Gran Turismo 4 (PS2)

First up, Gran Turismo 4 is bigger and better than previous games in the record-breaking series. Much bigger, in fact: there are some 500 cars to drive, and around 100 courses on which to take those motors for a spin. Every single car is a perfectly modelled replica of its real-life equivalent, containing much more detail than the car models found in Gran Turismo 3. And it shows: thanks to this increased level of detail, GT4 edges the series ever closer to photorealism.

By far the biggest of Gran Turismo 4's many attractions is its online play. Over the Internet or using a local area network of PS2 consoles, it will be possible for six people to meet and race, each with their own cars. The prospect of an online Gran Turismo community is certainly something to look forward to.

As Gran Turismo continues to evolve, Polyphony Digital ups the ante by making each new instalment more comprehensive than the last. Gran Turismo 4 follows that admirable trend: its driver AI is more lifelike, its physics engine is more complex, its engine noises sound closer to the turbines mimicked... and there's more of everything. To top it all, GT4 boasts improved handling over GT3. All this work should achieve the desired result: Gran Turismo fans will be kept happy and new converts will be made. --Jonti Davies

For those of you who just can't wait for the full version of the game, there is a cut-down version of the game called 'Gran Turismo 4: Prologue" available on import now (although you will need a mod chip to play it). Like GT Concept, it only contains 5 tracks, but they are all brand new tracks that have never appeared in the GT series before:- Tsukuba Circuit, Citte Del Aria (Tuscany street circuit), New York City, Fuji Speedway, and the Grand Canyon rally course. As well as these new circuits, the full version of GT4 also includes a stunning Hong Kong City street circuit and Paris street circuit.

Many reviewers who have 'played' this game already have merely played beta (or trial) versions at various gaming expos, which are probably not a fair reflection of what the final product will be like. With hundreds of new cars (as well as all of those from GT3) and atleast seven brand new tracks, there is plenty to justify the price tag. Car handling physics, engine sounds (sampled from the real cars in every case!) and stunningly rendered circuits all make this game an improvement over GT3, which is high praise indeed given that GT3 is beautiful already.

The GT series another huge plus point and that is the almost infinite replay value of the game. It takes FOREVER to 'complete' the game (i.e. to win all the available tournament races), but even once complete, there are always records to be broken, new cars to be won, and of course, on-line tournaments to take part in.

Save your money for this title... you will be rewarded!


No sign of brakes being put on the Gran Turismo series yet   February 22, 2004
Victoria Craven
83 out of 124 found this review helpful

The Prologue to Gran Turismo 4 begins by stating the following: “Though it will be necessary to limit the number of cars and courses included, this product will still include some of the main features of the Gran Turismo franchise such as races, time attack and license tests. This sneak preview will also express the latest technology Polyphony Digital has accumulated over the past two years.”

The variety of cars available in GT4 is one of the most impressive aspects: Whereas GT3 had a range of one hundred and fifty on offer, this surpasses its predecessor to an extraordinary degree by giving the player a choice of around five hundred cars on which to feast their eyes. Classics like the Nissan 240Z make an appearance, whilst the Honda’s HSC concept (unveiled at the Tokyo Motor-show) will also be present. Tire grip type can be selected through a choice of normal, street, sports or racing. The player is also given the choice of whether he or she wishes transmission to be automatic or manual, and driving assist may be switched on or off.

One of the most noticeable changes in the Gran Turismo series is the realistic feel of the driving. In rally mode, for example, you find the car stopping then moving forward, rather than shooting off accelerating (like in the previous game) when moving in to a turn. Other subtle aspects, such as the brakes turning red due to the heat, are striking Reckless drivers will be none too pleased to learn of the penalty system; crash in to a wall or skid dangerously off the road, and you are forced to drive at a restricted speed for a period of ten seconds.

The School Mode, where the player can take lessons in the art of good driving, is laid out as a board game - pass each session adequately and you win the car. The majority of the lessons require the player to drive carefully along a course following the dashed lines. The different colours of the lines specify exactly what the driver should do – be it breaking or accelerating, and at precisely what speed. The more challenging lessons show the dashed lines on the first lap of the course, and the later laps must be judged by the driver, and achieved to the best of their driving ability. It is rumoured that upon completing all lessons on the board, an entire new one will open up, aimed at expert drivers. This remains to be seen however, since final touches are still being put to the game.

The racing genre will be forever changed by GT4’s groundbreaking physics and breathtakingly realistic graphics. The presence of the crowd is particularly noticable, as many cheer and some of the more fanatical fans even run into the road to take a photograph! This area was where I noticed some lack of detail however, as the crowd do not appear quite as life-like as the rest of the background in the game, and the objects seen in the car’s mirror tend to disappear from time to time. Saying that however, there are some incredibly convincing animated polygon crew members, visible to congratulate the player when a new car is earned. It is rumoured that there will even be a pit stop with a crew to change the car tyres, etc.

Some say the number of courses available will be around fifty, others say up to one hundred, but the truth is that no one knows yet. The one thing you can count on is that there will be an extensive choice with a huge range of environments and weather-types. The background detail is astounding – with incredibly realistic image quality and depth of texture never seen before in the GT series, and is worth checking out for that alone. GT4 is bound to be one of the best-selling games of the year, and rightly so if the prologue is anything to go by. The remarkable attention to detail in all areas is a credit to those that have spent such time developing the game. It’s well worth looking out for.


Gran Turismo 4 - Review not preview.   March 9, 2005
64 out of 66 found this review helpful

People have been reviewing this game before it comes out and giving it marks out of 5 for how they hope it will play - That's rubbish. It arrived this morning, these are my impressions so far:

The Intro - Gentle music sweeps out of your speakers, a white GT40 sits there in all it's glory. Operatic power starts to build in the music, the GT40 starts rolling, Mechanics prepare the car, the music still building, then.....the engine revs, Rock Music cuts in, the sign goes up, the car launches away and all hell breaks loose.

The first thing you notice, more menus, more cars, more tracks. The menus are well laid out and easy to follow. Arcade mode is similar to before, now you can choose cars by either Era or Manufacturer. The game play is slightly improved in terms of car handling, the graphics are simply stunning, both on the cars, but also the backgrounds. Check out the Grand Canyon, wow!!

GT mode, same deal as before 10k to start, licences to pass. Licences comprise 16 tests not 8 as in GT3. Once you get some licences behind you the game really opens up and you realise why you bought this even though you already own GT3. It's a different conversation. Massive numbers of cars and more tracks than you could shake a stick the size of Schumacher's ego at!!

The photo capture options are easy to follow, they're not the reason I bought the game but if it's what you're into then you're well catered for. The B-Spec mode again works well, it can speed things up in the early days so you don't have to race the Sunday league 20 times!! Could have used a few more options in terms of strategy etc. but it's still a welcome addition.

In summary, the graphics are stunning the game play is great and the size is awesome. If you like driving games then buy this, it's the best one there is.....on any console.


This will be the Best Racing Simulation Ever   August 26, 2003
62 out of 124 found this review helpful

The New Granturismo 4 is rumoured to include somewhere around 1000 cars. All cars are tested on track and the data collected are used to simulate realistic driving for each unique car. New features include real circuits such as tsukuba and fuji, as well as new imaginary circuits such as Newyork. Modifying cars will be of course possible and this time appearances for some cars may be modified as well. Engine sounds have been re-recorded for each individual car and the demo version of the Game have proven that the game have been ameliorated in this department.

The steeringwheel will be a marvel, although for technical reasons the clutch function was dropped, the new steering wheel allows a 900degree lock to lock, meaning a more realitic interface to play with.

Other news include a strong possibility of other manufacturers being liscenced. A polyphony test session in july at motegi circuit showed that cars of brand of BMW (M), Mercedes (AMG), as well as other famous european brands were present, indicating that there will be alot of cars familiar to us europeans.


Ludicrously addictive   March 22, 2005
A. Butterfield (UK)
57 out of 61 found this review helpful

You really need to set yourself limits on this game. On the first night, I lost track of time and ended up playing until 2.30am. Not good at my age (this isn't just for kids you know!); I had the racetrack burned onto my brain. What drew me to upgrade from GT3 was realising they'd put on the entire 13 miles of the famous Nurburgring circuit. Driving this circuit in a little 1960s 800cc Honda sports car was an interesting way to assess how this is different from GT3.
First thing you notice is that it's not as easy, although you could always make GT3 harder by taking off the driver aids. But GT4 adds in some instability, which is something you never felt in GT3 and really keeps you on your toes. The little Honda gets very unstable at times! You also notice that it actually feels fast! GT3 never really did, but this is scary stuff, especially since hitting a wall or another car now gives you a real kick (everything goes blurry for a second - ouch). And the Honda being a drop top gives you chance to look at yourself, the driver, a GT4 first. There are other animated humans too, like the pit crew and spectators.
It's bang up to date: the new BMW 3-Series handles beautifully compared to the Honda, but once again, it's scary at 130mph on those awkward cambers of the Nurburgring. But I love the classics and the oddities, like little Daihatsu trucks (you'll need to work the engine hard just to get up some of the steeper hills), and vintage cars like the Model T. Many of these are accessible in the Arcade mode, just for fun, but to get the others you'll have to spend some serious time winning them.
It may be too much of a challenge unless you're a serious nut, that's my worry, but you can have plenty of fun before you have to get serious, even if it's just admiring the beautifully rendered cars and taking pics in the photo mode.
The graphics, they say, are much better than before. At first I wasn't sure about this. But then I drove the wet night route around Paris and my jaw dropped. The amount of detail and life in this route is staggering, and the wet road looks superb. This part is very close to photo real. The snowy hills of Chamonix are remarkable too, and the new scenery has wonderful vistas, hills rolling for miles and miles. I forgot all about the race and just looked at the scenery the first time round. It may well be the new routes (the narrow streets of the hillside town of Citta di Aria and the sparkling Island of Capri are also worthy of mention), the enhanced road surfaces, and now the proper sense that you are going uphill or downhill (that seemed to be oddly missing in GT3) that are the defining features.
I suspect that the limitations of the hardware put a stop to the kind of perfection that's no doubt possible, so you have to put up with the occasionally imperfect wheelarch, or odd looking panel on your new Lexus.
The span of the game is huge, the options almost endless. You could say that the thought of starting in GT mode is a little daunting, knowing how much time it will take up, but this is better at letting you dip in and out of different parts of the game than GT3.
This is certainly the best driving simulation yet. Some will, rightly, regard it as a work of art. And by the way, it's also a game.