Gran Turismo 3
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Gran Turismo 3
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Gran Turismo 3, the much-hyped killer-app for the PS2 has arrived, and done its job in reinvigorating PS2 sales, but is that through reputation or significant evolution over its predecessor? For those that have not played a GT game before, no doubt they will feel the same emotions and exhilaration as those that played the original GT. But for those weened on GT and GT2 and looking for a phenomenal sequel, GT3 comes across as somewhat disappointing and frustrating. Here's why.
Any GT fan will immediately look for new features. The obvious graphical improvement is truly astounding. In racing your favourite courses, initially, you'll spend much of the time checking the scenery. The level of detail is extrordinary. However, there is a by-product of this visual feast. If you notice when watching TV F1 telecasts through in-car cameras, the cars don't really seem to be going that fast. Well, this game conveys a similar sensation, especially with the slower cars which seem to be dogs, and was something I noticed immediately. The illusion of speed seems to have been affected by the extra detail and seemingly wider surroundings. You get used to it pretty quickly, though, forgetting it's even an issue, and then get right to the guts of the game - racing - and then into unlocking tracks in Arcade mode. But herein lies the first real disappointment: the lack of tracks, both classic and new.
Excluding the Speed Oval and short-course variants, GT2 boasted eight brand new tracks, plus the new (at the time) Rally mode, over GT and retained all except R11 (long night). GT3 boasts just four new tracks. However, for all intents and purposes, and while it's a beauty, there's just one. The Monaco F1 circuit is often the least favourite in F1 games, but with GT cars, it seems not so tight and twisty, is great fun and has been replicated perfectly. Unfortunately, it can't be raced in 2-player mode. Of the others, Swiss Alps is a ho-hum Rally course, Special String is a useless test circuit that is not raced, and Tokyo is a Daytona-like fast, uninspiring circuit that is useless with anything other than the most powerful cars.
More disconcertingly, gone are all the slower and short-course circuits: Tahiti Road, Autumn Ring, Grindewald and Rome and Seattle Short. High Speed Ring - the very first GT track - is gone, Rome Night and the average Red Rock too. In rally mode, the famous Pikes Peak is gone. However, they've revived R11 course, though slightly altered, from GT1 - the only legitimate slow course in the game. And Special Stage R5 Wet Version is a nice, though incredibly challenging, addition. To complement the track selection, the 400+ car reduction is predominantly in the production A, B and C classes, and there are no second-hand cars. The sports S class, though, is hardly affected - there's oodles of race-cars, plus six F1 cars.
The two player mode is where the fast-bias rears its ugly head. Sure it's fun racing genuine race cars around fast circuits, but for GT fans, there are times when you crave the Mini around Tahiti. In this game you can't, and it seems the game - with its less than impressive illusion of speed and over-abundant high octane cars and tracks - does not even want you to use slow cars. Unless you're really competent, most fast-mode races are decided by who screws up the least. In contrast, slower races are far more technical where driver skill wins out as you struggle to maintain every kmph you've gained.
Single player reveals itself to be GT2, just more prettier, and much, much longer. Want to race the same old tracks with the same old cars again and again and again? You got it. Even the opponent AI seems similar with the same tactics working. The classic of braking late and leaning on opposition racers through corners still works, when they really should be hugging the inside line and forcing you wide. And it is still too easy early on as the grid is stacked with under powered cars compared to the beasts you've hotted up. In fact, GT Mode has now shown out to be a flawed experience and in need of a drastic reworking by including strict horse-power restricted, and single-model and standard stock car races, especially using the cars the game rewards you with. GT2 had horse-power restricted races, but the grid was often stacked with cars no where near the limit, against your car that you obviously made sure was. It also had single-model races, but only in the peripheral manufacturers' competitions. GT3 game has included single-model racing in the main area, but has no horse-power restricted races. As it stands, if you can't win a race, you just hot up your car until you blow your opposition away. Single-model races are more challenging, but often still too easy for the experienced. Whilst experienced players will also find later race-car-only championships generally easy too.
While retaining the GT-Mode structure was obviously expected, what was not, was the insane lengths you have to go to win championships and cars. Overall, race laps have been lengthened from the previous two through five, to often 5 through 20, and even up to 70+ for the F1s. Number of races per championship has also been increased, some being 10 races of 20 laps. While the general sentiment is that that is too long, it's not so bad when you consider championships can be saved mid-point. However, the number of championships still means a hell of a lot of repetition, especially if you don't win them.
But the real killer is the reward system with some championships and all the enduroes where you now win a random choice of four cars, instead of the set one car as previously. A revolving silhouette of an F1 car and other race cars tantalise you, but if you want the F1 car, you must race the enduro again and again and again until the game decides to give it to you. In racing the Oval Enduro, we won the same car four times before we got the F1 car. And this is a 1.5 hour, 100-mindless-lap race that you can win in your sleep. A true reward would be a choice of the four cars, or at least a diminishing selection of cars as you win them, but no, it is this ludicrous punishing system.
As with GT2, the main challenge in the game is in Arcade mode, provided you stick to the default A, B, C and S class cars. Using your garage cars will see a grid under-stacked in power - a grid that you will cream as you do in GT Mode. It's lunacy that a game would dish up mere mortal saloon race cars against your F1 car, but this game does. At least they've taken care of GT diehards who will race solely on Hard by upping the lap numbers to 3 and 5 laps on Normal and Hard difficulty respectively. This really adds challenge and longevity to the mode, though, I would like to have seen the re-inclusion of having to win with all classes as with the original GT.
A common complaint with GT2 was the menu system and the lack of a quick re-race option in GT Mode. That's still here, but given the reasonable load times, somewhat acceptable. But what's not is the process for simply exiting a race whereby you've got to go through the exit screen, the confirmation screen, then the replay screen, which all require the cursor to be moved and a button pressed. In license tests and time trials, these last two are totally superfluous, and believe me, it becomes incredibly infuriating when you're repetitively restarting races trying to squeeze out that extra 1/10th of a second for Gold. All you want is out, and a restart, not a bloody confirmation and replay, especially when all you've done is stuffed-up the first corner or missed the start. For sanity's sake, there must be a quick exit in the next GT game.
GT2 was first to have the automatic replay cut in, and why there still isn't an option to switch it off, is beyond belief. I hate it. But this game goes one step further with the introduction of the dreaded confirmation screen which you get even after you've finished a race. Of course I want to quit - it's the bloody end of the race! And why is there a need for one? I mean, you can't accidentally hit START, move the cursor to QUIT, then hit X, can you? The confirmation screen is an increasingly common irritation in most games these days, and if it has to be in a game like GT3, at least rest the cursor on YES.
Control-wise, it is a bit smoother and refined, and coupled with apparent track refinements, seems to have made the game less technical, hence more user-friendly and easier to drive. Even the F1s are easy. Examples like Grand Valley's first hairpin and sharp right into the first tunnel and Laguna Seca's corkscrew approach, don't seem to unsettle the cars as they use to. And what were once 2nd gear corners, are now 3rd gear. The game even suggests the gear. Braking seems easier too. Maybe it is the compression sensitive buttons, especially since I am a very "light" handed gamer. Conversely, it could explain why friends in identical cars sometimes seem to pull away - maybe I am not pressing hard enough?
* Camera views: only two now (bumper and third-person), but surely it is about time for
a bonnet-view?
* Music: it sucks, not my taste. What's worse, there is now no option to lower it.
It is either On or Off.
* Replays: Yes, breathtakingly beautiful, but I'd like to see a more TV-styled one where I
can see dicing through corners, and the race unfold, rather than useless hubcap and rear
fender views. How about a simple overhead view?
* Crashing: Simply, a car is not punished enough for slamming a wall or car.
It should be sent careering out of control. Conversely, the ripple strips seem to
slow you down way too much than they should, or even did in GT2.
* Wet Racing: Clearly, dynamic wet weather effects is beyond PS2 capabilities at the
moment. Hopefully they can rectify that come GT4 as it truly adds a new dimension in
driving skill to the game.
Clearly, what we have here is not the sequel to GT2 that GT fans had hoped for, but a stand-alone PS2 game based on the PS GT series with graphics you'd expect of a next-gen system. From the top-heavy amount of race-cars, fast tracks and slightly less technical controls and tracks, GT3 has clearly been earmarked as a system-selling game to the mainstream, and therefore, a mainstream gamer that this game has been designed for. Effectively, it is the PS2 equivalent of a Mario game that Nintendo uses to launch systems - generic, with huge mainstream appeal and user-friendly. In its own right, yes, it is an outstanding game. But as an evolution on GT2, it fails. It is not even as good as GT2. All credit to the development team for the visuals, but too much game content has been sacrificed in the process. With the graphics engine complete, hopefully GT4 will be the true sequel with restored game content and added features (and a reworked menu system!) complete.
Now I am not going to recommend to anyone who's not played GT before to forsake buying the GT3/PS2 package out now, and grab a PS and GT2. That would be silly. Grab GT3, marvel in the visuals, the gameplay, and the whole GT experience. It truly is magical. But when you've played it to death, and want its sequel, go get it, it is also out now. It is called GT2.
Victories: Visually stunning; sound effects; famous GT driving model.
Spin-outs: Track selection; unimproved AI; menu system; music; too easy
for some; too monotonous.