Thursday 25th November 2010

Gran Turismo 5: The Launch

Cars and pixels merge at the GT5 launch in Madrid

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Nice launch venue...

It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here. Gran Turismo 5 arrived through letterboxes yesterday, after what seemed like - well, forever. To mark what, to gamers at least, should have been a national holiday (along with the next fortnight...), I tagged along to the European launch party in Madrid, Spain.

Held in the biggest and grandest town hall imaginable, the launch setting suited the game perfectly, especially since one of the new tracks for this fifth installment of the Gran Turismo series is set just outside the front door. A Red Bull X1 model sat sheathed beneath a silky cover, and dotted around were various supercars: Mercedes SLS-AMG, Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari 458 Italia, and even a classic Mercedes Gullwing.

...but we're here to play the game...

The Red Bull X1 on stage was designed for the game with a restriction-free brief. Unlimited downforce, unlimited power, unlimited speed and acceleration. The resulting F1-style, aerodynamic monster looks suitably insane, and is a brilliant example of how GT5 has evolved from being a mere video game into something much more significant. Significant? Well, everything is relevant, but even non-gamers would agree the Nissan GT-R owes much of its global celebrity to the Gran Turismo series, and without it the GTbyCitroen wouldn’t exist at all.

One of the things GT games have thrived on is realism, but while it's all very well saying this is the most realistic driving game ever, sitting with a controller in front of a normal TV screen is about as close to driving as riding a horse when all’s said and done. Luckily, between the sushi servers and the displays of cars in Madrid, we got little 'pods' in which to play the game using a force feedback wheel and wearing a set of 3D glasses.

...although the Sushi was very tasty

With force feedback, things immediately make more sense. Accelerate hard in the middle of a bend and, as the tail steps out (providing you're in a rwd car), the steering lightens up, so you can flail your arms trying to get the right amount of opposite lock by feel alone. It's mightily impressive, but it's a shame that the laws of physics don't permit you to feel G forces, because detecting the point between catching a slide and crashing into a wall remains a bit of a dark art.

Playing on a 3D TV is, to an extent, a bit of a gimmick, because the graphics are spectacular already, especially in rain and snow, or with changing day and night cycles. But there's an added dimension (literally - excuse the pun) when playing with 3D glasses on. Gauging distances is easier, and things feel a little bit more visceral. It's not mind-blowing, but when 3DTV is the norm in everyone's home, it'll certainly add to the experience.

Kazunori-san holding forth

And ‘adding to the experience’ is going to be the name of the game, according to game’s makers. Over the coming months, it’s going to be gradually updated and upgraded via Playstation Network, so if any of you early-adopters are confused by the lame crash damage on your new game after seeing YouTube videos with metal flying in every direction, don't worry - it's coming…

Other than the lavish hospitality and the 3D experience, all we really got to do on the launch event was play arcade mode in stock cars. Any GT veteran knows that the real meat of the game is in Gran Turismo mode, spending the wee small hours perfecting (or ruining) suspension settings and trying to build the ultimate car.

So apologies in advance to friends and family if you don’t hear from me for a while, because if one thing's for sure, this new game is as life-sappingly addictive as the last. How ultimately 'great' it is, will take hours, days, weeks of painstaking research...

[Gandi69]

Having bought i'm slightly underwhelmed if I'm honest but I am going to give it a chance as I played the license challenges and found those good. I think games are starting to get over hyped now and maybe dont always live up to the expectations?