The most fun you can have with your joystick? (Gran Turismo 3 (PS2))

Member Name: TheDrowningMan

Product:	Gran Turismo 3 (PS2)
Date:	17/08/03 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Awesome graphics, Very accurate handling, great gameplay and longevity.

Disadvantages: Multiplayer option is nothing special

GT3 is very much the best racing game on any console to date. I did think about leaving my review at that, but there are quite a few more levels on which to appreciate this game. For a start, its undoubtedly the only time ill ever get to drive a TVR speed 12, Dodge viper, Aston Martin vanquish, and all the other cars us guys wet our pants over.

the other 2 Gt games were good, i liked the 1st one as you could buy all kinds of 2nd hand cars, and i could find my dads car on it, and drive it around! the 2nd one was ok, but when it emerged you couldnt actually complete the game due to a bug in it, i lost interest. But this one, this ones on a different level. The playstation 2s graphics are awesome. The cars aswell as the scenery look very much lifelike and this all adds to the realism.

Ive always loved the licence section of GT. I think it adds a totally new aspect to a game, and a realism that no other game has. The licencing in GT3 is the best yet. Kept are the stick your boot in and get the car to stop at the 1000m mark in the best time, but the new tasks in the B and A international licences are really hard, and well thought out. If you want to achieve gold on every task, in every licence, youve got a game in itself right there, and ill give you a fiver if you manage it.

As for the races, there's 3 leagues, of varying difficulty, a rally section and endurance section. Obviously you wanna start at the beginner league, and work your way up, earning more money for the wins, and buying better cars. I like the model specific races, such as the 'Race of the Silver Arrow' purely for Mercedes cars. the only flaw being, that you'll buy the best mercedes you can afford, do it up so its super fast, and when u win the event, you win the same car you just bought! oh well, you can always sell it to Fair Deal Franks autos, and the money is always nice. As i mentioned, once you complete all the races in an event, you'll receive a car,
and a sum of money. Once you win all the events in a league, you'll obtain a wonderful new car to show your mates, and the pride in knowing youre no longer a beginner, youre an amatuer!!!

The endurance races are time consuming, but never the less, entertaining. Usually you'll have a car good enough to whoop the ass of your competitors, and so there isnt much wheel to wheel battling, but you can always stick your tongue out and wave when you come around to lap them for the 3rd time.

the rallying really is worlds apart from tarmac racing. Theres a section on it in the licencing, so you can train up to be good at it. Its not the same handling as a proper rally game, and takes some getting used to, but once mastered, you'll be sliding your 1800bhp Suzuki Pikes Peak round a hairpin like a goodun'.

Now to the cars. Theres a vast array of beautiful machines, and not so beautiful ones (sadly no fiat 500 to keep you amused this time). you might not be able to find your run of the mill cars anymore, but who needs em when youre sitting in your jet black Skyline waiting for the lights to go green? The only car they are missing is the one with the little black horse on, but you'll get over it. The handling is awesome. This is the only game ive played where you can actually tell what drive your car is, without looking at the spec. The Front engined, Front wheel drive (FF) cars handle just as awfully as they do in real life. ( i know, ive tried taking a roundabout at over 20mph in my Focus *shudder*). Needless to say the Rear Engined, Rear Wheel Drive (RR) cars are the hardest to control, but are the fastest, so get used to them! If you can drive a Viper, you can drive em all! The cars i like best are the Front Engine Rear Wheel drive (FR), theyve got something for everyone, and wont slap you round the face for trying to put some power down halfway round a corner.

The fact that theres no damage isnt detrimental to GTs game pl
ay. It does encourage you to punt, rather than pass the other cars, but if you can hold back the urge, then youre ok. In the higher leagues tyre wear is an issue, and you will have to pit stop for a new set of boots, aswell as in the endurance races, which is a nice feature. Also, the timing af the change is crucial, because if they get too worn, you'll get a little too well aquainted with the barrier.

Theres a lot of bonus cars to acquire, and you get them buy winning the good races. Theres a few Formula One cars, including Mansells Williams, and Sennas Lotus up for grabs in the very hard races.

The multiplayer section isnt too hot, ive never been too keen on split screen races, and this doesnt do anything different to other games. You can use your own cars, but its hard to compare engines, power etc, as none of this data is displayed in the multiplayer menu. Because of this, i havent really played multiplayer that much, its ok, but nothing to write home about.

Despite this, the single player gameplay is great. Ive had this game ever since it came out, which is about 2 years now, and i still play it, and shamefully, still havent completed it. I love driving round Laguna Seca in my Skyline Penzoil, and im sure i will do in another 2 years. The handling of the cars, and the visual effects make this a really pleasing game to play, and the format of the championships and races will keep you entertained for as long as it takes for Gran Turismo 4 to come out. It truly is an awesome game. the most fun you can have with your joystick?? Probably.

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