Beautiful, addictive, fun. There
you gothe first 5-star, 3-word review in GamesFirst! history. Well, okay, while that
may express my feelings about Gran Turismo 3, it is hardly going to satisfy my standards
for a review (or my editors). Besides, like myself, many of you have spent a
considerable amount of time playing GT3. This, then, is as much an opportunity for pause
and reflection as it is for a belated review. Has GT3 lived up to its tremendous hype?
Will it perform over time? What is its contribution to the video game industry? And, for
those of you who are way, way out of the loop (those who have, say, been studying the
mating habits of Antarctic penguins for the past five years), what is GT3? The first
two installments in the Gran Turismo series were arguably the most expansive, innovative,
and popular auto racing games on the PSX, perhaps even in console history. GT3 brings the
series onto the PS2 in the expected fashion: loyal to what worked in the previous titles,
fine-tuning what didnt, with the most noticeable improvements being in graphics and
presentation.
To say
that the graphics are merely "improved" is an understatement. This game, quite
frankly, will be the crowning achievement in visual fidelity for the PS2s freshman
year (remember, MGS2 will be released after the anniversary date). The cars have been
rendered in astounding detailevery line, curve, and texture captured precisely. Hood
ornaments, trunk latches, headlamps, everything is presented with care. The entire surface
of each car has been intricately reflection mapped, accounting for sun flare, falling
shadows, reflections from the road, the color of the car, everything. It is a marvel the
way that, when you are driving under a canopy of trees, you can see each individual branch
scroll across the glossy finish of your car. The backgrounds are impressive as well. The
cityscapes are gorgeous, especially Tokyo and Seattle. The road texturerain or
shine, dirt or pavementis always convincing, as are the lighting and weather
effects. This is the kind of game where you find yourself being impressed by the way the
dust dissipates over the track. This is not to say that everything is perfect,
however. While the game runs at a high and constant frame rate no matter how cluttered the
screen gets, the graphics take a hit in the multi-player mode, primarily where draw-in is
concerned. Also, the roadside spectators are rendered two-dimensionally and are glaringly
different from their surroundings.
The sound and music are phenomenal. Each cars engine has its own nuances, its own
pitch and roar. You never have to look at your tachometer to know when to shift; you need
only listen. The grind of the pavement, the squeal of tires, collisions that
resonateyou couldnt ask for much more. Except a kickin sound track,
which GT3 delivers. From metal to rap to techno, from the 80s to the 90s to
current hits, there should be something here for everyone. The powers that be even went so
far as to solicit original songs from popular artists. Snoop Dogg has a track called
"Doggs Turismo 3" which is a lot of fun. One small complaint, however:
while the jukebox-style music selector is great, there isnt a volume control. This
is a soundtrack that I actually want to hear, and the engines often drown it out. I know
this is a racing game, not a music game, but the option would have been nice.
Like
its predecessors, GT3 is hugehundreds of cars, dozens of tracks, and options up the
wazoo. At its core, the GT series has always been a racing sim. You begin with limited
funds and options, and open the game up by racing, winning, and earning money. Your game
environment consists of the garage, where you store the cars you have purchased or won;
car dealerships, where you purchase and sell cars from different countries all over the
world; the license center, where you earn the licenses required for different races; the
tune-up shop, where you customize your car; the machine test area, where you gage your
cars performance; the GT auto area where you change your oil, wash your cars
exterior, etc (yes, this actually makes a difference); and the race area, where you
compete. The races are divided into circuitsbeginner, amateur, proeach of
which contains over twenty cup events, which themselves contain three to ten individual
tracks to conquer. There are also ten rally events, ten endurance races, and, hidden
within the game, an F1 circuit. In order race all of the circuits you must earn five
different licenses. Many of the cup events are further stratified by limiting the make or
model of the cars which can compete, or the engine, the transmission, and so on.
Seem like a lot? It is a lot. And believe me, I could go on. But in addition to the
sim, there is also an arcade mode. Here you can choose from a variety of cars and race a
single event, a time trial, a free run, or challenge a friend in the multi-player. And
while the arcade mode in most racing sims is merely a concession or an afterthought,
GT3s arcade mode is bigger and better than most games devoted solely to this style
of racing. There are thirty-four courses, five classes of cars, rally races, and tons of
cars to unlock. In multi-player races, you and a friend can upload the badboy cars that
you have tuned to perfection in sim mode, via your memory cards, and race to see whose is
the best. You can even race with up to six players using an iLink hub and separate
TVs and PS2s.
The
default controls of GT3 retain that strange, drifting, GT feel. However, the control
set-up is completely programmable, and the analog control can even be calibrated to your
liking. Plus, there are options to assist in stability and traction, as well as the
tune-up options you can earn for your car. All of this combines to allow you more
opportunity to fine-tune and nit-pick than any other game on the market. There is also a
steering wheel peripheral tailor-made for GT3. The Logitech GT Force
steering wheel has its own page in the booklet, its own calibration system in the options
menu, and works exceptionally well with this game. For more info on the GT Force, see our
review.
Of course, all of this will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has played either
of the previous GT titles. So whats new? Surprisingly little, actually. A few of the
options are new. So is the car analysis system in the machine test area. But out of dozens
of tracks, only two are new to the series. When it comes right down to it, the game play
in GT3 consists mostly of refinements made to the old set-up. The menus are more intuitive
and stylish, less aggravating. Some of the more unnecessary parts have been removed from
the tune-up shop. There are also less carsaround 200 in total, as opposed to
GT2s nearly 500ditching many of the low-end clunkers, and eliminating the used
car selection entirely, although that has more to do with the time and effort it took to
render these beauties than anything else. Other than that, except for the rally races
(which are sublimely fun and excitingsome of the best racing I have ever done on any
video game of any kind) and the F1 circuit, you may never have seen GT like this
before, but you have probably played it.
The
saving grace might have beenshould have beenthe AI. Unfortunately,
despite what may have been promised, this is not the case. A few mistakes and missed turns
aside, all of the computer controlled cars follow the same optimal racing line you find
yourself trying to negotiate in the license tests. And because there is no damage done to
the cars during races, there is a lot of unchecked bumping and jostling, and you can still
lean on the cars around the sharp turns for an advantage. Truth be told, I was much more
impressed by the AI in Tokyo Extreme Racer Zero than by what is exhibited here.
So, considering this, is GT3 worthy of all of its pre-release hype? Well, yes and no.
GT is widely considered to be the king of console racers, and GT3 is the best of the
series. That alone is justifies some hype. GT3 is also pretty damn fun and exciting. That
is enough for me. The sim is fun, the arcade races are fun, the multi-player is fun. The
game gives me a sense of speed, exhilaration, and purpose like no other racing game I have
ever played. It will also perform well over time. Each time you think you have mastered a
track, you will be forced to play it in a different circuit, with a different car,
different engine or tranny, and you will get hooked all over again. There are so many cars
to attain, so many ways to customize them. And this is a game with nuanceeach new
part changes the way your car handles, often dramatically, and not always in the best
interests of your driving style. Not to mention this game is hugethere are months of
game play here, not hours, or minutes, like other recent games.
As to what GT3 has contributed to the game industry as a whole, well, obviously it has
raised the bar for graphics. This game looks better than all that have come beforein
the arcade or at home. It has also put PS2s into more homes (the PS2s prepackaged with the
game sure did fly off of the shelves), which never hurts. But, in terms of game play, GT2
was the true innovator here. One would hope that the success of the three GT titles would
inspire other companies to put more into their own games, but that has not been the case
so far. And GT3 has done nothing to further the realm of AI in its genre.
I have no qualms stating that this game live up to its "killer app" status.
Everyone who plays video games must play GT3, racing fan or no, if only to see it, to
experience it, to know what it is all about. However, due to the lack of innovation in
game play since the last title, and the all too familiar tracks and racing behavior,
players who have tired of the GT formula should play before they buy. For all those new to
GT, you have a truly great gaming experience ahead of you.