By all accounts, Gran Turismo 5 is going to be something of a milestone for Sony and the PlayStation 3. Last year’s impressive outing on the PSP might have delivered in terms of car count and sheer track variety, but the lack of a structured, familiar career mode meant that it was only ever going to issue bite sized aperitifs as opposed to the three course dinner. Thankfully, GT 5 is heading our way in just a few weeks and it’s the real deal, coming with a complete Gran Turismo mode in addition to everything else we’d be right to expect for something building off the foundations of the last Prologue.
TheSixthAxis recently got the chance to have extensive hands-on with the game, and it’s fair to say that the magic is still there. Yes, Polyphony’s flagship title offers a precise, engineered take on car handling but it’s exactly what fans have come to appreciate -without the smoke and mirrors of motion blur, exaggerated grip and offputting camera shake so often used in other games the handling in Gran Turismo has to stand up on its own – and it most certainly does. The physics, refined further from Prologue (and still offering a ‘professional’ mode for the hardcore) are a delight, driving as close to reality as possible.
The trick with GT 5 is the driving feels right. It’s difficult to explain (and trickier still to portray to the player without a proper force feedback wheel) but it’s as if you can sense the contact between tyre and track, the driving model so sublime and yet so intricate that each corner needs less repetitive learning and more instinct. It’s as if there’s enough data here – hidden nicely behind the 1080p, 60 frames per second graphics – that the handling of each car is just assumed to be as accurate as possible without the player ever questioning the game. A safe assumption, I’m sure.
But what about those graphics? Well, it’s still clearly Gran Turismo but there’re big improvements – the textures are pixel sharp, the lighting more reactive (the night and day transition is lovely) and the tracks sculpted with an eye for detail rarely seen across GT’s competition. The Nürburgring, the focus of most of my time with the build, looks wonderful and the on-track graffiti a particular highlight. I’ve also spent time with the ever popular Tokyo-based Route 246, the city course showing off some wonderful trackside modeling and the chance to really take in the varied scenery, the sun beaming through the trees.
I’m impressed. Gran Turismo 5 might have been a long time coming (and the final build is still teasingly just out of reach) but I’m confident this is going to smash everything else in its path. The driving is exquisite, the visuals smooth and detailed and naturally the cars themselves are the stars of the show. From WRC class hatchbacks to race-class JGTC vehicles, everything looked, drove and sounded exactly as I’d want them them too. It’s always stated that Gran Turismo is the real driving simlulator – and this year PlayStation 3 owners are going to have something rather special on their consoles.
We’ll be back with more soon.
3shirts
Interesting that you mentioned the way it sounds. Are the tyre squeels improved? This has always been the only thing that bothered me about GT.
EntitledToOpinion
Wether you realised it or not the tyre squeel was what indicated to you that traction was about to be broken. FFB on GT should be much improved so you will hear it less because hopefully you will feel it earlier. However, you only need to have driven your own car to the limit to realise how realistic it is, alternatively you could watch this video: http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=0YJ-9GE0Re0&feature=player_embedded#at=97
3shirts
Umm, thanks?
I know what tyre squeel IS and why it happens but my question is about the SOUND and how in previous GT games it was the same for every car, on almost every surface and not very real sounding.
lewis815
Wow is all I can say to those graphics. Wow.
tonycawley
Totally agree, I knew it was going to look good, but this is actually ridiculous. Beautiful.
spooner_22
jeez im tired of gt5 talk…i think gt might be my least favourite racing series…except maybe colin mccrae
Kronik76
Go and stand in the corner… on your own.
dizwod
I agree, i dislike GT then again i dont really like racing games…. unless you have power ups to smadh the other losers out the way.
Only ones ive liked which has been kind of realistic is Burnout, and by realistic i mean not Mario Kart.
3shirts
Haha, I’ve never seen Burnout described as realistic. I know what you mean though. If you don’t like realistic driving games, GT is obviously not for you.
spooner_22
yea 3shirts thats the way i am…i font wanna learn to drive, i just wanna race. tthats why burnout rocks and gt annoys me
spooner_22
i hate typing on this phone more than i dislike gt
3shirts
I like both and I see them as very different types of game. If someone asks me what a good racing game is, my first question is always “simulation or arcade?”.
I do like watching people who’ve never played GT trying to handbrake turn round the first hairpin in their Dodge Viper, lol.
poorwretch
and yet here you are talking about it
Danza Di Fuoco E Ghiaccio
You know deep inside yours hearts Gran Turismo is waiting
spooner_22
it’ll be waiting a loooong time
Soild_Nat
Despite all the delays and coverage of this for about what feels like 5 years, the more i see of this game and the more sites preview it the more excited i become that this game will be just amazing. I remember GT4 on the PS2 and that just set the benchmark for everything after it. I have always felt that the prologues on PS3 have been Polyphony testing and perfecting the systems and interfaces for the GT5. This has always been the final destination for them its just that we have been along for the ride a lot longer then normal. I am confident that this will set the benchmark for everything after it for this generation.
Come Nov 5th i will immerse myself in it, don’t expect to see me for a very long time!
Joe
i agree! this has excited me immensely! finally another human-being that confirms that this game will be awesome!
gazo69
This has just sparkled up my Monday morning, thanks Nofi =)
dirtyhabit
Swheheheeet! The reason I bought a PS3 is almost upon us. Sounds good too… Never doubted it for a second :-)
Foxhound_Solid
I cant wait to take on the almighty GT5.
The world and his dog have waited for this game and its great to hear its been worth it.
It will be awesome Im sure of it :-)
wick15
I was really looking forward to GT5, until I heard about the premium cars. Undecided on wheater it is worth getting now.
Danza Di Fuoco E Ghiaccio
The standard cars would likely be upscaled to HD but that is just a small stratch to the end of one patient journey.
wick15
I suppose, just it will be annoying not having the cockpit view in the standard cars.
3shirts
I dunno. I like looking around the cockpit of the new cars as I obtained them in prologue but after half a lap I’d switch back to the bumper view again.
Cockpit is kinda fun but the lack of peripheral vision when using a 32″ TV screen makes it feel more enclosed than a real car so I prefer making as much use of the screen real estate as possible. Maybe if I had a huge telly it’d be different.
MornelitheVT
Uh no, the premium cars simply have fully detailed interiors. The regular cars are still meticulously created via the new engine. Remember, nothing from previous GT games (ala, the previous engine) could be ported to work with the new one. Which is the reason for it’s dev time.
aphex187
Can’t wait! fond memories of the first one playing split screen with me m8 totally whazzed out on a friday night.
One thing though, even though it’s well publicised Sony need to advertise this to hell on the TV just to show what all the fuss is about! I’m only saying because their Move advertising has been bloody dreadful!
online4ntagonist
Thanks to your nice read I might actually buy it now. The demo had put me off a little you see. But this sounds really good!