It so happened that I had a chance to play the very first releases of Gran Turismo back in 1999. Just then came the second part. I didn’t understand anything about cars, but I liked their abundance and the variety of race tracks. Although I will not hide, I loved the fun in arcade races much more then.
The first part was released in 1997 on the first PlayStation. Much has changed in the automotive world, and in general, the attitude of a person to a car has begun to change. Alas, it is becoming less and less an object of cultural significance, and more and more a product of the mass market. And as you all have probably heard, universal electrification is coming. Why am I? Moreover, the preservation of automotive culture and enlightenment is almost the main message of the seventh part of the cult series!
There are a lot of screenshots in this material, so as not to describe each item, I will give signatures with comments.
Return of the legend
All the fans yearned for the license plate
The GT series has always been a hallmark for Sony, but it just so happens that Polyphony Digital has always made them at their own pace. And if each generation of the PlayStation had two parts (the PS2 also had Tourist Trophy motorcycle racing on the same engine), then the fourth generation of Sony consoles got only the Sport version, which shifted its focus towards online competitions.
And now the moment has come, a full-fledged license plate is coming out and, which is especially nice, both yours and ours got it, as they say, that is, it is available on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. On the latter, you will also have ray tracing, full support for features gamepad, surround sound and fast downloads.
Whether on the occasion of the anniversary, or just coincidentally, but GT7 has a lot of what today is called fan service. I, as a person who played all parts, rejoiced at all these references to the 3rd and 4th parts. Bend your fingers:
- Interactive main menu map;
- Familiar race cover art (they’re back in GT Sport)
- Some of the cars are sold in the “car showroom”, some are used;
- The return of many tracks from the old parts of the series.
The game also begins with pleasantness – a musical rally. We choose a “record” and drive along the track to a certain remix of the composition. A trifle, but a pleasant start! There is also a practical side, the musical rally is available while the main part of the game has not yet been downloaded.
The key difference, and overall a big innovation, was… the appearance of characters with whom you can chat. Yes, racing dialogues. Everything is designed like in Japanese RPGs: the avatar of the person we are talking to, and the printed text (even with a characteristic sound). No, breathe, there is no plot as such, all these interlocutors are designed to help you feel the atmosphere of the world of cars. Someone will talk about tuning, someone about buying a car and how to pass the track. It will help beginners in many ways to figure it out, and in general they make the game more sincere, or something.
There is also a cafe. The most interesting thing here is tasks and conversations with various personalities. So, one of the first to look there is the former director of the Pininfarina design bureau, Fabio Filippini. Tasks are given in the form of a menu (this is a cafe), usually you need to collect a thematic collection of cars or win some kind of race. Some cars can be won in races, something can be bought on the “secondary”. As you collect, Luka, the owner of the cafe, will talk about the car and give out a new menu. The only pity is that the collection cannot be selected at your own discretion (the fleet allows), so that later you can compare it with what your friends have collected. By the way, in Japan on the Twin Ring Motegi track there is a real Gran Turismo cafe, although it is not so stylish.
A certain retrograde in the logic of the menu has also returned. So, in order to buy improvements for a car before the race, you will have to go to the corresponding building on the map, having previously returned to it. Just before the arrival, it will only be possible to carry out the setting. In general, it feels like Gran Turismo 7 has more menu transitions than before. Throw in not the fastest downloads on previous generation consoles.
Fortunately, the encyclopedia has not gone anywhere, as well as all the informational background that was in the series. When buying, you can get additional information, again in the form of a person’s comment. In the virtual salons of new cars (released after 2000) there is a museum for each brand. And also locations for filming associated with a particular brand. So if you’re interested in reading history and knowing what you ride in more detail, then the GT is a treasure trove of information. By the way, since this is a Japanese game, some models are presented here under their Japanese names. For example, the Mazda 6 we know is called Atenza in Gran Turismo.
The logic of game progress has also changed. The “Collector Level” has appeared. For each win in the race (you can win only once) or the lottery, as well as for the purchased car, you improve your rating. With it, access to tracks and various places on the map is also growing. All this is unusual, but very cool, and the game really makes you feel like a car collector! What does there even have an album with cars. In total, there are 424 of them on the release, and you can clearly see how many have already been collected and how many are still to be purchased. The same “Menu” in the cafe will push you to collect.
The changes also affected the organization of races. Now they are grouped not by conditional difficulty groups, but by tracks. The menu of each track now includes classic cups, custom races, and time trials. Luckily, before choosing a course, it indicates which competitions you have already won. The track study mode has also moved there, where you need to hone the passage of the track turn by turn, and then drive it completely.
A separate section of the map is occupied by licenses traditional for the Gran Turismo series. They are required to access some races. In case you don’t know, licenses in GT are like Dark Souls from the racing world. You will need to complete simple, at first glance, tasks, but you will fight with a timer, and if your goal is golden cups, then be prepared to press the “Again” button dozens of times. I am not kidding. Scary? This is a necessary attribute of all parts of the series and an excellent virtual driving school. Checked.
Drive!
The main thing
The first thing you’ll notice when you hit the track is how all the features of the new PS5 controller work. The effort on the triggers, which are just responsible for the gas and brake, the return from the curbs and other elements of the track along which the wheels go. What is nice, you feel the suspension itself! It may sound a little boring, but in fact, now with a gamepad you don’t feel deprived, and braking and acceleration are perceived quite differently. Bravo, Polyphony Digital! I happened to run GT7 on the PlayStation 4 Pro as well. On it, of course, the sensations from the gamepad are completely different. As well as there are no beautiful reflections on the car bodies. But it is worth paying tribute, the game still looks very worthy.
The second thing that a longtime fan of the series will notice, though, that I noticed is how the feeling of the game has changed when driving with a view from the cockpit. If earlier there was a feeling that you were glued to the car, now the “camera” twitches as if it were a view from a helmet. By the way, in the settings there is even a change in the sensitivity of this moment. And also, if you have a huge screen, you can generally display the salon in full screen and you will have to change seats to the side. It may not sound so important, but believe me, it affects the perception of the gameplay. At the same time, it is strange that the third-person view still does not allow you to turn the camera around the car.
Taking the first steps in the seventh part, the eyes run wide from the abundance of everything and everything. Here are tasks, here are different menus with cars. Two shops, two menus with tuning (technical and visual). But then you realize that such a volume and variety could only be grouped in this way. This is especially true of tracks and competitions.
Not long before the release, Sony and Polyphony Digital announced a self-learning artificial intelligence “Gran Turismo Sophy”. Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of the GT series, promises a release in the first patches. The Japanese have done a great job of basic AI training and it is already capable of beating top virtual racers. A development so massive that Nature magazine dedicated a cover to it!
There is also a fly in the ointment here. And it, alas, is traditional for the series – not the most juicy and pleasant sound of engines. Yes, GT7 has not yet become a sweet spot for Petrolhead’s ears, and this is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of the game. The rest of the sound design is great though. This is a variety of tracks, and relaxed music on the menu, and it is possible to ride along the slopes to various classics.
Review
Delight for car lovers
Polyphony Digital proved once again that they are the main ones in the virtual promotion of the global auto culture. Dozens of cars (there will be updates!) with detailed information, many tracks, including those from old parts. A variety of activities and types of competitions: if you want to wind circles with “bots”, if you want, compete for a while, but if you want, go to multiplayer (there are also everyday tasks).
There was a great incentive to expand the personal fleet – the level of collecting. It is he, and the tasks in the “Cafe” will move you along the “plot”, opening tracks and new types of competitions.
You can immerse yourself in the game for hundreds of hours and all this will not bother you. And if you get tired of the races, you can study history or take pictures of cars. Or watch replays of the race, they are here, as always, just gorgeous. And they are again for the whole, and not 21:9, as in GranTurismo Sport.
I honestly don’t even know who might not like the game. Unless for those who generally like a more fun racing format, everything is very strict here.
At one time, I bought myself a PlayStation 3 only with the release of Gran Turismo 5. Yes, GT7 works well on PS4 Pro (I won’t say about the rest, I didn’t have the opportunity to check), but the whole buzz, from the gamepad and visuals, is only on the latest generation. And very fast downloads!
Pros:
- great picture;
- even on the gamepad, you will not feel deprived and enjoy the taxiing;
- a rich and varied collection of cars;
- the game really stimulates to study automotive history and get to know the culture;
- become friendlier to newcomers.
Minus:
- traditionally not the most juicy sound of motors.
May not like:
- lovers of more arcade racing.
Final score 9 out of 10
Source: Trash Box
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
