Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

Spoiler Free:If your thinking of buying Gran Turismo 5 and haven't already then I suggest you get ordering it. Millions of people played the first instalment of the franchise back in 1992. The game offered users a chance to buy both new and second hand cars and develop them through a fairly advanced scheme, this created a new type of racing genre similar to what some have stated an `RPG' developed game.When Gran Turismo 2, 3 and 4 were released some of these features were lacking the game overall offered many additional elements but did not contain the fundamental necessities to increase game playing time and user experience. Polyphony digital then releases Gran Turismo 5 prologue, which I myself also purchased, based on what I have experience so far the full Gran Turismo game is non comparable. I was eager to buy this game when it was first released but believed the game wouldn't be to my greatest expectations. How wrong I was.Despite other negative reviews on here created by teenagers and various other gaming enthusiasts, let me assure you this game has raised the bar on all driving games. Project Gotham racing 3 for the Xbox proved highly entertaining and popular also selling many copies but has no way near the content Gran Turismo contains.If you loved the first Gran Turismo game then this game is for you:#Stunning breathtaking visuals with exceptionally realist sound effects and physic controls for carsEnhanced car sales showing a huge array of cars that players can buy before racing.#Tuning up section, highly advanced and individually based for each individual car and its specifications#Wide variety of music choices that can be customised for enjoy ability.#Repair aesthetics shop (GT Auto) to change the look and mechanics of the car replacing default/stock parts for increased performance bumpers spoilers and bonnets.#Huge selection of tracks, featuring Clubman stage 5 from the first instalment and the popular route 11 at night track.#Expansive exclusivity with Britain's popular Top Gear program containing several racing stages through the 8 track used in Surrey#A spec and B Spec modes designed to allow players to improve their credibility for their driving skills i.e. Experience points, the higher the number the better cars you can acquire and the more advanced the races you can take part in.#User interface; this game offers a very in-depth friendly user interface within the GT Mode (career mode) for navigating round the various sectors, from car importation when winning championships or for the license scheme which let me add is highly advancedThere is so much to the world of Gran Turismo, they deserve to know what we think and how they can improve the customer experience program, because believe me they'll be looking at reviews we write, let them know in my opinion this game is literally 10/10 however the fundamental element which concerns me and the only thing that concerns me is the loading times between matches. Due to the graphics, visual effects and the general complexity involved within a game of this calibre your looking at 20-30 seconds before you play the game, and that is offline.This review does not cover online play mode.

I have loved all the Gran Turismo games (though 4 was not different enough from 3 to justify me perservering with it), and until this, the last release was GT5 Prologue in 2008.I actually published a review on here on Prologue, and urged people not to be too harsh on it as it represented a work in progress and only retailed at £20 when it came out.OK so GT5 - it does look fantastic though there are some graphical imperfections with the shadow effects on cars. Altogether it is a FANTASTIC game, but there are some shortcomings that are unforgiveable given the length of time this game has suffered in incubation.Firstly it is supposedly the ridiculous attention to detail that has kept this game from being released until late 2010, so bearing that in mind, why can you use a handbrake in a go-kart?!I find the modifications a step back from even GT2. Only "premium" cars can be visually changed now (aside from paint colour) and even the choice of say, alloy wheels is far less than it was in GT2. The fact that you cannot mod the standard cars is a major shortcoming and ruins the enjoyment significantly. For me at least, one of the inherent pleasures in GT games was personalising your car!The much publicising damage is pointless. I am level 24 at time of writing and find the damage component rubbish. The cars still bounce off walls just like in the old games and the damage has absolutely no effect on performance so this renders it meaningless. There is no consequence for smashing your car up. A better idea would been, say to shave 10mph of the top speed of the car everytime you prang it - this would then be critical to any race strategy.Races can also be won too easily. GT2 for example may have had a race for "American Cars only" or suchlike, but then there would also be a BHP limit for entries so that you may have to detune a car in order to enter it. Not so in GT5. You can enter race spec vehicles in with road-going models and all you may have to sacrifice is to fit a lower spec set of tyres to it. The GT2 method made for much closer and therefore more rewarding racing - all cars were of a similar capability and again, like the modding, this is a step back in GT5.Though it may have 1000+ cars, these again are sometimes a certain model like a Honda Civic, done to death in a dozen incarnations and means that some other stalwart classics could have been included. 12 versions of a Civic is still one car in my opinion. It would have been nice to see some icons like the Ford Capri, Peugeot 306 GTI, etc. instead of fillers like the VW army vehicles and the ridiculous 3.5 tonne Tank Car.If the above could have been addressed GT5 would indeed have been driving video game Nirvana. As it is, it's just a very good if slightly disappointing sequel - 1 step forwards and 2 steps back.