Gran Turismo 4 had a long and tortuous development.
Playstation 2 owners were giddy with excitement as the game kept being delayed time and time
again.
But when the game was finally released, it was easy to see that all that time was going
to make an outstanding racing game.
The game is impressive in every aspect.
First off, the game looks amazing.
These graphics were just unbelievable when it came out.
All the cars have a level of polish and detail that made you constantly forget that it was
a video game.
This is one of the first times I ever played a game in 1080i, and understood there was
no going back.
But as great as the game looks, probably the best things about the game are the cars and
the incredible driving mechanics.
The game has over 700 different cars from 80 different manufacturers.
If you ever wanted to race it, it is probably in the game.
Everything from Alfa Romeos to Fiats, and even more bizarre cars like an 1886 Motor
Carriage and Jay Leno’s Tank Car.
And each car has an absurd level of detail, both cosmetically and under the hood.
The cars feel exactly the way you would imagine them to.
Plus the cars are completely customizable, allowing you to tweak to the perfect balance
you want.
The game is huge, with countless races and two very different ways to race them.
You can either play A- spec, which is your standard driving.
You control the car and race through the 51 different tracks.
But there is also B- spec, where you are the crew chief.
You tell your driver how hard to accelerate, when to pass and demand pit stops.
It is a very interesting way to see the racing world.
But there are also rally races, snow races, driving missions and of course the notorious
license tests.
Plenty of ways to get completely consumed by the game.
But there are two main points that hold the game back from absolute perfection.
There is no damage modeling for the cars, so crashes do not affect their performance.
Which means that bumping your way to the front will become your go to method.
And also there is no online racing, which others games were already offering when it
was released.
Despite these setbacks, the game is incredibly impressive and an absolute blast to play.
This is not just one of the best game of the previous generation but also one of the best
racing game ever released.