Gran Turismo 4 for PlayStation 2

There are racing games galore nowadays. EA hit the jackpot with the Need For Speed: Underground franchise and many other games have jumped on the band wagon. Of course, much of this energy centered in around Vin Diesel s Fast and Furious movie and NFS:U clones have popped up everywhere. In those games, the focus is just as much on the car s visual appeal as it is on the car s performance. Even then, EA admitted that it NFS:U is more of an arcade than a driving sim.

In steps the legendary Gran Tourismo franchise. Sony dropped the first bomb on the gaming community early in the PSX days with a huge car inventory, great physics engine, hardware challenging graphics, and a respectable difficulty that came together in a game package that has lasted from sequel to sequel on up to today s recent release. GT3: A-Spec even had the distinction of being included in the highest selling PS2 bundle to date.

So fast forward to current day and we finally have the 4th release in this high quality franchise and I think it is safe to say that only few people are disappointed. Off the top, the only drawback of this game is that it isn t online supported (even though there is a way to do it through your computer). Besides that, GT4 is probably the best offering in the series and the best of the genre to date. As did all of its predecessors, GT4 has pushed the limits of the Playstation 2 s graphical abilities and unleashed a visual product that nears digital photo quality. The game s intro sequence parades this fact with gorgeous visuals of not only cars but the backgrounds of the tracks as well. The fitting sounds of an opera style choir chime in as your eyes feast on the impressive graphical display as well. Then, the gameplay visuals chime in as a rockin soundtrack rockets you into an electric anticipation of playing such a well polished game! You ll even watch the mystery drivers shifting and turning the wheel in convertible or open cockpit vehicles. The game even features opportunities to drive any car on an unlocked track and take pics or a video of the action! I guess this feature can be used with the Dexdrive (memory save card to PC interface) to allow players to make custom wallpaper of a particular scene or moment of visual beauty captured while playing or replaying.

In terms of features, you still have the arcade mode which allows you to drive any car on any unlocked track. Also, you ve the fanatical career mode that will push your driving skill to the limit. Again you ll qualify for different national and international licenses that will allow you to participate in higher stake races with bigger payouts. You can even transfer your Gran Tourismo 3 save game over and keep your licenses and money (up to a certain amount). Each car manufacturer has its own new car shop, classic car shop, tuner shop, and One-make racing tourneys. Japanese manufacturers have extra tuning shops that provide slight different performance enhancements that the factory tuning shop. To top it off, you ve got a couple of used car lots that provide an ever-changing listing of used cars for those strapped for cash and seeking a new ride. Then you ve got American, Japanese, and European circuits, Extreme Conditions challenges, Endurance challenges (where you MUST effective use pits to survive the exhaustingly long races), City circuits, Off-road circuits, and who knows what else!

Always my favorite in this series has been the airtight controls for all of the cars. The littlest changes to the equipment, tires, settings make subtle changes to how the car handles, performs, and sounds. As you drive the different styles (4WD, FR, FF, MR) you notice the handling differences as well as the different tweaking strategies for your particular driving style. Once again the attention to detail is unparalleled. Of course, this is expected in a driving simulator . The only gripe I had in this department is there is NO damage (be it visible or performance-wise) when you crash your car into a wall or a much slower car. Once again this was probably not allowed by the numerous car companies that GT4 licensed concept, street, and racing cars, trucks, and racers from. That is probably the only unrealistic part of the game because you can hit a barrier wall at 150 mph and still continue the race with no change in car performance. Of course this gamer simply shrugged his shoulders and continued to bask in the glory of zipping a +600 hp Audi concept car past the BMWs, Subarus, and Hondas with a cheesy grin on my face! Just makes for a well balanced experienced that provides simulation realism and yet enough arcade elements to keep the interest of casual gamers and not lose their hard core racer fan base.

As you push the operational limits of these virtual cars, you ll be treated to superb sound production that captures the unique sounds of each of the cars as well as the car s speed! As you push speeds well over 100, you ll hear the growing sound of the wind as your car pierces through the lazy air about it. You ll even be treated to a semi-customizable soundtrack of classical, rock, jazz, electronica, funk, and hip hop that all enhance the experience whether you re slamming gears or kicking back and watching the glorious replay of your recent or saved victory!

Ok, so I've hyped up the game enough. Here are some things I wish the game had:

- A point system (other than the Spec skill system) that meant something and was granted OR subtracted based on individual events during the races (nice pass, perfect turn, etc.)

- Hidden damage system that bumping and crashing effects the way the engine performs even if visible damage isn't allowed. (and an option to turn it off)

- Better driver A.I. (competition has no personality)

- Ability to drive with a team in pro races (hire other drivers with different skills)

Just a thought...

Besides those suggestions, this is one of the epic Sony Playstation 2 games that solidifies the console as one of the greatest consoles ever. Xbox is quickly gaining ground but games such as GT4 will assure Sony s #1 spot for quite some time.