Gran Turismo 3 - The Best Driving Game Ever? - For those about to buy the platinum edition (Gran Turismo 3 (PS2))

Member Name: r1chyluke

Product:	Gran Turismo 3 (PS2)
Date:	30/06/02 (85 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Most realistic driving game

Disadvantages: None

After getting my Playstation 2 for christmas the only game i wanted was Gran Turismo 3 (GT3). Having not owned a PSOne i hadn't been able to properly play the first two instalments but i had heard nothing but good things about the series so i was expecting great things from this especially with the graphical upgrade from PsOne to PS2.

I wasn't disappointed. From the title sequence to the finish line, from the driving tests to the arcade head to head, from the championships to the cars the game is a masterpiece of driving.

As soon as you get started, whether its in gran turismo mode or in arcade mode, you are immersed in a high speed world where speed is not the only thing you need to cross the finish line first. What sets the game apart is the fact that the handling is so realistic, if u brake too hard you'll spin off, when u get hit from behind or the side by other cars the car will react violently as you will see.

Obviously the main mode is the gran turismo mode, where you compete for championships and cars, where the cars get better and faster and the prize money gets bigger and bigger. From the masda mx-5 that you're most likely to start with to the vw beetle at the end of the beginner league, each car has its own handling and its own tuning features. This can the best part of the game, where you get a car and make it twice as fast and then speed past your opponents and make them eat your dust.

However just basic speed and control won't complete the game, the licenses to unlock new championships and potentially new cars are another part of a huge game that will keep you on the road for years. The licenses test your ability to drive with certain types of cars in certain situations therefore proving that you would be able to handle the championships that have those conditions i.e. wet tracks and increased speeds, faster than you would have normally been used to. If you can complete all of the licenses and
the 5 enourmous leagues then you will have the biggest collection of cars and be able to take your driving license in real life.

Onto arcade mode. The tracks are the same as the gran turismo mode but theres no money involved. The only thing you have to do is win each race. It's that simple. Sorry for lack of detail but there is nothing to explain. However in this mode you can race head to head unlike in gran turismo mode. You can also use the cars you have acquired and tuned up in arcade mode and race against your friends with them. If you can bring 3 tv's, 3 playstation 2's, 3 copies of gran turismo 3 and an i-link hub you can play against 5 of your mates, though the hub cost £100 if you're really desperate to do that.

Overall the graphics are second to none, the detail into the cars to the point where it looks better when u wash the car and the background to every track makes you feel that you are actually in the game, that its not a game but a replay of real life. Though as with every console the game makers will push the console to its limits and new graphical standards so if another gran turismo comes out and i've heard that number 4 (not including GTConcept) is in the making then you're going to need a seatbelt and an actual drivers license to drive those cars.

The sound is great. I myself don't listen to the ambience etc as im too busy listening to the soundtrack, which though not as good as the soundtrack for wipeout fusion, is very good with contributions from feeder amongst others. I can however say that the sounds do add to the general feeling that you get that you are actually in the game, that you are driving in the car.

Summary: