REVIEW: The new Gran Turismo 4 race programme leaves Keith O'Brien breathless
When the Gran Turismo series began on PS1 back in 1998, people sensed that Kazunori Yamauchi had created something quite special.
It was a game for arcade racing fans who demand game play and a quick start - and it appealed to their more tech-minded simulation cousins for whom attention to detail is all important. GT had it all.
The options seemed endless. With 150 cars, multiple race modes and customisation, it blew the opposition away. The developer, Polyphony Digital, stuck to the original concept in GT2 and GT3 - subtle changes and more options without giving you that Groundhog Day feeling.
GT4 has arrived and what an entrance! The introduction scene is superb and sets the game up nicely. The array of options is vast - over 500 cars from 80 manufacturers.
Once you pick a car, you must earn money to modify and upgrade it with bigger engines, better brakes etc. This is done by completing various tasks. After a while you really do get a feel for what suits your style of driving.
The tracks in GT4 are quite simply the best I've seen or driven in any game. They are visually stunning with superb background detail. From a driving point of view, they are very challenging indeed.
On the down side, you do need to qualify for a licence to access some of the track, which can be a pain.
The jewel in GT4's crown are the cars, quite rightly the stars of the show. The accuracy of the graphical detail is amazing, in particular the reflections which bend with the car's bodywork.
A new physics engine ensures that all the cars handle exactly as they would in the real world. It works very well except for the fact that you can not damage your or any of the other cars - but this is a minor niggle.
A new feature is a Photo Mode in which you can take your car to various localities and take photographs of your pride and joy.
GT4 is superb. It sets the standard for all other games in the genre with its balance of playability, attention to detail and vast choice of ar and track. Look no further.