Gran Turismo 4

For those who haven’t yet experienced the 'real driving simulator,' GT4 makes for an excellent introduction, and is easily the best of the series.

It’s been almost four years in the making and the good news for Gran Turismo fans is that the fourth installment has been well worth the wait. For those who haven’t yet experienced the 'real driving simulator,' GT4 makes for an excellent introduction, and is easily the best of the series.

GT has always combined great graphics and a wide range of driving experiences, and GT4 shows that Polyphony Digital has refined this to an art form. As the screenshots show, the game looks amazing. The cars are exquisitely detailed, with realistic shadow and lighting bringing them as close to real as we’ve seen in a game.

One of the great things about GT4 is that you can adapt the game to your playing style. There’s almost nothing you can’t configure in the game, and there are more options than ever before. The game even caters for those that don’t want to drive with the new B-spec director’s mode. Here you manage an AI driver, telling them when to overtake and how aggressive to be. The AI is nowhere near aggressive enough though, making this mode more of a distraction rather than a serious alternative to driving the races yourself.

The heart of the GT series has always been the realistic driving physics and the sheer number of cars and events available and in this respect GT4 does not disappoint. You’ll notice the difference after changing the gear ratios or redistributing weight and appreciate the handling nuances of individual cars. Plus, with over 650 cars to push to the limits, this game will keep you busy for a long time to come.

It’s not a perfect product. There are a few hang-ups brought over from the previous games such as unintuitive menus and the manufacturer-friendly physics. Though the inability to seriously damage the cars isn’t a major drawback, the ability to slam a car into a corner at speed using the wall as a guide rail, does have an impact on the realism factor, particularly in the tight, winding city circuits.

Finally, Polyphony has capitalised on the drool factor of the graphics with the introduction of the new photo mode. Now you can take a replay, pause it, position the camera and take the perfect action shot. As per usual GT style, you can tweak everything from aperture to exposure - there’s no excuse for a shoddy photo.

While there is nothing revolutionary about GT4, the refinement and scope of the game raises the bar for driving games that much higher. It’s the most comprehensive and enjoyable driving game on any platform and even if you don’t think you’re into driving games, you should give this a go. You won’t be disappointed.