The "Retro Game Reviews" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
This thread has been linked to the game 'Gran Turismo 5'.
Gran Turismo 5 Review
There’s been a lot of heavy tutting, head shaking and impatient foot tapping directed towards Gran Turismo 5. Originally slated as a launch title for the Playstation 3, the driving simulator was subjected to several delays over its years of development, eventually to be released at the back end of November 2010. Polyphony has always been one to have an eye for detail, and an aspiration for perfection. But, as the myriad of delays increased in number, so did the expectation surrounding the release. Has it lived up to the hype?
So, let’s get the “easy” bits out of the way. Gran Turismo 5 looks amazing. The level of detail that is shown is nearly unrealistic in how precise it is. The gleam of perfection that caresses the cars and tracks in the game is brilliant. In certain places, it’s hard to believe that it is actually a game that you’re playing.
Another place where the game sparkles from multiple layers of polish is the sounds. The sounds of the engines is so distinctive that the engine types can be determined just by listening (if you really pay attention to that sort of thing) and the screech of the brakes is something to behold when you put your latest obtained supercar under heavy braking.
Gran Turismo wouldn’t have earned its title as “The True Driving Simulator” without an extremely capable physics engine. And, as should be expected from a series of such reputation, GT5 is no exception. Power, handling, brakes, tyres and weather conditions (amongst other things) all combine together to form a robust system in which the differences between cornering in cars is noticeable (and a TVR Tuscan is still as uncontrollable in game as it is in real life). For those of us who think that might be a little daunting, GT retains some of the electronic assists from previous games whilst adding a few more to make the experience a little easier and less spinny.
Now, Gran Turismo is, in the basic terms, a driving simulator, as opposed to a driving game. Evidence of this is no more obvious than the control system. It is absolutely designed for a steering wheel set-up, and, as a strictly controller-only player, that generally is a problem for me. However, this is no excuse for the outdated set-up that Polyphony insists on. The old X button for acceleration was good for back on the PS1 and acceptable on the PS2, but on games in the current generation, the pressure-sensitive trigger buttons allow the extra throttle control that is demanded (and oh-so-common) nowadays. It’s an oversight that shouldn’t really have been made on a game that was in development for so long. Other than that, the controls do appear to have a lot of fairly unnecessary features that may add to it as a simulator, but do nothing to help it as a game.
With over 1000 cars available to play with (provided you actually can get them), GT5 boasts a rather extensive list, including the first Ferraris to hit the series (except that included in the HD Concept). Unfortunately, with the huge amount of cars, there is a disappointing gap in visual quality between the new and premium cars (which have cockpit view) that have been designed from scratch for the game, and the basic cars that have been ripped and redone from GT4 are, although looking fairly good, do appear a cut below the others in terms of quality. This is a surprising problem arising from a company that prides itself on achieving near perfection across the board.
The single player campaign part of the game will feel similar to fans of the series, a career in which you start at the bottom of the ladder (with a bottom of the ladder car). As you increase your reputation, wallet and garage inventory, you will go through the license challenges to prove yourself worthy to enter the more lucrative competitions and earn the rarest and most expensive cars available. It’s a formula that’s worked for them for a while now but, even with the tweaks and additions to this year’s campaign, is starting to feel slightly dated and may be a little bit too much on the grindy side for more casual players.
One of the new features that came to the series in this iteration is the track creator. Now, obviously one can’t expect something perhaps as expansive as ModNation Racers, but it is fairly limited in scope. Creator is a word that is sort of used fairly loosely when describing GT5’s newest mode, where a set of options generates a random track for use. The lack of control is fairly disappointing and overall the addition seems a little inconsistent with the quality that is expected from the series, with generally the generation of dull and lifeless tracks.
I understand that I am sounding quite down on Gran Turismo 5 as a game, and I’m afraid it isn’t going to get much better. The loading times between races etc. are bordering on the ludicrous, meaning that a short-length session has a much higher wait to play ratio than is perhaps acceptable and long-length sessions can be punctuated with moments of frustration. I’ve been told that these loading times are down to selective installation of tracks and the like as they are used. This is where the other problem arises.
I have been fairly vocal as of late about the magnitude of installations (mandatory or otherwise) that games of the current generation have. Gran Turismo 5 is just on another level with the magnitude of install required to cut into the loading times, with over half an hour of install for a compressed 6.4GB, which over the playtime is decompressed to take up an even bigger chunk of the hard-drive. This, personally, feels like an unacceptable trade-off and an issue that should have been minimized before release.
The original game was considered the driving god of it’s time, an unparalleled and unrivalled classic. Time upon time the further iterations in the series improved on the seemingly unimprovable. Gran Turismo 5 improves upon 4 in several areas, but strange design choices and an unusual lack of polish in certain key areas stop it from becoming the great which is expected of it. I imagine that car lovers and avid fans of the previous Gran Turismo fans will find GT5 to be a game/simulator which gives to them many hours of enjoyment, but I fear that many people will flock elsewhere for their automotive gaming desires…like into the arms of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, for example. A brilliant simulator but a game that is lacking in both fun and usability, and as such I have trouble actually assigning it a score…so I’m not going to.
Rating: N/A
There’s been a lot of heavy tutting, head shaking and impatient foot tapping directed towards Gran Turismo 5. Originally slated as a launch title for the Playstation 3, the driving simulator was subjected to several delays over its years of development, eventually to be released at the back end of November 2010. Polyphony has always been one to have an eye for detail, and an aspiration for perfection. But, as the myriad of delays increased in number, so did the expectation surrounding the release. Has it lived up to the hype?
So, let’s get the “easy” bits out of the way. Gran Turismo 5 looks amazing. The level of detail that is shown is nearly unrealistic in how precise it is. The gleam of perfection that caresses the cars and tracks in the game is brilliant. In certain places, it’s hard to believe that it is actually a game that you’re playing.
Another place where the game sparkles from multiple layers of polish is the sounds. The sounds of the engines is so distinctive that the engine types can be determined just by listening (if you really pay attention to that sort of thing) and the screech of the brakes is something to behold when you put your latest obtained supercar under heavy braking.
Gran Turismo wouldn’t have earned its title as “The True Driving Simulator” without an extremely capable physics engine. And, as should be expected from a series of such reputation, GT5 is no exception. Power, handling, brakes, tyres and weather conditions (amongst other things) all combine together to form a robust system in which the differences between cornering in cars is noticeable (and a TVR Tuscan is still as uncontrollable in game as it is in real life). For those of us who think that might be a little daunting, GT retains some of the electronic assists from previous games whilst adding a few more to make the experience a little easier and less spinny.
Now, Gran Turismo is, in the basic terms, a driving simulator, as opposed to a driving game. Evidence of this is no more obvious than the control system. It is absolutely designed for a steering wheel set-up, and, as a strictly controller-only player, that generally is a problem for me. However, this is no excuse for the outdated set-up that Polyphony insists on. The old X button for acceleration was good for back on the PS1 and acceptable on the PS2, but on games in the current generation, the pressure-sensitive trigger buttons allow the extra throttle control that is demanded (and oh-so-common) nowadays. It’s an oversight that shouldn’t really have been made on a game that was in development for so long. Other than that, the controls do appear to have a lot of fairly unnecessary features that may add to it as a simulator, but do nothing to help it as a game.
With over 1000 cars available to play with (provided you actually can get them), GT5 boasts a rather extensive list, including the first Ferraris to hit the series (except that included in the HD Concept). Unfortunately, with the huge amount of cars, there is a disappointing gap in visual quality between the new and premium cars (which have cockpit view) that have been designed from scratch for the game, and the basic cars that have been ripped and redone from GT4 are, although looking fairly good, do appear a cut below the others in terms of quality. This is a surprising problem arising from a company that prides itself on achieving near perfection across the board.
The single player campaign part of the game will feel similar to fans of the series, a career in which you start at the bottom of the ladder (with a bottom of the ladder car). As you increase your reputation, wallet and garage inventory, you will go through the license challenges to prove yourself worthy to enter the more lucrative competitions and earn the rarest and most expensive cars available. It’s a formula that’s worked for them for a while now but, even with the tweaks and additions to this year’s campaign, is starting to feel slightly dated and may be a little bit too much on the grindy side for more casual players.
One of the new features that came to the series in this iteration is the track creator. Now, obviously one can’t expect something perhaps as expansive as ModNation Racers, but it is fairly limited in scope. Creator is a word that is sort of used fairly loosely when describing GT5’s newest mode, where a set of options generates a random track for use. The lack of control is fairly disappointing and overall the addition seems a little inconsistent with the quality that is expected from the series, with generally the generation of dull and lifeless tracks.
I understand that I am sounding quite down on Gran Turismo 5 as a game, and I’m afraid it isn’t going to get much better. The loading times between races etc. are bordering on the ludicrous, meaning that a short-length session has a much higher wait to play ratio than is perhaps acceptable and long-length sessions can be punctuated with moments of frustration. I’ve been told that these loading times are down to selective installation of tracks and the like as they are used. This is where the other problem arises.
I have been fairly vocal as of late about the magnitude of installations (mandatory or otherwise) that games of the current generation have. Gran Turismo 5 is just on another level with the magnitude of install required to cut into the loading times, with over half an hour of install for a compressed 6.4GB, which over the playtime is decompressed to take up an even bigger chunk of the hard-drive. This, personally, feels like an unacceptable trade-off and an issue that should have been minimized before release.
The original game was considered the driving god of it’s time, an unparalleled and unrivalled classic. Time upon time the further iterations in the series improved on the seemingly unimprovable. Gran Turismo 5 improves upon 4 in several areas, but strange design choices and an unusual lack of polish in certain key areas stop it from becoming the great which is expected of it. I imagine that car lovers and avid fans of the previous Gran Turismo fans will find GT5 to be a game/simulator which gives to them many hours of enjoyment, but I fear that many people will flock elsewhere for their automotive gaming desires…like into the arms of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, for example. A brilliant simulator but a game that is lacking in both fun and usability, and as such I have trouble actually assigning it a score…so I’m not going to.
Rating: N/A
I am not crazy for any of the previous Gran Turismo games, but this game sounds amazing.
If I want to play all these games I want to get I'm gonna need a bigger hard drive.
Great review. True, the install is beyond belief in GT5. I feel sorry for anyone with an early model PS3 and small hard drive. Still, it's well worth the wait.
Thanks Warhunt,
When I started the review, I knew that it wasn't going to be a normal review. There are very few games that split my own opinion on it quite so much as Gran Turismo 5 has. The fact is, I could have given it a score, anywhere between 6.5 and 9.5, and would have felt entirely justified doing so (and if you look back to my Dance Dance Revolution X Arcade review, I gave that two scores) But I feel that it's a game that you experience, rather than play. What people think of the experience is probably going to be completely different for almost every person. In my case, it's a case of getting past the problems which I'm not sure I think it's that worth it. (Also, expect the other game mentioned to be reviewed soon ;) )
When I started the review, I knew that it wasn't going to be a normal review. There are very few games that split my own opinion on it quite so much as Gran Turismo 5 has. The fact is, I could have given it a score, anywhere between 6.5 and 9.5, and would have felt entirely justified doing so (and if you look back to my Dance Dance Revolution X Arcade review, I gave that two scores) But I feel that it's a game that you experience, rather than play. What people think of the experience is probably going to be completely different for almost every person. In my case, it's a case of getting past the problems which I'm not sure I think it's that worth it. (Also, expect the other game mentioned to be reviewed soon ;) )
Interesting read :)
Gran Turismo 5 Review
There’s been a lot of heavy tutting, head shaking and impatient foot tapping directed towards Gran Turismo 5. Originally slated as a launch title for the Playstation 3, the driving simulator was subjected to several delays over its years of development, eventually to be released at the back end of November 2010. Polyphony has always been one to have an eye for detail, and an aspiration for perfection. But, as the myriad of delays increased in number, so did the expectation surrounding the release. Has it lived up to the hype?
So, let’s get the “easy” bits out of the way. Gran Turismo 5 looks amazing. The level of detail that is shown is nearly unrealistic in how precise it is. The gleam of perfection that caresses the cars and tracks in the game is brilliant. In certain places, it’s hard to believe that it is actually a game that you’re playing.
Another place where the game sparkles from multiple layers of polish is the sounds. The sounds of the engines is so distinctive that the engine types can be determined just by listening (if you really pay attention to that sort of thing) and the screech of the brakes is something to behold when you put your latest obtained supercar under heavy braking.
Gran Turismo wouldn’t have earned its title as “The True Driving Simulator” without an extremely capable physics engine. And, as should be expected from a series of such reputation, GT5 is no exception. Power, handling, brakes, tyres and weather conditions (amongst other things) all combine together to form a robust system in which the differences between cornering in cars is noticeable (and a TVR Tuscan is still as uncontrollable in game as it is in real life). For those of us who think that might be a little daunting, GT retains some of the electronic assists from previous games whilst adding a few more to make the experience a little easier and less spinny.
Now, Gran Turismo is, in the basic terms, a driving simulator, as opposed to a driving game. Evidence of this is no more obvious than the control system. It is absolutely designed for a steering wheel set-up, and, as a strictly controller-only player, that generally is a problem for me. However, this is no excuse for the outdated set-up that Polyphony insists on. The old X button for acceleration was good for back on the PS1 and acceptable on the PS2, but on games in the current generation, the pressure-sensitive trigger buttons allow the extra throttle control that is demanded (and oh-so-common) nowadays. It’s an oversight that shouldn’t really have been made on a game that was in development for so long. Other than that, the controls do appear to have a lot of fairly unnecessary features that may add to it as a simulator, but do nothing to help it as a game.
With over 1000 cars available to play with (provided you actually can get them), GT5 boasts a rather extensive list, including the first Ferraris to hit the series (except that included in the HD Concept). Unfortunately, with the huge amount of cars, there is a disappointing gap in visual quality between the new and premium cars (which have cockpit view) that have been designed from scratch for the game, and the basic cars that have been ripped and redone from GT4 are, although looking fairly good, do appear a cut below the others in terms of quality. This is a surprising problem arising from a company that prides itself on achieving near perfection across the board.
The single player campaign part of the game will feel similar to fans of the series, a career in which you start at the bottom of the ladder (with a bottom of the ladder car). As you increase your reputation, wallet and garage inventory, you will go through the license challenges to prove yourself worthy to enter the more lucrative competitions and earn the rarest and most expensive cars available. It’s a formula that’s worked for them for a while now but, even with the tweaks and additions to this year’s campaign, is starting to feel slightly dated and may be a little bit too much on the grindy side for more casual players.
One of the new features that came to the series in this iteration is the track creator. Now, obviously one can’t expect something perhaps as expansive as ModNation Racers, but it is fairly limited in scope. Creator is a word that is sort of used fairly loosely when describing GT5’s newest mode, where a set of options generates a random track for use. The lack of control is fairly disappointing and overall the addition seems a little inconsistent with the quality that is expected from the series, with generally the generation of dull and lifeless tracks.
I understand that I am sounding quite down on Gran Turismo 5 as a game, and I’m afraid it isn’t going to get much better. The loading times between races etc. are bordering on the ludicrous, meaning that a short-length session has a much higher wait to play ratio than is perhaps acceptable and long-length sessions can be punctuated with moments of frustration. I’ve been told that these loading times are down to selective installation of tracks and the like as they are used. This is where the other problem arises.
I have been fairly vocal as of late about the magnitude of installations (mandatory or otherwise) that games of the current generation have. Gran Turismo 5 is just on another level with the magnitude of install required to cut into the loading times, with over half an hour of install for a compressed 6.4GB, which over the playtime is decompressed to take up an even bigger chunk of the hard-drive. This, personally, feels like an unacceptable trade-off and an issue that should have been minimized before release.
The original game was considered the driving god of it’s time, an unparalleled and unrivalled classic. Time upon time the further iterations in the series improved on the seemingly unimprovable. Gran Turismo 5 improves upon 4 in several areas, but strange design choices and an unusual lack of polish in certain key areas stop it from becoming the great which is expected of it. I imagine that car lovers and avid fans of the previous Gran Turismo fans will find GT5 to be a game/simulator which gives to them many hours of enjoyment, but I fear that many people will flock elsewhere for their automotive gaming desires…like into the arms of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, for example. A brilliant simulator but a game that is lacking in both fun and usability, and as such I have trouble actually assigning it a score…so I’m not going to.
Rating: N/A
There’s been a lot of heavy tutting, head shaking and impatient foot tapping directed towards Gran Turismo 5. Originally slated as a launch title for the Playstation 3, the driving simulator was subjected to several delays over its years of development, eventually to be released at the back end of November 2010. Polyphony has always been one to have an eye for detail, and an aspiration for perfection. But, as the myriad of delays increased in number, so did the expectation surrounding the release. Has it lived up to the hype?
So, let’s get the “easy” bits out of the way. Gran Turismo 5 looks amazing. The level of detail that is shown is nearly unrealistic in how precise it is. The gleam of perfection that caresses the cars and tracks in the game is brilliant. In certain places, it’s hard to believe that it is actually a game that you’re playing.
Another place where the game sparkles from multiple layers of polish is the sounds. The sounds of the engines is so distinctive that the engine types can be determined just by listening (if you really pay attention to that sort of thing) and the screech of the brakes is something to behold when you put your latest obtained supercar under heavy braking.
Gran Turismo wouldn’t have earned its title as “The True Driving Simulator” without an extremely capable physics engine. And, as should be expected from a series of such reputation, GT5 is no exception. Power, handling, brakes, tyres and weather conditions (amongst other things) all combine together to form a robust system in which the differences between cornering in cars is noticeable (and a TVR Tuscan is still as uncontrollable in game as it is in real life). For those of us who think that might be a little daunting, GT retains some of the electronic assists from previous games whilst adding a few more to make the experience a little easier and less spinny.
Now, Gran Turismo is, in the basic terms, a driving simulator, as opposed to a driving game. Evidence of this is no more obvious than the control system. It is absolutely designed for a steering wheel set-up, and, as a strictly controller-only player, that generally is a problem for me. However, this is no excuse for the outdated set-up that Polyphony insists on. The old X button for acceleration was good for back on the PS1 and acceptable on the PS2, but on games in the current generation, the pressure-sensitive trigger buttons allow the extra throttle control that is demanded (and oh-so-common) nowadays. It’s an oversight that shouldn’t really have been made on a game that was in development for so long. Other than that, the controls do appear to have a lot of fairly unnecessary features that may add to it as a simulator, but do nothing to help it as a game.
With over 1000 cars available to play with (provided you actually can get them), GT5 boasts a rather extensive list, including the first Ferraris to hit the series (except that included in the HD Concept). Unfortunately, with the huge amount of cars, there is a disappointing gap in visual quality between the new and premium cars (which have cockpit view) that have been designed from scratch for the game, and the basic cars that have been ripped and redone from GT4 are, although looking fairly good, do appear a cut below the others in terms of quality. This is a surprising problem arising from a company that prides itself on achieving near perfection across the board.
The single player campaign part of the game will feel similar to fans of the series, a career in which you start at the bottom of the ladder (with a bottom of the ladder car). As you increase your reputation, wallet and garage inventory, you will go through the license challenges to prove yourself worthy to enter the more lucrative competitions and earn the rarest and most expensive cars available. It’s a formula that’s worked for them for a while now but, even with the tweaks and additions to this year’s campaign, is starting to feel slightly dated and may be a little bit too much on the grindy side for more casual players.
One of the new features that came to the series in this iteration is the track creator. Now, obviously one can’t expect something perhaps as expansive as ModNation Racers, but it is fairly limited in scope. Creator is a word that is sort of used fairly loosely when describing GT5’s newest mode, where a set of options generates a random track for use. The lack of control is fairly disappointing and overall the addition seems a little inconsistent with the quality that is expected from the series, with generally the generation of dull and lifeless tracks.
I understand that I am sounding quite down on Gran Turismo 5 as a game, and I’m afraid it isn’t going to get much better. The loading times between races etc. are bordering on the ludicrous, meaning that a short-length session has a much higher wait to play ratio than is perhaps acceptable and long-length sessions can be punctuated with moments of frustration. I’ve been told that these loading times are down to selective installation of tracks and the like as they are used. This is where the other problem arises.
I have been fairly vocal as of late about the magnitude of installations (mandatory or otherwise) that games of the current generation have. Gran Turismo 5 is just on another level with the magnitude of install required to cut into the loading times, with over half an hour of install for a compressed 6.4GB, which over the playtime is decompressed to take up an even bigger chunk of the hard-drive. This, personally, feels like an unacceptable trade-off and an issue that should have been minimized before release.
The original game was considered the driving god of it’s time, an unparalleled and unrivalled classic. Time upon time the further iterations in the series improved on the seemingly unimprovable. Gran Turismo 5 improves upon 4 in several areas, but strange design choices and an unusual lack of polish in certain key areas stop it from becoming the great which is expected of it. I imagine that car lovers and avid fans of the previous Gran Turismo fans will find GT5 to be a game/simulator which gives to them many hours of enjoyment, but I fear that many people will flock elsewhere for their automotive gaming desires…like into the arms of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, for example. A brilliant simulator but a game that is lacking in both fun and usability, and as such I have trouble actually assigning it a score…so I’m not going to.
Rating: N/A