Gran Turismo 6
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: 06/12/2013
Format: PS3
If the lineage of Gran Turismo has taught us anything in the last sixteen years, it’s that we would be bashful to expect change, after all- the series hasn’t aged very well since Gran Turismo 3 on the PS2. It’s then logical to write off GT6 as another exoskeleton of mangled bodywork to dispose of in the scrapyard. Gran Turismo 6 doesn’t amuse the senses, with the patchy rendering of environments and vehicles, and a tumble-drier quality sound design. Remarkably, beneath the shattered surface, is an engine that still packs blunt force trauma, thanks to creatively enhanced modes laced together with familiar gameplay that refuses to be tarnished by contemporary, excitement withering clichés.
As you reflect on the elegance of the piano strokes, and head-clanging of the earnestly manufactured opening, you’ll inhale a vapour of tic-tac scented freshness, as you marvel at the lavishly designed opening menus, gazing at the glowing blue particles- which make Forza 5’s menus as hard to navigate and as laborious as winding your tagliatelle around your dinner fork. Slick, easily readable and bold interfaces makes getting around GT6 menus seamless.
The main bulk of any Gran Turismo game is found within its lengthy career mode. Here it’s all about progressing from snail-like hatch- backs and utility vehicles, to the real speed demons. Challenge is scaled accordingly, with no options to tweak difficulty- as this would be unnecessary. There are roughly 10-14 events in each class, which pull on a wide branch of racing disciplines, each containing three races of usually 3-4 laps in length, containing typically 9-10 other drivers racing alongside you, and a great ensemble of tracks to race on.
Races themselves consist of you fighting your way through a pack of dumb AI Drivers, and aiming for victory. Speed trumps almost anything else, but the handling and acceleration of each car manages to feel authentic. A Lotus Elise for instance is small but perfectly fast and unwieldy. Precise cornering is encouraged, with a helpful driving line to aid you, but you can easily cut corners and abuse fair play. This might sound as though Gran Turismo doesn’t punish you, but that’s a good thing. Where other racing games continually plonk you back on track, or slow you right down if you abuse rules, Gran Turismo’s old-school sensibilities give it a deviant edge over the rank and file.
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: 06/12/2013
Format: PS3
If the lineage of Gran Turismo has taught us anything in the last sixteen years, it’s that we would be bashful to expect change, after all- the series hasn’t aged very well since Gran Turismo 3 on the PS2. It’s then logical to write off GT6 as another exoskeleton of mangled bodywork to dispose of in the scrapyard. Gran Turismo 6 doesn’t amuse the senses, with the patchy rendering of environments and vehicles, and a tumble-drier quality sound design. Remarkably, beneath the shattered surface, is an engine that still packs blunt force trauma, thanks to creatively enhanced modes laced together with familiar gameplay that refuses to be tarnished by contemporary, excitement withering clichés.
As you reflect on the elegance of the piano strokes, and head-clanging of the earnestly manufactured opening, you’ll inhale a vapour of tic-tac scented freshness, as you marvel at the lavishly designed opening menus, gazing at the glowing blue particles- which make Forza 5’s menus as hard to navigate and as laborious as winding your tagliatelle around your dinner fork. Slick, easily readable and bold interfaces makes getting around GT6 menus seamless.
The main bulk of any Gran Turismo game is found within its lengthy career mode. Here it’s all about progressing from snail-like hatch- backs and utility vehicles, to the real speed demons. Challenge is scaled accordingly, with no options to tweak difficulty- as this would be unnecessary. There are roughly 10-14 events in each class, which pull on a wide branch of racing disciplines, each containing three races of usually 3-4 laps in length, containing typically 9-10 other drivers racing alongside you, and a great ensemble of tracks to race on.
Races themselves consist of you fighting your way through a pack of dumb AI Drivers, and aiming for victory. Speed trumps almost anything else, but the handling and acceleration of each car manages to feel authentic. A Lotus Elise for instance is small but perfectly fast and unwieldy. Precise cornering is encouraged, with a helpful driving line to aid you, but you can easily cut corners and abuse fair play. This might sound as though Gran Turismo doesn’t punish you, but that’s a good thing. Where other racing games continually plonk you back on track, or slow you right down if you abuse rules, Gran Turismo’s old-school sensibilities give it a deviant edge over the rank and file.
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Adding to Gran Turismo’s quasi-nostalgic tendencies, it refuses to give the player the upper hand. When you find yourself falling behind, not having the speed of your opponents, it’s your job to acquire a competitive automobile. If you make mistakes in races, you don’t get the emerging ‘rewind’ cliché found in most racing games. The way you progress is by buying the best, most reliable cars from the dealership, and searching the recommended cars option in the main menu.
Challenge is lightweight in the career, with the mass extent of difficulty lying in the wealth of additional challenges. If you prefer to put your true abilities through endurance paces, then the Goodwood Festival has you covered. Giving you a partisan steamroll of vehicles including the intimidatingly fast Red Bull X 2014, you’ll certainly find reasons to best each, and attain every gold award. You can also access a bountiful set of vehicles each time you are invited to partake in these events.
More challenge options come in new and old forms. License tests return, having you complete a series of trials in order to advance car classes. Here you’ll be mastering the arts of speed, cornering and angling, to get the most out of vehicles. Just don’t go off road or hit obstructions, or you’ll get penalised. Coffee break challenges are new, and are perfect for dipping in and out of on a whim. Eco-challenges dock your car with low fuel, as you try to manage your speed around a tricky swerving circuit. There are also tightly knit cone based challenges, as you try flexing your cars rotatable abilities.
Lunar exploration is another new wrinkle to GT6. Here you’ll guide this space dune around the surface of space, glancing as gravity mucks you up and sends the wee-thing hurtling and tumbling uncontrollably over. They are nothing short of a basic novelty and they are long and tedious, but they sure are inventive. Once you unlock the IB license, you’ll also be granted tutelage from Sebastian Vettel in a series of Red Bull based tests. Along the way, you’ll build up an amalgamation of cars from all the credits you’ve amassed in the career, and the gift cars you unwrap by completing various milestones.
The dealership has you covered on the fastest, most exotic and historically ripe cars to get you roving behind the wheel. With 1200 vehicles in the game, it has certainly got something for everybody, and it’s impressive given the versatility of every machine you get to race. What is less flattering is the inherently obscene inclusion of micro-transactions. Having to pay money for more in-game credits is definitely a con, as you’ll be forced to rely on this thanks to a deficit of in-game credits early on in the career. The track selection is plentiful as well. The most famous international circuits are mixed in with Polyphony’s own tracks, making for a fantastic harmony of tracks to race on. There are enough here to stave off the feeling of repetition.
Challenge is lightweight in the career, with the mass extent of difficulty lying in the wealth of additional challenges. If you prefer to put your true abilities through endurance paces, then the Goodwood Festival has you covered. Giving you a partisan steamroll of vehicles including the intimidatingly fast Red Bull X 2014, you’ll certainly find reasons to best each, and attain every gold award. You can also access a bountiful set of vehicles each time you are invited to partake in these events.
More challenge options come in new and old forms. License tests return, having you complete a series of trials in order to advance car classes. Here you’ll be mastering the arts of speed, cornering and angling, to get the most out of vehicles. Just don’t go off road or hit obstructions, or you’ll get penalised. Coffee break challenges are new, and are perfect for dipping in and out of on a whim. Eco-challenges dock your car with low fuel, as you try to manage your speed around a tricky swerving circuit. There are also tightly knit cone based challenges, as you try flexing your cars rotatable abilities.
Lunar exploration is another new wrinkle to GT6. Here you’ll guide this space dune around the surface of space, glancing as gravity mucks you up and sends the wee-thing hurtling and tumbling uncontrollably over. They are nothing short of a basic novelty and they are long and tedious, but they sure are inventive. Once you unlock the IB license, you’ll also be granted tutelage from Sebastian Vettel in a series of Red Bull based tests. Along the way, you’ll build up an amalgamation of cars from all the credits you’ve amassed in the career, and the gift cars you unwrap by completing various milestones.
The dealership has you covered on the fastest, most exotic and historically ripe cars to get you roving behind the wheel. With 1200 vehicles in the game, it has certainly got something for everybody, and it’s impressive given the versatility of every machine you get to race. What is less flattering is the inherently obscene inclusion of micro-transactions. Having to pay money for more in-game credits is definitely a con, as you’ll be forced to rely on this thanks to a deficit of in-game credits early on in the career. The track selection is plentiful as well. The most famous international circuits are mixed in with Polyphony’s own tracks, making for a fantastic harmony of tracks to race on. There are enough here to stave off the feeling of repetition.
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Problems outside of transactions are evident too. Old, niggling flaws that continue to soak Gran Turismo is a sooty, black antiquated tar- the stuff that spills from containerships out at sea. The inconsistent visuals that at one moment look ravishing and the next look like they’ve been marginally upscaled from the PS2. Crashes still feel totally weightless, still sounding like an acorn smacked a roof of a van. At least you’ll notice the twisted and bent form of the bonnet once you’ve punished the front end enough. There are evening, night and wet weather races, and rallying on dirt- but each of these are still underplayed additions that don’t look anything spectacular.
The sound design that sounds patchy, with many vehicles sounding like bored microwaves or disenchanted hoovers. On the flip side- the soundtrack is fantastic with plenty of inspiring jazz that caresses the mood of the classy and vintage designs of the dealership. Daiki Kasho are amazing, and their brand of rock keeps you driving with the intent on being the best.
GT6 will not change many minds. That has been clear for sometime now. If its brand of simulation-heavy racing hasn’t won you over, it still won’t. But what is here is bounds ahead of GT5. A racing game that has learned from the past, giving subtle modes such as the Coffee Break challenges and Goodwood trials, a decent jolt of freshness. The variety of disciplines and impressive catalogues of cars and tracks further impress in ways Gran Turismo has been known to do. The emphatic statement that Gran Turismo 6 unrepentantly suggests, is that going forward isn’t always the best direction. By staying true to its roots, it has found a way to push forward with challenging the driver and providing the rewards in a multitude of ways, the likes of its competition has yet to reach. As the last true PS3 exclusive, it reminds us that staying in the past can yield nostalgic ruminations, but can equally distinguish itself from the rest of the pack.
James Davie 8/10
The sound design that sounds patchy, with many vehicles sounding like bored microwaves or disenchanted hoovers. On the flip side- the soundtrack is fantastic with plenty of inspiring jazz that caresses the mood of the classy and vintage designs of the dealership. Daiki Kasho are amazing, and their brand of rock keeps you driving with the intent on being the best.
GT6 will not change many minds. That has been clear for sometime now. If its brand of simulation-heavy racing hasn’t won you over, it still won’t. But what is here is bounds ahead of GT5. A racing game that has learned from the past, giving subtle modes such as the Coffee Break challenges and Goodwood trials, a decent jolt of freshness. The variety of disciplines and impressive catalogues of cars and tracks further impress in ways Gran Turismo has been known to do. The emphatic statement that Gran Turismo 6 unrepentantly suggests, is that going forward isn’t always the best direction. By staying true to its roots, it has found a way to push forward with challenging the driver and providing the rewards in a multitude of ways, the likes of its competition has yet to reach. As the last true PS3 exclusive, it reminds us that staying in the past can yield nostalgic ruminations, but can equally distinguish itself from the rest of the pack.
James Davie 8/10
