Gran Turismo 4 is a love-it-or-hate-it game that can be best appreciated by car enthusiasts everywhere. The absence of online play isn't much of an achilles heel when compared to many racing games out there today. I am an autocross driver that has participated in road events as well as competitive events in real life. I have played many realistic racing games but GT4 is by far the most refined. This is especially true for those who buy the logitech force feedback wheel (that turns in 900 degrees). GT4 shines in terms of the detail of feedback when using this accessory. When running over undulations on the road such as uneven hills or ramps, the feedback is similar to portraying feedback in actual real-life driving. When compared to a regular controller, it is hard to go back. Aside from the fact that this accessory is clutchless, the driving experience is done very well. If you have played more of the older versions of GT such as GT2, GT4 feels very similar in terms of navigating the menus or upgrading the car. Some of the cars that did not appear in GT's previous version (GT3) make an appearance here (i.e. Celica Alltrac/GT-Four). Physics has now been revised to the point where drivers can no longer drive over the edges, on to the grass, and right into the finish line. Unrealistic drifts are much more scarier in this version than in the last version. Spinning out of control is alot worse and in some cases, like the driving missions, hitting objects and cars penalize you five seconds. The long awaited feature of specific car damage is still non-existent but of course putting in car damage means calculating its effect on the car's performance for ALL cars and that would include possible changes to the engine, tires, suspension, frame, etc. Maybe the developers have a problem asking the manufacturers to forgive their game from damaging their licensed cars within the game. At least for now, I feel Digital Polyphony is slowly getting closer to simulating actual races. This just means that a typical GT4 race still allows you to use other competing cars as a cushion when braking late or going full speed into corners. Other than that, everything else is peachy. GT4 currently has more cars than you can shake a stick at. The current car count is now at 700+ and there are many ways to access these cars. Unlocking some cars are as simple as simply logging time into the game. Other ways include mastering the license tests at the gold level - a feat most hardcore GT fans will definitely appreciate. What GT4 lacks in long awaited features such as online play it makes up for in sheer content. Digital Polyphony understands that this may be the last time they will be able to offer big playgrounds for most seasoned GT drivers until they start to realize that the GT series may become stagnant. So, enjoy it while you still can. http://www.radcastro.com
Gran Turismo 4 could be considered one of the best Playstation 2 games ever made. As the fourth game in the series, Gran Turismo 4 improves greatly on the previously successful Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, which seemed unthin... Read Full Review
The Gran Turismo games are known for how realistically they depict car racing, and Grand Turismo 4 definitely lives up to the name. What this game lacks in flash that many arcade-style games have, it makes up for in eve... Read Full Review
