Gran Turismo 4 PS2 Review

So, once again we’re confronted with the so-called quintessential PlayStation racer. You may sense a distain in our tone, a certain edginess even. Well put yourselves in our reviewing shoes for just one moment. Imagine standing at the very top of a cliff and before you are a queue of people, a million souls in total. Each one lining up to leap to their deaths upon a rocky surface…and you’re there, your sole purpose is to reason with each one, tell them that this is not the only way, that there ARE other alternatives. They don’t listen, and one by one they jump, and smash against the rocks below. Don’t get us wrong, Gran Turismo is a good game, a great one even, our point is; you’ll buy it regardless of what we say so there is no point in you carrying on reading other than to enjoy the bombardment of witticism and comedy.

Polyphony Digital are in the unenviable position of having developed GT 1,2 and 3 in the first instance, they have raised the bar on three occasions, now they have to leap it again and…well…they do I suppose. Everything is smoother, nicer, sexier and…just, well, better.

Graphically, you will not see anything better on the PS2. GT4 is a truly beautiful game; tracks and cars alike have been rendered to an amazing level. Details such as track texture in certain areas have been combed through to such intricacy that if you were driving round the very same tracks in real life (which you can do if you are flush for money) then you would feel the same vibrations, divots and sensations as you do within the game.

There are more cars and tracks, but that’s a given, they are obliged to provide such trivialities (a total of 50 courses and over 700 motorcars from across the globe are available.) The photo mode is cool though, even your cynical reviewer can realise such an act of innovation. On the surface the photo mode can be a bit simplistic, but it becomes incredibly addictive. It gives you the opportunity to photograph your car in a number of different circumstances with what is essentially an in game SLR camera. Polyphony Digital realise that the key ingredient that makes the GT series so successful is the ability to mod your vehicle. They know that you fall in love with your cars, and basically, this feature gives you ample opportunity to revel in your creation.

Essentially what we were looking for was the differences between Gran Turismo 4 and its previous instalment. Four years have past and nothing of great substance has changed. They say that ‘you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broke’, we agree, and so do Polyphony Digital. GT4 is fundamentally the same game as GT3, only sexier, however a great game it still is. GT4 is still ever so slightly blighted by the same problems that the other GT’s suffered. AI is still painfully predictable and vehicles are still immune to damage, however yet again these problems are easily over looked and enjoying GT4 isn’t a difficult task.

Is Gran Turismo 4 worth purchasing? Why are you asking us, it’s not as though you don’t already know the answer.

9/10

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