Gran Turismo 4 - March 14, 2005

The Daily Cardinal
By Jason Ducat

Since its inception on the original PlayStation, the Gran Turismo series has consistently been regarded as the premier console racer in terms of visuals, sound, and game play. Nearly four years after "GT3" and approaching the end of the PS2 lifecycle, "GT4" has arrived, and it is a mixed bag.

Not much has changed since "GT3," which is both good and bad. For starters, the graphics look amazing, but it is only a slight upgrade from the previous game. The developers were able to cram a few more polygons in there and keep the whole thing running at a smooth frame rate, but the "gee-whiz" factor that "GT3" was over "GT2" is not the same for this edition.

The sound mixing, however, is amongst the very best any game has to offer. This title supports Dolby 5.1 surround sound, but if you lack a multi-speaker rig you will still want to try to do better than your television speakers. Quality speakers of any variety are needed to hear the subtleties the game offers, such as the wind whipping by, the tires gripping the tarmac while cornering, and even the different engine sounds, which are distinguishable even to untrained ears.

The cornerstone to any great game is, unquestionably, the game play. "GT4" doesn't disappoint. It relies heavily on its physics engine to recreate the most realistic car handling ever seen. The subtitle "The Real Driving Simulator" could not be more precise. Cars handle and are governed by the same forces as their real-life counterparts. Powerful rear-wheel drive cars handle differently than the Civics and PT Cruisers you start the game with. Throttling a Dodge Viper too much coming out of a turn, braking at inappropriate times, or using the wrong gear will all put you off the track or have some other adverse affect on your performance.

The game is huge. Over 500 cars, nearly 60 tracks, about 80 license tests, dozens of event types, and enough events to keep you occupied for well over 100 hours of gameplay. "GT4" sounds like the perfect game, and it would be if it were not plagued by a few minor glitches and some of the same issues prior entries in the series have had.

The makers of "GT4" have once again failed to implement any sort of damage modeling for the cars. Slamming into a barricade at 120 mph will not put so much as a scratch on your car. The robotic AI makes racing a bit of a disappointment, as well. Competition will adhere to certain race lines no matter what and run identical laps constantly. This really turns competitions into glorified time trials. There is a steep learning curve, too. Series veterans will be able to jump right in, but mastering the nuances of cornering, braking, and steering could be a little overwhelming for new-comers.

The most frustrating thing about "GT4" is the sense of hollowness. The game feels impersonal-in many ways "GT4" is an interactive automobile encyclopedia, or a "GT3" director's cut. Gear-heads and hardcore race fans will love this, but casual gamers may want to wait for a price drop-or just pick up "GT3."