Real driving, Real challenging,

Author's Rating:

Pros: Realism defined
Online racing is fantastic!!!
Driving wheel suppport

Cons: Damage not implemented
Events pointless
Limited tracks
Waiting for the 'full' version

The Bottom Line: 
If race driving simulators are your thing, this is the best current title for the PS3.

Author's Review
** note: review written after the SpecIII update **

GTP5 is a filler game between what was GT4 and what will be GT5 (which is not expected before Xmas 09). The development cycle for this type of game is tremendously long, so this game does come across a little as 'look what we are working on' rather than a fully finished game.

That said, the thing the Grand Turismo series has always been known for is the realistic driving experience and this game doesn't disappoint in this aspect. Even in 'standard' physics, this is no arcade game. You need to understand all about proper driving lines, braking zones, braking and accelerating in a straight line and other proper driving techniques.

You match this up with a Driving Wheel (Logitech G25 highly recommended) and a driving cockpit and you really feel like you are driving some of these vehicles esepcially from the cockpit and bumper views.

Getting Started
When you start, you really get into the game by 'buying' a car from a dealership and getting into the early events. Don't expect to be buying a Ferrari to start with as the events open to you at the beginning are for low powered cars. You need to earn money to buy some of the wonderful cars featured in this game.

When you race cars they all handle and sound different as you should expect from a GT series game. Maybe not as loud as some people like, but you can always turn the volume up (and the annoying music off).

The graphics in this game are unbelievably good. You can see far off horizons and the gameplay and frame rate is smooth and beautiful whatever your favorite driving view is. I love the in-car cockpit view with the hands moving on the wheel on the screen matching what you are doing on your wheel (if you have one).

Events:

You start here.

The inital events are varied, but sometimes silly or annoyingly repititive. But you need to complete through at least the 'C', 'B' and 'A' events to be allowed to 'tune' some of the vehicles in the game, so you need to get through them. Some encourage too much bash and pass tactics, which people on line really hate but you have no choice in some events.

Apart from normal races and fastest laps (ugh), the worst races are the last to first races where you have to come from 16th to 1st (well minimally 3rd) in a short period of time - sometimes just a lap. In Class A, you are really forced to take illegal shortcuts, bang other cars out of the way and this can be no fun if you have to repeat the race a few times to try and get past this challenge.

This lack of a proper career progression mode is a real lack in this game which wont be there in GT5 (we hope) and is something you just have to deal with when starting the game. After you have completed the events, you will likely never, ever play them again.

Arcade Mode:

Then there is an arcade mode where you have access to all the tracks and variations and can run a single race or a time trial. This is OK, but frankly the AI is not good enough to be a serious representation of real racing. There is too much 'running on rails' AI from computer drivers and for a game so much into realism, this is a real disappointment.

Note you need to already 'own' the car to drive it in arcade mode. And there is no cash awarded in arcade mode, so doing well in these events are as much for your own satisfaction as anything else.

Online Mode:

Online made is where this is all made up though. Currently you are offered up several levels of events which you can select and you will be automatically matched with other players from around the world to drive against. This is where the game really shines - racing real time against up to 12 other real drivers is a total, total blast and just a massive amount of fun.

With two exceptions, the racing is realistic, challenging and totally addicitng.

Exception 1: No damage system. You can ram a wall or another car at 200mph and not suffer a scratch or downgrad in performance. You just drive on. If you crash you likely lose the race however....

Exception 2: Ramming and shunting. As there is no consequences for ramming/shunting, you can intentionally crash into other cars and try and make them crash off the road. Nothing worse than being in front and braking properly to make a corner when someone intentionally rams into you from behind which slams you into a wall and allows them to slow down for the corner. This MUST be fixed one way or another. The current solution is to skip a lot of the beginner online games and play Intermediate and Expert games where the more serious drivers like to drive and in general the better drivers go out of their way to avoid this.

My advice is that you drive a few races at beginner level until you feel comfortable and then move up as soon as possible to Intermediate and Expert levels where the online experience is enhanced.

Also don't be rammer. I keep a list of people who intentionally ram me right next to me so I know who you are and will get my revenge. And there is online communities who take notice of people who do this.

Online there is a real need for a lobby/private rooms to set up races amongst friends, and a way to set up your own races and a much stronger and better designed penalty system.

Online is already awesome - it just has SO much more potential

Note you must own a car already to use it in Online Mode. However, unlike Arcade mode you do earn money for racing online and it counts towards buying more cars (so event money and online money is not separate). I like this, although I would like to see no money awrded for finishing last of 12 drivers  - maybe a no money for finishing worse than 8th.

Overall:

Several things make this game worth it:
- Realistic driving simulator
- Great graphics and 'feel'
- Online racing
- Support for driving wheels.

The game has some major lacks though:
- Damage. There are excuses around licensing on why damage isn't implemented, but this is most glaring and obvious lack of this game. Other lesser racing games have reasonable systems of damage and there is no excuse for a realistic game not to have something. It does not even have to be realistic - it just need to be there to provide consequences for bad driving and limit online ramming and shunting.
- Limited tracks. 5 tracks and a few variations are not enough. I expected an update would provide a few (even made up ones) but it hasn't happened yet. if it got to 12 tracks and variations that would be a big step forward.
- Online lobbies, racing leagues, etc, etc while still keeping automatic race matching
- Proper career mode

Hopefully these will all come over time with updates and will all need to be in GT5, however this is still the best PS3 racing simulator experience on the market. If that is what you are into - then you wont be disappointed in this game even if it is marketed as a Prolouge to the full game.

When it comes to racing games, this is the game I play 90% of the time.