A cash-in (Gran Turismo Concept (PS2))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Gran Turismo Concept (PS2)
Date:	12/09/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Graphics and gameplay

Disadvantages: Too similar to GT3

I was very skeptical of this game when it first came out - it seemed like a watered down version of the original game that was an excuse to squeeze some more money out of us during the wait for the brilliant Gran Turismo 4. Nevertheless, I picked it up cheap one day, and found that, above all else, it's still got the fantastic gameplay and stunning graphics that one expects from the series, as well as plenty of new vehicles - chiefly newer European cars.

The gameplay makes almost no alterations, other than in the GT mode. Considering the game only cost £20 on release, it's not much of a surprise that this mode has been watered down, and instead of a monetary system of buying cars, there are just a series of races in which you can enter any car you wish. Sadly, there's only one extra track in the game that I could recognise, it's a rather fun one that reminds me a bit of Nurburgring, but it's not really enough to justify this rather hefty price tag.

Visually, nothing's been done to enhance GT3's visuals, which I guess makes this seem like a bit of a cheap cash-in. Given how so many preview videos of GT4 had already been shown before this game was even release, it makes it seem as though Sony had been working backwards with this game. Nevertheless, it is visually impressive - the car models are immaculate and various bloom lighting effects are stellar. In the audio department, much hasn't really changed either, but it's still effective enough at creating a realistic seeming sound experience.

Unlike the other GT games, this is for more casual gamers who just want a quick go whilst their pizza is cooking or they're waiting for a film to come on the telly - there's not as much to it as the other games and it is far more geared towards a quick play. I can only recommend it as a game to buy if you find it cheap, because it's just too damn similar to GT3 for the casual racing fan.

Summary: Not much here to evolve the series