life counterparts--little things such as the slight oversteering of the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R, or the slight understeer of the Subaru WRX have been tweaked to perfection. Other racing franchises (with the possible exception of Enthusia) have yet to come close to the level of scrutiny that Gran Turismo 4 has--this alone makes the game worth playing for the hardcore racing fans.

GT 4 falls short in other areas of gameplay mechanics, however--especially with its non-existent damage modeling and predictably robotic AI. The AI seems to have undergone absolutely no change--don't expect any surprises. And without damage simulation, this game is nowhere close to real. Part of the exhilaration in racing in real life comes from pushing your car to the edge, walking the fine line between quick cuts and devastating crashes. Especially in the insanely chaotic world of Rally Racing, making it out in one piece is half the battle. Although there's an option to turn on speed penalties for hard collisions, it is not a compelling, nor realistic, compromise.


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