GRAN TURISMO É MAGNIFICO

Maybe few of us gamers realised it at the time, but December 1997 was to mark a pivotal moment in the evolution of gaming as we knew it. An unknown game developer named Kazunori Yamauchi set about creating a different kind of racing game, a game where the cars looked and performed as they would in the real world and the scenery at the various race track locations looked lifelike and believable. This game was called Gran Turismo and was available on the original Playstation console, there was one more Gran Turismo game released for the PSX before 2001 saw the release of Gran Turismo 3 A-spec for the fairly new Playstation 2. I remember actually seeing a feature on the six o’clock news regarding this game, such was its originality and sheer groundbreaking look it was literally the first game of its like the world had seen.

The premise of Gran Turismo 3

Well, in its basic form it is a racing game and yet that description does scant justice to GT3. Dependant on what is selected on the options screen the player can either enter a single race and time trial via the arcade option or take part in the Gran Turismo competition. Single racing is pretty much as the name suggests while the time trial is a good way to hone skills before challenging the big boys in the Gran Turismo mode with the majority of the cars available save for those really special ones. The real fun of the game though shines through when the Gran Turismo mode is selected. The player is given 18,000 credits to buy a car to race at various competitions for prize credits and ultimately gold trophies. The amount of money given will only buy the very basic of models from the various car manufacturers so it is up to the player to earn credits in races to improve the spec of the car or even buy a better one. Various locations can be visited on the Gran Turismo screen map including the tune shop for those must have engine modifications, the licence centre where you can pretend to be conscientious driver by practicing braking procedures and the GT auto shop where oil can be changed, wheels upgraded and even a car wash for those Sunday morning car polishers.

Cars

Cars Cars Cars – the very lifeblood of a racing game and yet another place in which GT3 excels. It really would be easier to list the manufacturers that are not featured in the game such is the breadth of choice. In Gran Turismo mode the player simply clicks on the car dealer building where he or she is faced by a menu of car producing countries. Britain is well represented with the likes of TVR, Aston Martin and Lotus offering their many models, and lets face it this is probably about as close as I will get to choosing the colour of an Aston Martin Visage before taking delivery of it. Again, some of the cars in these menus cannot be bought but have to be won by completing various race sections which adds a real incentive to do your best. The specs of the cars are displayed when you are browsing them so you can choose the best car for the race you wish to use it in. Once you get your car on the track the level of detail is sublime; each car looks just like it would in the real world and they even handle like their real life counterparts as I found to my cost while trying to corner in a PT Cruiser at the same speed as a Dodge Viper. Once a particular race or event has been finished it is worth sitting back and enjoying the replay as this shows the car at its very best.

Tracks

A freshly painted tuned up car is of little use unless you have somewhere to play with it, which is where the tracks in GT3 come in. There is something for everyone here from street tracks in Rome and Japan through to rally circuits in the Alps and Tahiti and custom built race tracks like the Apricot Hill raceway and the Super Speedway. In total there are twenty circuits to burn virtual rubber on and again some of them can only be unlocked by competing and winning in other events. Having not visited any of the places in person I cannot confirm if this is a good representation of each course but such is the detail and smooth flow as you race along that I guess they are all fairly lifelike. If you happen to get over exuberant in your driving and find yourself in the gravel the car performs accordingly and any skid marks you lay down will be visible when you drive past the spot again.

Races & Leagues

In Gran Turismo mode the player need to enter various races and competitions in order to unlock better cars as well as earning credits to improve or replace the current car. The leagues vary from beginner all the way up to Professional as well as endurance and rally settings. Obviously it depends what car you have as to what contests within these leagues so don’t expect to be allowed to enter your shiny new Aston Martin in the Clubman or Beetle cups. It is worth practicing in all these cups so you can win them and progress through the stages.

Graphics

OK, it is time to talk polygons. Each vehicle in GT3 is made up by a mind boggling 5000 of these shapes of three or more sides which is a ten fold increase on Gran Turismo 2. Seeing all these polygons in action is believing, the cars are crisp and incredibly detailed while tracks are smooth scrolling with breathtaking scenery. It is in the replay mode where the graphics are shown to their fullest capabilities though with the action shown as it might be if you were watching a race on the TV. Shadows fall in the right places and reflections in the cars windows or paintwork look exactly as they should. In the car dealer screens the changing of paint colours is realistic while the cars revolve faultlessly.

Sound

Gone are the days when a simple beep and chirrup would suffice in a game, now you simply have to have exclusive mixes of songs from established bands, and GT3 is no different in this respect. Feeder has provided 3 tracks to improve your driving experience while Ash, Muse and Death in Vegas throw in a song each. There is even a band called Grand theft audio to tap your foot to in between clutch pedal shifts. The cars engines sound amazingly realistic and add a real tension to races as you rev at the start line. Cornering too erratically produces a deafening screech of tires to scare any safe driving advocate while heading nose first into a crash barrier or tree sounds like it should. While in the tune shop or auto shop a tire change sounds so realistic that only the scent of rubber and oil prevents you feeling like you are actually there.

Is Gran Turismo 3 child friendly?

In a word, yes. Those fine people at www.pegi.info have rated GT3 as suitable for all and I’ve found no reason to argue with this. There is no violence or bad language and the worst that can happen is a car gets scraped across a crash barrier or tree. Good fun for all ages.

Final Thoughts

So do I rate Gran Turismo 3? Well, it was this game alone which swayed me towards buying a PS2 rather than an X-box, and you really cannot hand out better plaudits than that. The gameplay is exciting and fresh while the graphics must be amongst the best ever seen on the Playstation 2. Whatever GT4 delivers every Playstation 2 owner worth their salt should have a copy of GT3 of their own. Five stars out of five.

www.granturismo-3.com