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Game Data -
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment - Developer: Polyphony Digital - Platform: Sony Playstation - Genre: Racing - Players: 1 to 2 - Memory Card: 5 to 15 blocks - Released: NA May. 12 '98 | EU May 8 '98 | JP Dec. 23 '97
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Gran Turismo - The original Gran Turismo was a monster hit in 1998, but does it still hold up today? And deep down, is it about something more than just racing? What am I even talking about? Read on and find out! |
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A Car Enthusiast's Dream
In order to truly understand Gran Turismo there's something you need to know.
Series creator Kazunori Yamauchi is a hardcore car enthusiast, and that's where he was coming from when he made Gran Turismo. If you're not an enthusiast like Yamauchi is then certain aspects of this game will baffle and/or annoy you.
For example, consider the Mazda Demio. It's a boxy sub-compact with a measly 94 horsepower. From the perspective of a gamer who just wants to win races, the Demio is absolutely worthless and receiving it as a prize is a huge disappointment.
But car enthusaists live to experience all cars great and small. It doesn't matter if they're slow or fast. To them, the dinky Demio is just as valid as a 449 horsepower Dodge Viper.
Once you understand this, everything about Gran Turismo begins to make sense. From the way certain races give you "bad" prize cars, to racing options that are so sparse that you can't even change the number of laps.
Because the true purpose of this game isn't racing. It's to experience a wide array of cars like an automotive wine tasting. You're supposed to savor each and every vehicle for what it is and enjoy the simple act of driving it. Actual racing is secondary. That's why it's missing a bunch of things you'd expect to find in a racer.
So get ready for Gran Turismo to be a little weird.
Physics
70% real, 30% arcade. That basically sums up the physics in Gran Turismo.
You constantly have to think about the weight of your car, how said weight will shift when you brake, tire grip, drive train, everything. Slowing down takes more thought than just slamming the brakes. You might have to tap or pump them to varying degrees, and accelerating through a corner can require careful manipulation of the throttle.
All the aspects of real life racing are here but they've been wrapped in an arcade coating that makes them accessible, easy to grasp, and streamlined for fun.
Or at least relatively easy to grasp. It can still take weeks of practice to get good at Gran Turismo, but some racing sims take months if not years(I'm looking right at you, SODA Off-Road Racing), so in the grand scheme of things the learning curve is pretty tame.
But what makes the physics shine most of all are the Dual Shock's analog sticks. These are borderline over-sensitive, which is great, because it makes the cars incredibly responsive.
So responsive, in fact, that after awhile your car will begin to feel like an extension of your own body. And through it you'll feel a connection to the road.
I've played plenty of racing games in my day, by cracky. But only Gran Turismo provides this sense of connectedness.
Simply put, the physics make this game. The perfect fusion of simulation and arcade is the holy grail of videogame racing in my opinion. And to me, this is it.
Note: The physics will break if you emulate Gran Turismo and the controls are even slightly inaccurate. So play this on an accurate emulator or ideally using original hardware. You have been warned
Simulation Mode
Gran Turismo is divided in to two separate parts, the meatiest of which is Simulation Mode.
Here you start with 10,000 credits to purchase a starter car, then you hit the asphalt to earn more credits and more cars by winning races. Use said credits to upgrade your machine or buy new rides from manufacturers like Nissan, Dodge, and Aston Martin.
The selection of races is actually pretty small, but there are over a hundred cars, and Polyphony clearly expects you to find replay value in collecting, tuning, and racing them across the game's 11 tracks as you compete in the same championships over, and over, and over again.
If you're a car enthusiast, you'll love it. If not? Eh, your mileage may vary. In no small part because only an enthusiast could love much of the car lineup.
Although even if you love Simulation Mode it two has two issues that might get on your nerves.
One, it's got a pretty wacky economy. You can easily spend a fortune upgrading your car just to win a race that pays you peanuts, meaning some races are quite literally not worth beating from an economic standpoint.
Granted, credits become no object once you win some of the higher paying races, but even when you're stinking rich it can still be annoying.
Two, the imbalanced difficulty. Imagine entering a race and it's quite literally impossible to win. So you upgrade your car a little and try again. Now winning is way too easy.
Of course this isn't a problem if you want easy wins. But if you love a challenging race like I do then you'll have a hard time finding one.
For example, no matter how I tuned my Subaru WRX, the 4WD Challenge was either unwinnable or such a cakewalk it was boring. After spending a solid hour trying to find some kind of middle ground, I gave up on the WRX. Then I slapped racing tires on a Skyline GT-R and it gave me just what I was looking for: a race that was difficult but winnable. This highlights how frustrating it can be to squeeze a challenge out of Simulation Mode.
At least you're able see the weight and horsepower of your opponents' cars when you enter a race, which lets you know what you're up against and adjust accordingly. Or at least try to adjust.
I know I'm making Simulation Mode seem kind of questionable because, well, in some ways it just is. But it has a killer feature that makes its issues worth putting up with. A feature you don't get in Arcade Mode.
It's got race cars.
These are so wickedly fast and agile compared to all the road-legal consumer cars that once you get your hands on one it basically turns Gran Turismo into a whole new game. The only downside is that not many races involve these beasts. But when they're this fun to drive, does it even matter?
You can also more or less build your own race car by fully upgrading a regular car and applying a racing modification to it, which gives it a wild racing-inspired makeover. This makes even the dullest cars go from boring to oozing coolness.
Simulation Mode has a few other bonuses, too. Like three exclusive tracks(although one of them is an oval - don't get your hopes up for that one), and the ability to qualify for pole position before a race, which isn't easy but gives you bonus credits if you can do it.
Over all, this mode can frustrating, or a blast, or a frustrating blast. It's a mixed bag that way. Your enjoyment of it will hinge on how much of a car enthusiast you are and how much you can overlook its oddities and annoyances. At its best, it's great. And its worst, not so much.
And speaking of frustrating, I haven't even touched on licenses yet. Which brings us to...
License Lunacy
Most of the races in Simulation Mode are locked behind a B Class, A Class, or International A Class license.
To earn a license you have to pass a series of timed driving tests, like turning a corner or running a lap before the clock runs out.
The purpose of these tests is to teach players how to race. But there's just one problem: these tests don't actually do that. There's precious little to learn from them and none of it truly prepares you for racing.
All the license tests really do is teach you how to pass the license tests.
Worse, earning the A-Class and IA-Class licenses is much harder than beating the hardest races in the game. So it feels totally backwards, as if the racing in Gran Turismo is just training to earn the licenses.
I'd normally never condone cheating. But in this case, I condone cheating. License tests are a great idea in theory, but in practice they grind Gran Turismo, and your fun with it, to a screeching halt.
So unless you feel like punishing yourself, spare your sanity and get the licenses using a Gameshark or a DexDrive save. Believe me, it's better that way.
Arcade Mode
Pick a car. Pick a track. Race. If that sounds bare bones, that's because it is. But just like Simulation Mode, Arcade mode has an ace or two up its sleeve to make it worth playing.
First off, not only does Arcade Mode have actual difficulty levels(easy, medium, and hard), but it also has a relatively small selection of cars at "only" 36, which sounds disappointing until you realize Polyphony was able to better balance the roster by downsizing it. As a result, Arcade Mode is far, far more balanced than Simulation Mode.
There's no messing around with tuning. No crossing your fingers and hoping a race won't be too easy or too hard. Just pick up and play.
It should also be noted that the car you choose influences the difficulty a bit. For example, the Honda Civic always makes winning easier while the Integra makes it much, much harder. So that's an interesting little quirk.
Second, the cars are all sped up and the gravity is lowered, which makes the physics extra crazy. It's definitely noticeable but it doesn't go overboard. Polyphony wisely kept it on the subtle side, tweaking things just enough to up the fun factor.
Adding a little more depth to Arcade Mode, cars are divided in to three separate classes based on their speed: C, B, and A. This gives you an eclectic mix of speedy commuter cars like the Nissan Primera to full blown sports cars like the Acura NSX Type-S.
The classes also comes in to play when unlocking content. Yes, four of the tracks, several cars, and a few other bonuses are initially locked. Unlocking everything involves winning races with a car from each class.
In my opinion, Arcade Mode is the best part of Gran Turismo because it gives you the freedom to just race without jumping through hoops, and the fact that you can simply select a difficulty is a godsend. This, to me, puts it ahead of Simulation Mode.
I still wish it had race cars, though.
Music
You're hurtling around a corner in a two-ton chunk of metal. In front of you is a car with better specs than your's. But you overtake it. Because a car is only as good as it's driver, and baby, you're the better driver.
As Heaven is Wide by Garbage blares over the speakers. Its relentless, mechanical beat makes you picture an engine with all its inner workings blazing away like a demon. It's bliss.
Is it the greatest videogame soundtrack ever? No, not really. But is it the greatest racing game soundtrack ever? Without a doubt, I'd say.
In a way I can only vaguely describe, every bit of music perfectly expresses the act of racing. Even the aggressive, bass-and-synth heavy menu music.
And the dose of gritty attitude it added to Gran Turismo, combined with the eye-poppingly rich and polished graphics, elevated the Playstation to levels of coolness hirtherto unseen by a game console.
Sega Saturn what? Nintendo 64 who?
The power of these tunes was almost unfair.
Enter Gran Turismo 2
It's hard to review Gran Turismo without talking about its sequel. With hundreds of cars and over 20 tracks, it looms over the original like a spectre. On paper, it seems like Gran Turismo 2 is superior in every way.
But it isn't.
Long story short, Gran Turismo 2 makes a number of significant changes, including a radical overhaul of the physics which results in the cars becoming far less agile and responsive. While these new physics are still fun, in my opinion they aren't as fun.
Then there's the new soundtrack which I think is a step down, and less subjectively, the bugs and lack of polish that stemmed from a rushed development cycle.
In other words, don't think of Gran Turismo as being "Gran Turismo 2 with less content" because that isn't what it is, at all. This is its own distinct game that stands worthy with its own distinct merits.
In Conclusion
Gran Turismo is flawed. There's no way around it. But it's also my favorite racing game of all time, which should tell you something about how much its strengths outweigh its weaknesses.
If you want gameplay that successfully bridges the gap between hardcore realism and arcade fun, provides an exhilarating challenge if you want one(although sometimes getting one takes work), and a killer soundtrack, then it might end up being your favorite racing game, too.
Get it. Play it. 'Nuff said.
RATING: MUST-OWN UNLESS YOU HATE CARS
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On the week Gran Turismo was released...
The series finale of Seinfeld aired, titled "The Chronicle". Some people claim this was actually the second-to-last episode, but they're wrong and suffering from some kind of mass hallucination. This was definitely the last Seinfeld. Nothing came after it. Nope. |
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