Polyphony launched the latest instalment of the Gran Turismo franchise in London yesterday, PH there to check out this long-awaited iconic driving game. Held at the Olympic Park the event was obviously intended to make a splash and offered a surprising number of distractions from the game itself, not least the largest collection of Vision Gran Turismo concept cars ever assembled and passenger rides in a selection of supercars.
Finally sitting down with GT Sport was an enjoyable, if (whisper it) slightly underwhelming, experience. The gameplay itself is very competent, but not quite the revolution it's been billed as in an era of Project Cars and Assetto Corsa. The physics and handling models are still very good and especially rewarding when the game is played with wheel and pedals. Visually it's beautiful too, with all of the initial 137 cars and 19 locations, including the return of dirt tracks, rebuilt from scratch for the PS4.
It's perhaps not yet quite as polished as Forza 6, though it is still six months from release with a few creases to iron out in that time. As 'driven' there are noticeable drops in frame-rate when multiple cars are on screen and the rather underwhelming audio experience, despite Polyphony's poaching of Forza's lead sound engineer last year.
The game's offline structure is somewhat changed from its predecessors. GT Mode becomes Campaign Mode with 117 offline events to keep players busy and Photo Mode becomes Scapes, with over 1,000 locations in which to photograph your cars. These can now be fully customised thanks to the new to the series Livery Editor.
Online is where Gran Turismo Sport is likely to be of most significance for PHers though, thanks to the official partnership between the game's developers and the FIA. This means the in-game championships are FIA sanctioned, with very real trophies and recognition awaiting the winners. More incredibly the game also offers players the chance to earn a real life racing licence. Yes, you read that right. According to Polyphony "by fulfilling various prerequisites, such as completing the lessons in racing etiquette in the Campaign Mode of Gran Turismo Sport and reaching a certain level of achievement in Sport Mode, you will be eligible for the FIA Gran Turismo Digital Licence from your local ASN (national sports authority/automobile club). This will hold the same value as a real life licence." What a time to be alive.
Currently over 22 countries and regions have signed up for the collaboration, including the UK, although the level of licence players will be able to obtain will vary dependant on location. More on this as details emerge, as well as a full review of the game closer to its release!
Gran Turismo Sport is out in the UK on the 18th of November for PS4.
Gran Turismo Sport trailer