Gran Turismo 5 Review
- Posted November 27th, 2010 at 14:25 EDT by Steven Williamson
- 44 Comments
Review Score
- PSU Review Score
- 9.0
- Avg. user review score:
- 9.4
Summary
While GT5 could have done with more time, incredibly, to iron out a few of the kinks, there's so much quality on the track and so much to do off it that you'll easily forgive its shortcomings and revel in its successes -- of which there are many.
We like
- The massive roster of cars and how they all handle differently
- On the track, it's the ultimate racing sim with great driving physics
- The game modes. Career mode is addictive and rewarding and then, of course, you can jump online in 16 player races
We dislike
- The inconsistency of the graphics; some cars look excellent and others just look good. Same goes for the scenery
- The B-Spec mode. Does anyone really want to watch a race and just bark out orders to the driver? Still, it might grow on us
See PSU's review on Metacritic & GameRankings
In the five years that have passed since Gran Turismo 4 arrived on PlayStation 2, PSU Towers has experienced all sorts of life changing moments, from births and marriages to deaths and divorces. It really has been that long, hasn’t it? Inevitably, the long gap between GT4 and GT5, a life-time in the fast-moving world of videogames, breeds expectation, and as the release date drew near in the lead up to this latest iteration we couldn't help but wonder, along with many others, what exactly Polyphony Digital has done with its time and whether it has managed to create the ultimate racing sim that the fans demand. Well, the wait is over, almost. After an excruciating 45-minute install - they really do like to make us wait - we don't have to speculate any longer. Take that look of disbelief of your face for one second, because Gran Turismo 5 is a reality.
Over the years, many racing games have rather nonchalantly used the words ‘simulation’ and ‘customization’ to describe a realistic driving style on the tracks and the plethora of options at your fingertips, but most haven't delivered on either of those fronts in the same way that the Gran Turismo series has. Gran Turismo 5 is further proof of Polyphony Digital’s ambition to create an in-depth, technically astute, serious racing sim for those who love everything about cars. And though the extensive roster of 1000+ cars and the wealth of options available (not to mention the difficulty of trying to steer a car perfectly around a track) may be overwhelming for some - particularly those who usually get their kicks from arcade racers like Need For Speed - it will be unadulterated car porn for others.
The technological leap from PS2 to PS3 is a big one for Polyphony Digital but it's had a little bit of practice. Showcased in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue a couple of years ago, we've already seen how things have improved on the track, with sublime physics and realistic car handling, but the developer has now had even more time to polish things up and utilize the power of the PS3. Predictably - and reassuringly - the polygon count has been upped considerably and now the cars shine and shimmer in glorious HD. There’s now a track editor, a photo mode and plenty of familiar and new stuff to enjoy, including the 16 player-enabled online multiplayer mode. Though there are some aspects of GT5 that aren’t quite as fantastic as we hoped, such was our expectation, there's no doubt that Polyphony Digital has set a new standard among racing sims that’s going to take some beating.
Whether you’re flicking through the myriad of menus and sub-menus, or trawling through the used car market, visiting dealerships, or tweaking and tuning your vehicle, customizing your ride is part and parcel of the whole GT experience; and it's richer for it. You get a real kick from grinding through the career mode, earning credits and exp and improving your vehicles before taking the race online, but equally there's satisfaction to be had from unlocking various items and modes. Because you’re always reaching out to get to the next milestone or striving to get the next unlockable - whether it be a new special event to enter or whether you’re trying to earn just enough credits to purchase the car of your dream - it’s an addictive mechanic. And the further you throw yourself into GT5 the more rewarding it becomes as you get to learn the strengths and weaknesses of your cars and how to push them to their limits on their various courses.
The first thing that will strike you as soon as you start your first race is the quality of the graphics. Having already played on a few tracks at a Gran Turismo 5 preview event on a Sony Bravia 3D compatible T.V., it's clear that this could really be the game to help propel 3D gaming forward for Sony. Sadly we don’t own a 3D T.V., but we have reviewed GT5 on the beautiful Sony Bravia 37" Full HD 1080p LCD T.V. and it does look fabulous, mostly, thanks to the photo realistic backdrops and painstakingly created car models.
However, with ... (continued on next page)
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Comments
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tremblingwater
- 10:38am EST - November 27th, 2010
- 1
The B Spec mode is the only thing that i feel lets the game down. Apart from that i agree with the review, 9 is just right.
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badtzmarukaru
- 1:29pm EST - November 27th, 2010
- 8
Whoever says Grid is better than GT5 is definatly wrong. GT5 has graphic that exceed the other brands. ( Everyone looks for graphics, even if unconsciously) Racing, arguably is easier, but who wants to frustrate on driving over and over again? Tracks are great, but nothings perfect because no human is perfect. 9 is right because of the little things are missing. But +200 premium cars, thats almost more than your average racing game.
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Shadow77
- 1:35pm EST - November 27th, 2010
- 10
I've got the wheel, had it for a while now. I've got the game, picked it up on release day. I have no PS3, mine died four days before the game released. I have it boxed, but as the holidays are here I have yet to be able to get it in the mail and on the way for repairs.
I've looked forward to this game. I know it isn't going to live up to the hype. I still want to play it and I know I will enjoy it. No game is ever going to be perfect, I don't care how much time they spend on it.
Like everyone else, I could care less about B-spec mode. Waste of time. If they graphics are inconsistant like everyone says they are then they should have spend the extra time and space on those, instead of a wasted mode very few people are going to enjoy.
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M1B
- 1:39pm EST - November 27th, 2010
- 11
I like the B-Spec mode. It automatically nets you money when you're busy and don't have time to play. I usually put go into B-Spec when I got chores to do or when I have to go shovel snow. I think you actually get less money from B-Spec races, but it helpped me a lot in the early game. Now I got over 500K in credits *,*
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Jonnysd
- 2:05pm EST - November 27th, 2010
- 12
I'm very disappointed. The visual glitches are rudimentary game design flaws, period. It feels like I',m playing GT2 but with HD graphics. The handling of the cars is so unrealistic. Just because you can spin a car doesn't mean that it has a big realism factor at all. Forza 3 is arguably a far more enjoyable, polished and intuitive game. Forza 4 will totally blow this game away I suspect. I'd give it a 7/10
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M1B
- 2:22pm EST - November 27th, 2010
- 13
I'm glad you just registred today JUST to comment on this review, Jonnysd :)
Truth is...Forza doesn't sell too good in comparison to Gran Turismo. Each numbered GT game has sold over 10 million each. Heck, GT5 Prologue even sold more than Forza 3. All that matters in the end is who makes more money if you're going to try and compare two games.
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Hulious777 |
EviL_JoE_DirT- 4:16pm EST - November 27th, 2010
- 14
People have there own opinion, whats up with some of you people and some bringing up stupid sales.
Anyways, I gave it a 8. What i hate is the loading screens, standards are crap and aren't worth keeping(sell them right away if i win one), not enough upgrades or customizing(brakes, nitrous, etc?), online music is louder than people with mics, performance damage is not even there, b spec is not good enough, to much at once to do, and...bugatti veyron is standard.
What i like, well too much to mention.Expectation were set high for me and they fell short of it but were close. A yes i compare it with forza series because you compare a top dog with another. Still playing the heck out it, level 18 in A spec right now. At least its not as bad as my ff13 expectation.
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M1B
- 5:39pm EST - November 27th, 2010
- 18
I don't think CoD Black Ops is the best selling game of all time though--not yet at least. It has the biggest launch, but I'm sure Super Mario Brothers is still up there. That game (SMB) I would agree with as the best game of all time. And the PS2 is still the best selling game of all time and I whole heartily agree that the PS2 is the BEST system.
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Hulious777 |
EviL_JoE_DirT- 8:47pm EST - November 27th, 2010
- 20
@fightfan
Didn't mean that ,and don't point out the obvious. Never said sales were opinion.
This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!
