I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for racing games. Maybe it’s the red blooded American male in me that loves cars, but I can sit and drive circles around the track all day long. Now imagine my excitement when I first heard that Gran Turismo was FINALLY coming to the PSP.
For those of you that aren’t in the know, Gran Turismo is Sony’s flagship racing title. The game is notorious for it’s realism and attention to details. Everything on your car is adjustable from gear ratios to the softness of your tires. This is what sets the series apart from other racing fare such as the Need for Speed series. However, the game has not truly seen a release since the late days of the PS2 (that’s not counting GT5 Prologue, which was just a rather large demo for the upcoming next-gen game). But that is all set to change with this latest iteration.
First things first, the graphics in this game are very impressive for a handheld title. The PSP has always been a pocket powerhouse in the graphics department and this game helps keep that reputation alive and well. But with this level of visual fidelity comes a trade-off. The game only allows three other cars in the field (besides you) which makes sense but detracts from the overall experience.
Another thing that kind of irks me about this game is that some of the depth has been lost in the transition to the little screen. Mainly in the form of the career mode. Gone are the days of when you had to work and fight to earn a license to even participate in half of the races. While these challenges were frustrating, they gave you a sense of accomplishment when you got your S-Class License. Don’t think that this game is not as hard and technical as it’s big brother, these challenges are still there, but they only serve purpose to hone your skills and get some quick cash. Also, the number of races is drastically decreases. I understand that most of these changes took place because the game is designed for a pick up and go audience, but I wish they would have kept a little more faithful to the previous games. One other thing that kind of bothers me about this title is that all of the cars are unlocked in arcade mode, which kind of eliminates the need to even play the shallow career mode.
As far as gameplay goes, it is mostly standard Gran Turismo fare, which is not a bad thing by a long stretch. The AI in these games has never been a strong point, with computer racers more happy to stick to nice clean racing lines rather than mixing it up. However, the controls are a little cumbersome in this smaller format. You can choose between steering with the analog nub or the D-Pad. The only problem is that neither can offer the precision that is required in a technical racer such as this. Also, manual shifting is done exclusively with the up and down buttons on the D-Pad, which can be a bit of a chore if you are using the analog nub.
Overall, Gran Turismo on the PSP is not a bad game. However, it is not anywhere near it’s big brothers in terms of depth or just plain fun. I’ll probably pick this game up every now and then just to get a quick race in on a lunch break, but don’t have any lasting plans to keep coming back to it.
Is that a racecar in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
For those of you that aren’t in the know, Gran Turismo is Sony’s flagship racing title. The game is notorious for it’s realism and attention to details. Everything on your car is adjustable from gear ratios to the softness of your tires. This is what sets the series apart from other racing fare such as the Need for Speed series. However, the game has not truly seen a release since the late days of the PS2 (that’s not counting GT5 Prologue, which was just a rather large demo for the upcoming next-gen game). But that is all set to change with this latest iteration.
First things first, the graphics in this game are very impressive for a handheld title. The PSP has always been a pocket powerhouse in the graphics department and this game helps keep that reputation alive and well. But with this level of visual fidelity comes a trade-off. The game only allows three other cars in the field (besides you) which makes sense but detracts from the overall experience.
Another thing that kind of irks me about this game is that some of the depth has been lost in the transition to the little screen. Mainly in the form of the career mode. Gone are the days of when you had to work and fight to earn a license to even participate in half of the races. While these challenges were frustrating, they gave you a sense of accomplishment when you got your S-Class License. Don’t think that this game is not as hard and technical as it’s big brother, these challenges are still there, but they only serve purpose to hone your skills and get some quick cash. Also, the number of races is drastically decreases. I understand that most of these changes took place because the game is designed for a pick up and go audience, but I wish they would have kept a little more faithful to the previous games. One other thing that kind of bothers me about this title is that all of the cars are unlocked in arcade mode, which kind of eliminates the need to even play the shallow career mode.
As far as gameplay goes, it is mostly standard Gran Turismo fare, which is not a bad thing by a long stretch. The AI in these games has never been a strong point, with computer racers more happy to stick to nice clean racing lines rather than mixing it up. However, the controls are a little cumbersome in this smaller format. You can choose between steering with the analog nub or the D-Pad. The only problem is that neither can offer the precision that is required in a technical racer such as this. Also, manual shifting is done exclusively with the up and down buttons on the D-Pad, which can be a bit of a chore if you are using the analog nub.
Overall, Gran Turismo on the PSP is not a bad game. However, it is not anywhere near it’s big brothers in terms of depth or just plain fun. I’ll probably pick this game up every now and then just to get a quick race in on a lunch break, but don’t have any lasting plans to keep coming back to it.