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A Gran don't come for free
Gran Turismo 4 is worth the investment
BY JIM MURRAY

Before I get to the meat of my review of Gran Turismo 4 for the PlayStation 2, let me first address my minuscule gripes with this amazing piece of software. First, it’s absolutely criminal that the once-promised online capability was not kept in the game; that being said, I’ve got to believe that GT’s founder Kazunori Yamachui is so obsessive with his baby that the online capability was pulled because it wasn’t 100 percent perfect. Other than that one glaring hole, the only other problem I had with GT4 is that I first played it at E3 – in 2003! I mean, striving for perfection is admirable, but did Polyphony Digital have to tweak the game that much and make obsessive Gran Turismo fans wait two whole years?

Regardless of the extended wait, it’s worth it. Gran Turismo 4 is without a doubt the Holy Grail of racing games, and this is coming from someone who hasn’t been much of a fan of this series in the past. Don’t get me wrong; I always appreciated the massive scope of Gran Turismo games past. I was just never one of those gamers who let these games ruin my social life – that is, until I played this installment.

Only a few video games can draw you in so completely that you forget you’re playing a game, and Gran Turismo 4 is one of them. There have been driving games that have captured the intensity and speed of racing (like Burnout 3), but until I played Gran Turismo 4, I’d never played one that imparts the sense of a car's power quite like this one. Thanks to the improved – and downright amazing – physics engine in GT4, you really feel like you are driving the cars. Trust me, you could be blind and still know the difference between driving a monster like a Lotus Esprit Sport 350 and a little Ford Focus RS. The feeling of power, weight, and inertia is just that dramatic.

I’ll tell you right now that the incredible driving experiences alone make purchasing this game a must. However, GT4 is so incredibly deep that the $49.99 retail price might make you feel like you are stealing from Sony. First, you get the "Gran Turismo Mode," which has been included in these games since Gran Turismo first appeared on the PS1 in 1997. For those who might be new to the series, "Gran Turismo Mode" starts you off with enough seed money to buy a used clunker. Then you can work your way up from the beginners' circuit, along the way unlocking cars and courses, buying and selling cars, and upgrading parts while competing in more than 200 championship races. This mode offers what could amount to a lifetime’s worth of gaming, and easily has the potential to destroy your social life much like an MMORPG can.

New to the Gran Turismo franchise this year is the "B-Spec Mode," in which gamers take the role of a race-team manager and provide direction to their computer-controlled driver. The AI driver competes in races while you view and direct him through the always-beautiful replay mode. I know, you’re probably thinking this sounds incredibly boring – along the lines of watching the computer face itself in a game of Madden. Surprisingly, it doesn’t suck, because it’s very hands-on; you’ve got to constantly adjust various settings and specs to your car so your driver can actually compete. Plus, the broadcast look and feel of the replay mode is so damn pretty that I forgot that I wasn’t really doing all that much.

Another new feature in Gran Turismo 4 is one that I find to be a complete and utter waste. It’s called "Photo Mode," and allows you to take photos of your souped-up ride all around the globe. You can save the photo to your memory card or a USB key, and then you have the option of printing out the photo on a USB printer. Is this something they spent time implementing instead of online play?

Then again, it’s not like I should be talking. I have been hopelessly addicted to Gran Turismo 4 since I popped it into my PS2. It's just that good, and the game for driving enthusiasts. If you’ve ever dreamed of cruising down the Autobahn in Nuremberg, Germany, this is your game.

Oh, I almost forgot one more thing. If you are seriously considering buying this game, then heed my advice and spend the extra $150 on the Logitech Driving Force Pro steering wheel. I know that sounds like a lot of money – and in a way it is, just for an accessory – but it makes GT4 feel like a completely different game. It improves it exponentially. I mean, apple pie is damn good, but it’s that much better when it’s topped with vanilla ice cream.

Score: 9.0 without Driving Force Pro; 10.0 with Driving Force Pro


Issue Date: March 11 - 17, 2005
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