Gran Turismo 5 Review
After five years in the development factory, Gran Turismo 5 has finally arrived, delivering the biggest roster of cars and tracks yet, and an all-new online multiplayer mode. Has Gran Turismo 5 been worth the wait? Stephen Ebert took it for a test drive.
The good
No doubt about it, Gran Turismo 5 is the biggest in the Gran Turismo series yet. Its colossal selection of cars (over 1,000 to be exact) and 20 tracks (including the Top Gear track) with 70 variations is every car nut’s dream. A massive selection of races, special events, including rally and Nascar tutorials, driving licence challenges and tinkering options will keep GT fans hooked.
Handling is typically slick whatever vehicle you find yourself at the wheel of. Each car feels and sounds different, the level of detail is astonishing. The new addition of ultra-responsive go-karts adds a new dimension to races, and a completely new challenge. With rally races too, there’s something for all types of driver.
At launch, Gran Turismo 5’s online multiplayer mode has been hit and miss due to the masses attempting to pit their skills against fellow players the world over, leaving many unable to get online. But once you’re in the experience is an exhilarating lag-free drive.
The bad
While impressive, the presentation in parts is almost too overdone, leading to a sometimes sterile experience from the menus pre-game to the in-game settings. There’s something very timetable-like about the way the racing itinerary is laid out, early races especially feel more like a driving tests.
Opponent AI doesn’t seem to have moved on much at all. Computer-driven cars still stick to an almost straight racing line, only occasionally threatening to overtake without brainlessly shunting your rear bumper, with races almost descending into a game of follow the leader.
A previously vaunted feature, the Course Maker is a total disappointment. It’s more of a track generator. Those hoping to tinker with the LittleBigPlanet of racing track customisation will find it a massive letdown, simply letting you choose the amount of bends, corner sharpness, weather and road width, while the game mixes them up for you.
One of the biggest bugbears in Gran Turismo 5 is the long, long loading times. They’re enough to make you tear your hair out. If your PS3 is made of gigabytes, a sizeable 10GB install will help things along.
The bottom line
Despite its faults, Polyphony Digital has done a sterling job to deliver the PS3’s most comprehensive driving simulator. Gran Turismo 5 isn’t quite the quantum leap racing fans have been hoping for, but it’s still arguably the best PS3 racer.
