A petrol-heads wildest dream... (Gran Turismo 3 (PS2))

Member Name: GroundZero

Product:	Gran Turismo 3 (PS2)
Date:	06/08/01 (324 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stunning graphics, Plenty of depth, Attention to detail

Disadvantages: No car damage, More limited range of cars than GT2, Will swallow up your life....

Few games in recent years have generated as much hype as Gran Turismo 3. Following its announcement, it was immediately forecast to be the flagship title that would help to sell Sony’s new Playstation 2 console. After a long delay, it’s finally on sale, and Sony are so keen on it that you’ll find it difficult to buy a new PS2 these days without a copy thrown in.

Anyone expecting a revolution in the gameplay of GT3 is in for a disappointment. Polyphony’s motto seems to have been if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The biggest single improvement has been in the graphics, which show off the capabilities of the PS2 to stunning effect. Quite simply the graphics are the best yet seen on the PS2, and really do showcase what the machine is capable of.

Not only do the cars and tracks look even more realistic – at times you could almost believe you were watching real video footage – the backgrounds contain little touches that help to create the stunning visuals. Trackside banners flutter in the wind, rays of sunlight shine through the trees on some of the evening races. One of the most impressive effects is the reflections in the wet road on the (sadly limited) wet races. The inclusion of a 16:9 widescreen format is a real bonus, as the game is hugely impressive on a large screen.

On the audio front, the in game SFX are well up to scratch, and as with the previous games in the series, there’s a soundtrack to accompany your on track feats. Unfortunately it appears as if the American version got the better end of the deal, with a better selection of tracks than appears in the UK release. There are tracks here from Ash, Feeder, Muse and Grand Theft Audio, which vary in quality. The American soundtrack featured Lenny Kravitz amongst others.

One of the biggest criticisms of the GT series is that the cars are indestructible. No matter how hard you plough into the barriers, not even a
minor scratch results. This is due to the manufacturers whose cars are licensed in the game refusing to allow their finest to appear in anything other than showroom condition, but it does dull the realism of the game somewhat when you can drive straight into a wall at top speed with no consequences. This also has an impact on the tactics you can use – you can use the other cars as your brakes if you wish, with no fear of damaging your vehicle in any way.

Those familiar with the previous titles will recognise the same pattern to the game – either play in the simpler (but still fun) arcade mode, or opt for the “Gran Turismo mode”. In arcade mode, you are initially presented with a limited set of tracks to race on. As you win races, you unlock more tracks, and also additional cars if you complete the normal and difficult levels.

In the GT mode, you must gradually progress from the beginners league, with only a small amount of money to spend to the professional league, where the competition is of a much higher calibre. Don’t expect to win every race first time, a lot of the time you will have to go away and return later with a more highly tuned car in order to win.

Tuning plays an important part in this game. You will very rarely win races with a car in standard spec, so some of your hard-earned cash must be spent on tuning your car to perform better. If you are so inclined, you can also mess around with the settings of your car, changing such things as gear ratios, damper settings, camber angles and so on.

Along the way you will have to brush up on your driving technique via the compulsory license tests. This time around, you are given more help in successfully completing the licenses, with a ghost car allowing you to compare different attempts, and a demo mode that allows you to see how it should be done (with an overlaid ghost car showing your best attempt to date). You’re also provided
with data logging, showing the readouts of just how fast the car was travelling and how much steering input you had to apply. The license tests can take a while to work through, and can be infuriating when it complains about you using a fraction too much kerb in an attempt to shave tenths from your time, but they do provide a useful teaching facility for those who haven’t tried the previous games.

One criticism I would make of the game is that the choice of cars available to you when you are starting off is severely restricted. You will also find that the prize cars you win for successfully winning races and championships in the early stages are not really that special. It’s a touch annoying when you’ve just raced hard, and your reward is some piece of junk that’s worse than the cars you’ve already got.

The choice of cars overall in the game is much less than in the previous version. This time around there are “only” 183 cars available. Although this sounds like a lot, it’s a bit of a disappointment after the vast selection presented in GT2. A lot of the more boring cars have disappeared (there are notably fewer family hatchbacks), but there are also far fewer of the quirky cars that you could previously race. One notable addition is the (small) range of F1 cars you can drive.

The tracks in GT3 should be recognisable for GT afficionados, with most simply transferred from the previous generations. The most notable inclusion however is the Monaco F1 track (although licensing issues mean it is referred to as the Cote D’Azur circuit).

GT3 is one of those games that can very quickly swallow up your time. There are such a large number of races available in the game that it is likely to provide a challenge for quite some time. Although the range of cars available to you is restricted, and the complete lack of accident damage is a real shame, the game is an impressive step fo
rward from the previous generation. Don’t buy this expecting a revolution in gameplay, instead think of it as a gradual improvement. The visuals are what will capture most peoples attention, but underneath, there is a game good enough to merit all the praise directed its way.

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