Gran Turismo 7 PS5, a classic returns for better or for worse

Right from the start, Gran Turismo 7 demonstrates what we envisioned: it is the biggest love letter to motorsport that could be written in video game format. This in itself enormous value should be enough for any PlayStation gamer – especially on PS5 – who is a lover of the motor world to immediately consider buying it. No other game presents every make, model, circuit with care Polyphony digital and Kazunori Yamauchi. GT7 is a historical document in itself, a work halfway between television documentary, car magazine and model collection.

With the elegance that characterizes the Japanese, the data that in another game would have been relegated to a cold fact sheet or a sliding phrase, here becomes a complete learning, a constant source of information that is a pleasure to watch, read and listen to, around discovering them from history lessons to surprising design choices, going through trends and of course a thousand and one oddities.

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That’s one of those things that’s asked of a major part of the series, and PD threw in the rest. He also does it with the kind of campaign progression that his fans have come to expect Break between activities and moments of relaxation away from the slopes. For someone stepping into Gran Turismo now, this style can be slow, old-fashioned, flirting with boredom on the one hand, but it is on the other incredibly accessiblesomething that fails in most realistic car games.

Indeed, when it comes to accessibility, and before we get into the simulation rag, another incredibly commendable aspect is GT7’s emphasis on teaching to drive and pilot. I repeat, this is before talking about how far it goes as a simulator, because even if you play with a controller, the title is capable of transferring the keys for both simple driving and advanced control. Maybe at licenses (get your driver’s license in multiple categories) whatever the presentation/progress in general and they look like they’re from the last century but I’m sure novice and experienced drivers alike will appreciate them appreciate. (And by the way, great that you nod Cola Lopez and other GT Championship champions). The instructions for the circuits are also very clear and the icing on the cake is set by the Circuit experiencea great detailed workout by sector to learn to face each section and memorize lines.

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It’s good, therefore, that Gran Turismo 7 remains faithful to the series, maintaining its shapes, finesse and great personality from the beautiful intro. For those new to or coming from other realistic games, the strain of starting out with a Toyota Aqua and seeing everything very blocked will go away with a little patience. The most critical potholes come when it comes to conveying the emotion, show, or competition reflected in that introduction.

The main problem has to do with that sense of speed and with the hints and answers when used steering wheel and pedals as a control method. The former can already be seen from the small and vintage cars used at the beginning of the campaign. We all know what a car going at 60 mph feels like and you don’t have to get in a Ferrari to know it. The interior camera has been greatly improved, while the chase camera still has some erratic movement and the hood camera is very ridiculous due to the scale compared to the interior, so there aren’t many more options in first person than the clean no-car view. . The point is that PD doesn’t make 150 km/h look like 150 km/h even if we double the numbers. The cornering, the braking, the vibrations should all help by combining what the camera is doing with what the car is doing, but they still don’t get the key.

With regard to the second, it must be recognized that the Control with DualSense It’s curious and decent, with triggers indicating loss of traction or brake lockup. Those who will play like this can skip to the next paragraph, but we know many started in the sim racing Thanks to Gran Turismo on PS3, a culture consolidated with the remarkable Gran Turismo Sport and its official competitions, not to mention those that come from others sim racer

ready to squeeze GT7 beyond its “lore”. Well, since the simulation can’t be that accurate for more than 400 cars in different categories and classes, it’s understandable that GT7 doesn’t risk too much or advance in this sense, so important for the most demanding drivers. On the wheel and pedals it sometimes seems like you can’t feel the wheels, like your feet are falling asleep. Change the understeer Take control and ruin the line you had planned. Contrast this with the general indulgence, the surreal permissiveness when you have caliber errors. It is also noted that the steering wheel controls are complementary, something almost parallel since you start the game, since they do not appear anywhere (but there are three modes for the controls). Its menus, its calibration, everything comes from GT Sport without improving or lightening practically anything, and it gives the impression that there are things learned with and for DualSense that wouldn’t have hurt, in terms of steering wheel feedback to improve. This makes it look quite tasteless, which reduces precision and emotion, especially when compared to purer asphalt simulators like Assetto Corsa Competizione or Automobilista 2.

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If that’s not a problem for you – you can even consider it a more relaxed and informal experience behind the wheel – you’ll be satisfied for a long time, and not because the progression system starts off a bit slow, but because it really goes for a huge game. There are lots of things to do, new challenges to pick from the more than 30 racetracks and interesting dynamics from the different areas of the world map. It may sound strange that you have to go to that coffee shop

to give you a choice of challenges, but it’s those studio events that add character. Plus, on the PS5, thanks to that, having to take a long walk to get something done – say, changing cars when you’ve already set up an arcade race and need to return to the garage – is totally bearable loading speed several times faster than on PS4. I would even go so far as to say that the whole menu system and style of presentation works only because it would be incredibly tedious to have to wait between menus, replays or race replays.

As a final note, and while I see what they were trying to do, I’m not overly convinced of the novelty of the rally music. The technique works to make the repeats more colorful and rhythmic, but running in this style of karaoke is a bit too bizarre an idea, even for Gran Turismo. It doesn’t help that the soundtrack, as much as they’ve tried to count on groups and bands of different genres, is almost always settled between the elevator music and the 90s PES menus and mostly detracts from the beauty on the screen so you want to mute it.

At this point, Gran Turismo can celebrate its 25th anniversary and pay great homage to the legacy of the series and motorsport in general, although not evolving in that of the series Real driving simulator. It’s a delight as an information source and collectible for car lovers, as well as a fairly quiet and approachable experience both behind the wheel and at the wheel. This makes it ideal for all target groups and almost mandatory for motorists as a dictionary. However, it’s still held back by its PS4 origins, seeking a sweet spot between arcade and simulation, both of which cloud its realistic foundation.