Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)
Gran Turismo 5 is a racing game by Polyphony Digital, and the latest in it’s series. The end goal of the game is to reach level 40 by participating in races, as well as to obtain all of the various licenses that can be earned by participating in 9 tests of different kinds (turns, braking and the like) and a small race on a course using the different things you learned in the tests.
GAMEPLAY
In GT5 you have a few options for how to race. You can choose to do an arcade mode race, where you choose a car from a fairly limited selection, choose a track and difficulty, then race, or you can choose to enter GT Mode, where you will create a driver who can make money and experience to buy new and better cars, as well as modifications for them. In GT mode you can choose to race in either A-Spec or B-Spec mode. In A Spec mode, it puts you directly behind the wheel against other drivers, while in B Spec mode, you create a driver in a pseudo-random manner (you can choose from a few options of abilities for a driver) who will then drive for you, and you will need to make adjustments for him throughout the race in order to improve him into a better driver who will be able to make you more money.
In GT mode, there are different levels of races that increase in difficulty and length as you climb up the ranks, with certain races that will be restricted by car type, drivetrain, and country of origin among other things. Most races will be closed to drivers under a certain level, and certain groups of races are closed to drivers who are not of a high enough level. For example, a level 5 driver could not get into the professional series, which requires drivers to be level 20 before they can enter. He also could not race in the level 8 Festival Italiana, even though he could look at the various amateur series races, and he would need a car of Italian make, such as a Lamborghini, Ferrari or Alfa Romeo before he could compete in the race.
In A Spec or Arcade Mode, the driving itself is not terribly difficult. The game automatically does it’s best to keep your car from spinning out on a corner, and most of the AI drivers are fairly easy to beat if you have a decent car. The game will provide a “driving line” telling you what the best route is to take through the track, and although the line will usually tell you when to brake, it will occasionally not tell you or will tell you to brake in the wrong spot, so it is usually best to pick a point on the track or a sign by the side of the road at which to brake, rather than trusting the braking line.
In B Spec mode, the driver will usually do fairly well on his own, assuming he is a good enough level, and given a car good enough to beat the competition. As the situation grows tenser, his physical and mental strength are drained as his attitude is shifted from Cool to Hot. If his attitude is too hot and his mental or physical strength is too low, the driver will begin making mistakes, which can have a negative effect on the outcome of the race. Conversely, other drivers will drive differently when your driver is nearby, and can make mistakes of their own, which can be beneficial for your driver.
Another option in the game is the course maker, where you can adjust a few set tracks to a few standards, such as track width, complexity and number of sections on the track, creating more turns or fewer. However, you cannot change the time of day at the track, its overall length, general shape, weather or the altitude change of the track.
PRESENTATION:
The graphics in the game are very good for a relatively simple racing game. The cars are very detailed, down to the lettering on the back of the car, and there are multiple views available to the driver in A Spec as well as a few more in B Spec. In this game, as opposed to other Gran Turismo games, the cars can be visibly damaged, albeit not by much, but slamming sideways into one of the cement walls at 100 miles per hour is likely to bump in your front and back fenders a fair bit, as well as leave a nasty black mark on the side of your car. The backgrounds are generally not as detailed as the cars, but are still fairly well done, with skid marks being added to the track when you slide, and even a blimp flying over the course on one of the tracks.
CONCLUSION
Despite its lack of story or serious length, GT5 can be a fun arcade-style game to play for a few minutes of free time, for someone who can be pressed for time; it doesn’t need more than ten minutes for most races, all of which can be redone later, and it can be great to pass time if you don’t have enough time to play a longer or more involving game but still want to play something, but it does get tedious if you play it for an extended period of time.
Score-B
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