Overall: 8
Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 10
Sound: 9
Replay Value: 9
Concept: 8
In the beginning, there was
Gran Turismo. The game that single-handedly turned the racing game genre on its ear and launched a new wave of console racing "simulators".
Gran Turismo 2 continued the dynasty to rave reviews but was obviously limited by the aging
Playstation hardware.
Gran Turismo 3 was released shortly after the Playstation 2 launched in North America to great success but mixed reviews. While it greatly increased the size of the fan base, veterans expected more of a revolution. Now, with the release of Gran Turismo 4, Polyphony Digital takes one more crack at it and tries to create a true racing simulator to please even the toughest critics.
The core
gameplay of GT4 is the same as it has been since the series' inception. The main career mode begins with a modest sum of cash, used to buy a modest car and enter modest races. As the wins pile up, so too do the bank accounts and prize cars. Each race and series entered has different requirements and each offers a different challenge, whether competing against 500-horsepower fire breathing cup racers or navigating the rutted dirt roads of World Rally fame. This, then, is the heart of any Gran Turismo; a racing toybox where you can take your favorite car and see how it, combined with your skills as a driver, stacks up.
At least one cry of longtime fans has been answered. The number of
circuits in GT4 is huge, and included are famous (or infamous) real-life courses like the German Nurburgring. The lack of courses and repetition of racing the same course over and over was a major complaint of GT3, along with the removal of used cars for purchase. Thankfully, the used cars are back, another high point.
The overall
car selection has been vastly improved as well. The ability to buy and race a huge variety of vehicles from the exotic to the everyday has always been one of the selling points of the series. However, after three iterations many fans had become somewhat disillusioned by a roster that features 25 models of Nissan Skyline, 15 models of Honda Civic, and 10 models of Mitsubishi Lancer. Sure, they were all distinct in some way or another, but not as distinct as a Lancia Stratos and an Alfa Romeo GTV. This is also an issue that GT4 has addressed, not only upping the total car count to over 700, but decreasing the number of non-unique models. Classic cars make a comeback as well, and you'll see everything from models that have just hit the real-life showrooms to inveterate classics of decades ago. GT4 may not have exactly the car you want, but it'll have plenty you'll like.
Gran Turismo has always been about more than just the cars, though; integral to previous games as well as GT4 is the almost endless selection of
modifications and adjustments. Everything from mufflers to suspension kits to weight reductions can be performed on your chosen ride, and many of these modifications also have tuning options to make the car perform exactly as you want. There are some minor new tuning features, including expanded modification parts and the addition of nitrous oxide, which is implemented surprisingly well. GT4 adds even more detail and depth here as compared with previous games.
The
physics model has been improved from GT3, though for many players this won't be noticeable. What is noticeable is that cars now handle a bit more as they should, and the tuning options have more of a realistic effect. This is still no true sim, but it's about as close as you're going to get on a console and the difference is lost on most people. Noticeably absent is any real damage modeling, a huge complaint in the past.
In fact, most of the game is an improvement on the theme rather than any major change. There are two
new modes: B-Spec, where you let the computer take over driving your car and you can assign to it different levels of aggressiveness; and
Photo Mode which lets you take snapshots of in-game action and even save them to external media via the Playstation 2's USB ports. Neither of these are revolutionary, though they are interesting and well designed.
Yet, with all these minor improvements Gran Turismo 4 still doesn't deliver everything that fans wanted. The most notable missing feature is
online play, which Polyphony Digital removed at the 11th hour but has promised for a later game. This was supposed to be the single most important addition to the series but was disappointingly cut, and leaves the game as, in a way, "just another Gran Turismo".
The
AI, one of the most important aspects of any racing game, hasn't improved much either. The computer drivers are robotic and nearly always follow the same route through corners, often not even reacting to the player. Poor AI is a perennial complaint of this franchise, and ends up making it frustrating to challenge the computer though handling and strategy instead of simply overwhelming power.
Difficulty is high as well. GT4 was clearly designed for fans of the series and thus may seem inaccessible for new recruits. License tests return, and there are more of them and they are more difficult than before. This is a boon for some hardcore players but others just want to get out there and race, not struggle through some seemingly pointless test just to earn the privilege of entering races.
These complaints have been said of all the previous Gran Turismo titles as well, and in the end GT4 stands up well despite them. The
graphics are excellent, easily some of the best seen on the PS2 to date. GT4 even supports a high resolution mode, however this requires an HDTV so I can't comment on it (Epinions certainly doesn't pay that much).
Sounds are wonderful too, and much improved over earlier games with clearly distinct and correct exhaust notes that change as the vehicles are modified. This is a finely polished game and will easily age with grace.
Overall, GT4 ends up being more of the same. That is, more of the same racing goodness that so many have come to love. The addition of new circuits and new vehicles will be enough to get many fans to pick this one up, and for good reason. However, in the end it's a little unfulfilling, like getting Chinese takeout; the food tastes great, but two hours later you're hungry again. The omission of online play and the seeming omission of improved AI brings the overall score down, even though this still ranks as a must-have title. In the end, it's as it's always been: I'll be feverishly playing this game while simultaneously awaiting the next Gran Turismo.
