- The Return of the Greatest Racing FranchiseThere are very few games on any console that can be as addictive as the Gran Turismo series, especially if you are a car or racing fanatic. GT5:Prologue certainly continues that radition of addictive gameplay and the most beautiful car renderings at least I have ever seen on a computer, console or pretty much anything that is not the real thing.
Taking into account the fact that this is not the full version of what will eventually be GT5, and also that we are paying a lower price for it, it's very easy to forgive such a short game. I guess it could be called a preview. In fact if you look at it that way this game is huge considering the above. However its not without its flaws.
The graphics in this game really show the PS3 hardware capabitlity and the car models have so much setail it's sick. Right down to the details of the wheels and the detph of the tread in the tires. Just when you thought the cars couldn't look any better in GT4, they come up with this. In this regard, as well as track accuracy, this game has no equal.
The menus are also beautiful although I found them a bit frustrating, especially when trying to buy cars. I understand that theres a lot of info to load but sometimes it feels like scrolling through the menus is taking forever. They seem less intuitive. Details like in past editions, when you finished a race and had the different options before you, all you had to do to exit was hit the left d-pad and you were in the exit icon. Now you have to scroll through all the otions to hit exit. Its small thinga like that that make the menus a little clumsy. Thats not to say they are not beautiful. Watching your active car posing at all those different locales is kind of breathtaking. Its like combining the menu options with the photo mode in GT4 except you dont need any extra memory space and you get to watch all the time.
To upgrade your cars, you first have to finish the first three race classes C, B, and A. This opens the S class which is really challenging because the cars are awarded performance points based on your modifications and the races have point limits. This makes the racing very even and forces you to win by driving skill. You cant win on horsepower alone. It almost make me glad there are so few tracks because you really have to learn them to be successfull in the S Class. It reminds me of GT2 in that it had Power restrictions to enter the different races. Even though its all fun and good it is the upgrading part of the game that both worries and dissapoints me.
Once you have the option, the upgrade menu is a series of parameters where you adjust horsepower, weight, ride height etc... This is so NOT the way it was done in the past. To upgrade your car you had to buy parts and if you were serious about it you would go and test the results of your upgrade at the test tracks. This is the way its done in the real world. Why change such a crucial part of the game that way? If you want a powerful car you just hit the HP parameter all the way up and the weight all the way down and thats it.No work on your part. Also, you get to change paramenters right before a race. You cant work on your car at any other time. And also you cant change wheels, spoilers... nothing cosmetic. I'm not one to "rice" my cars a la Need for Speed but I expect some form of customization.
This really worries me because it might be a sign of things to come. I can understand why it was done in this version but it would take so much out of the full version of the game it scares me. I only can hope it fixed for GT5. I also hope that this is not the price we are paying for having Ferrari finnally in the game.
Having said all that, this game is lot deeper than what it's name implies. The controls are right on and realistic and of course its incredibly beautiful. It's one of the most engaging experiences on the PS3 right now. Be warned: This game will draw you in and wont let go for a long time. Probably until GT5 comes out.
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