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GRAPHICS: A+ (10) Where do I begin... I don't want to over-hype this game from the start, so I'll begin with the flaws, although there really aren't that many of them, which should make this difficult. The first negative that you will find is that there is no visible car damage, this is because the companies did not want their cars damaged, but once you play the game you will not care. The second is that the tracks are not as spectacular as the rest of the game is, although they are very sharp and make any other racing game look inferior, again, no problem there. With that in mind, I'll move on. It still amazes me to see after FFVII and now this, how this system's weak, 3-year old graphics engine can still make a lot of new fancy upgraded PC games look like a pop tarts. The detail put into each of the game's massive 180 (approx.) cars is simply unbelievable. You simply cannot pick out a single polygon in any car's body, and each has every single official minute detail from the maker name, logos, exterior rear-view mirrors, you name it. They have even put a new reflection texture into each of the cars that looks flat-out amazing, shining with the reflection of the sun, sky scrapers, etc. The background's graphics are nothing revolutionary, but they are well designed and challenging non-the-less. The FMV intro is also unmatched by any other racing game, however it is not a new standard as far as CG rendered movies go. It displays a few of the cars racing in a few of the tracks simply to show the many different car brands, but the actual game play-backs are better, which brings me to another point, the replays. If you don't think they come as close to watching a race on TV as you're going to get, you're just plain crazy. To sum it all up, this is graphical perfection.
SOUND/MUSIC: B (8.50) Featured in this game is music from well-known artists which include Chemical Brothers and Garbage, plus a few others that are not as recognized. Too bad these artists did not put a lot of effort into their songs in this game, since it would have been cool to have truly kicking music to accompany this exceptional game. The sounds however, are once again, top-of-the-line. Each car has its own engine sound that varies according to the upgrade level you put it through. This feature has been implemented to many racing games, but never as good as in GT, or with as much painstaking precision. Polyphony Digital has done it once again here, providing more detail than was asked for. Gran Turismo would have gotten a much higher grade, perhaps even surpassing Colony Wars, had it not been for the music artists' lacking efforts.
GAMEPLAY: A+ (10) There's just so much to talk about here it's almost scary. First things first, as I stated before, this game has a massive selection of cars that total to around 180 in the US and around 160 in Japan. With that many cars divided into 11 different makers (in 10 dealers, Honda and Acura are combined), if you do the math, you have a huge selection. You start out with 10,000 credits and must go out to buy a car, but once you do, don't try to race yet! You have to pass an excruciating test of skill first in the license test. The license test is exactly what it sounds, you must pass a series of exams testing your ability to accelerate and stop on time, taking turns, etc. You'll feel as if you were back in high school! The tests however, become harder and harder as you try to attain your next two licenses, though, for a total of 24 tests. Once you acquire your license you can go off to the actual races, and this is where the fun starts. As you race and win championship cups, you'll get a new car and money to spend at the dealerships. The first time you get to a dealership, you may be confused since there is such an overwhelming amount of options to go through. You can buy a used car (of which there are literally hundreds), a new car (which are better and you can choose its official color(s), but are also more expensive), the dealer's special model car, or car parts. If you choose the latter, prepare to be really confused! You can choose just about any upgrade you can buy in real life, and once you do you can change its setting by the tiniest increment. The physics in this game are unmatched as well, just read the special thick reference manual that comes with this game to see the complexity of this near-real (well that may be an overstatement) physics engine. The arcade mode itself would have already crushed every other racing game out there because it is so deep and top-notch, but the developers have gone beyond that and presented us with a game that is beyond our expectations. The gameplay in this game is as deep as you can get until the developers introduce the sequel to this game, which I predict will be the next big hit. FUN AND REPLAY VALUE: A+ (10) With it's huge, unprecedented selection of approximately 180 cars, this game sets new standards in the replay department. It has superb graphics with life-like replays, realistic physics, 11 tracks, incredible depth in Simulation mode and the best arcade mode ever. Racing and simulation fans alike will enjoy this game forever. The gameplay and incredible physics alone make this a lot of fun, but it's the graphics, realistic sound, and the amazing depth that make this game stand out and will have you playing it ceaselessly.
WORTH BUYING: YES Whether you are a fan of racing or simulation games, you should get this game right now, because you can't do better any other way, not even the PC racing market can match this. If you don't like racing games, this probably won't make you change your mind, but it's at least worth renting to see what the hype is all about or to show off to your N64-owning friends (It's a real trip when they start crying). Buy it to enjoy the great achievement the Playstation has undergone, but it's also good for showing off. OVERALL: A (9.75) What a disappointment, if the bands had put more time into their music just as polyphony digital and Sony made their effort, this game would have totaled to an equal success as FFVII or Colony Wars. It is fair that it didn't though, because those games are all-around near flawless. This is still one of the best games currently available, and it is more than worth its low price tag. To order Gran Turismo, click on the button
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