Six years have passed since the last instalment of the real driving simulator, but Gran Turismo 5 is finally with us. At present the racing game marketplace is healthy with many titles vying for first place. As defending champion Gran Turismo doesn’t rocket off the starting line as one might expect but rather asks gamers if they would like to install the game onto their hard drive so that loading times are quicker (this is almost mandatory given the abundance of loading screens present). The best part of an hour later and gamers are ready to tear up rubber.

Visually GT5 is a mixed bag. Previously such a statement would be unthinkable. Gran Turismo is renowned for its state of the art graphics, however this time around it doesn’t hit the mark all of the time. At its peak GT5 is a treat for the eyes, particularly in photo mode. Cars are classified as standard or premium. Premium cars are as near perfect as one could possibly hope for, it’s here that GT5 is visually superior to any other game on the market. However, select a standard car and visually gamers witness a bleaker affair as cars resemble little more than a lazy port from the PS2. Given that Sony’s flagship racer has been in development for six years there seems to be little justification as to why Polyphony Digital have not spent the time making every car as visually satisfying as the next. Whilst there are over 1,000 cars to select, only 200 of these are premium. For the uncompromising gamer this depletes choice considerably.

Visual discrepancies continue on the tracks themselves, with newer tracks showcasing the graphical capabilities of the PS3 and older tracks echoing their PS2 counterparts with lazy copy and paste backgrounds and plastic looking crowds. Of course when you’re racing in beautiful sunset conditions or with snow kicking up into your windscreen it’s easy to forget that GT5 has its less impressive moments.

Gamers will spend the majority of their time playing the reassuringly familiar GT Mode, complete with the usual car dealership, practice, tuning, license tests and A-spec events. However amongst the familiarity is the all new B-spec mode allowing gamers to manage a team of racing drivers. The A-spec and B-spec modes are both identical and wholly separate affairs. Whilst they offer the exact same races and cups, B-spec puts gamers in a unique position.

The managerial aspect certainly has the germs of a great idea, but the execution and final product is a little limited. Gamers step away from the driver’s seat and command their drivers to maintain speed, increase speed, decrease speed or overtake. Aside from tinkering about with tyre and car settings this is the extent of expert advice that can be imparted. As such the novelty of this mode wears thin quickly, and with everything plodding along in real time, there is a huge temptation to neglect this aspect of GT5. There may be the reward of extra cash and cars but let’s be honest it’s a lot more fun to race a Ferrari F10 than watch somebody else race one. An option to speed up time would be most welcome here.

GT5 has a formulaic standard approach: take tests, gain licenses, enter races, win cars, tune cars, repeat. It’s a tried and tested method that has worked every single time and Polyphony are in no rush to reinvent the wheel. They are, however, willing to add to it. This time around there is a level up system meaning gamers need a set amount of experience to buy certain cars and enter various competitions. This ensures that there are no shortcuts towards buying that prized Lamborghini Miura or whatever luxurious speed beast takes your fancy. In addition to this there are various special and online events that really bump up the level of excitement a notch. From rallying to go karting to formula one, Gran Turismo has always made the claim that it is the real driving simulator – with a deluge of options, the fifth instalment doesn’t buck this trend.

GT5 does an incredible job of replicating driving and as with past offerings is a lot of fun to get stuck into. Accurate braking and mastering those trickier corners on tracks like the Nurburgring are key to success. In the heat of the moment, the enjoyment is such that it is easy to see past visual annoyances and mistakes that may have previously grated gamers on more mundane tracks at 50mph. Having said this there are still frustrations such as zombie-esque AI devout on following a pre-determined set route with no consideration for anything or anyone else and a lack of obvious car damage. This may feel like driving as the car rumbles over rocky terrain but it feels less authentic when crashing into a barrier at 200mph, suffering an almighty thud and continuing on your way as if experiencing little more than a minor blip!

Gran Turismo has always been about the long game and patience. This is more applicable now than before. As usual gamers must start their career in the hardly racing complicit Toyota Prius or other slow ‘n’ steady machines before working their way up the ranks towards the real race winners (of course there is the option to throw yourself in the deep end with Arcade Mode, but let’s face it this is a mere side road distraction). Not only does the new levelling and experience points system ensure that gamers cannot jump into supercars before a bit of hard graft but it also restricts the reactions of the troublesome AI and lack of car damage highlighted previously. As soon as gamers reach the cusp of level twenty, the AI step things up a notch. As if the notion of moderation is completely lost, cars go from droning zombies to full-on aggressive racers that will have no problem cascading into the side of your beloved car on a straight. This anything goes mentality bumps up the difficulty and can lead to many a frustrated moment, particularly when retaking a test for the umpteenth time because you were disqualified when some other driver smashed into your car causing unprecedented rage! Whilst the damage doesn’t impact with the appropriate measure of devastation, it is at least apparent in the later stages of the game.

The ability to fine tune and tinker cars allows gamers to set their own difficulty to some extent, particularly when competing in the lesser events at Beginner, Amateur and Professional level. It really is at the gamers discretion whether they want to enter a race with a car that barely matches their opponents, requiring tactical, flawless driving to get the job done or to revamp their car significantly and lead the pack by such a margin that there is time to crash the car on a couple of occasions and still win the race without the competition in sight! The lack of restrictions in the earlier races means that gamers can take their most cherished car and enjoy beginner events should they entertain the possibility of lapping others.

The online mode allows gamers to race against fifteen others. Any flaws or gripes are soon forgotten as sixteen premium cars storm around luscious locations, hungry for victory. Although there are no ranking boards and setting up a race can be a bit of a free for all, the community feel and beauty of the online race is a real triumph in itself.

Whilst Gran Turismo 5 isn’t as hands down victorious as a lot would have hoped, it is still the most realistic driving simulator on the market. At its peak it blows away the competition, but taken overall Forza 3 is a more consistently successful package. The real driving simulator is definitely worth indulging in and will provide hours of entertainment, but in today’s overcrowded market robotic AI and copy and paste backgrounds certainly mar what is otherwise an authentic driving experience. This may not be Gran Turismo’s most resounding victory to date but it is still justifiably on the podium.

Graphics: 17/20

Sound: 16/20

Gameplay: 22/25

Lifespan: 23/25

Originality: 6/10

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