I picked this up yesterday (the last copy at the Best Buy I stopped at) and played a little last night before inviting some friends over for beers and to play multiplayer. The graphics are an evolutionary leap just like previous versions have been. Of course this has very limited cars and tracks because it's really just a preview of GT5. You also can't visit the tuning shop and buy parts upgrades for your cars or tune them very much beyond tires, active steering control, and other assist features. Apparently you unlock tuner versions of each car that allow tweaks to gear ratio, downforce, and some other alterations but I'm not sure how far in you need to go. At least this time there is no need to get licenses to race in events but you must complete each class of races in order before the next one is opened up. Also aside from the cash difference there is no bonus for obtaining all gold trophies. My biggest complaint is that when you play arcade mode or multiplayer you can only use cars in your garage so be prepared to spend some time earning cash to buy lots of cars to play with in multiplayer. Also because of the lack of selection I'm guessing it's going to be a little more difficult to choose evenly matched cars for 2P. My friends were a little disappointed we could only use the RX-8 I had purchased to start out my career. I was hoping to see a Legacy in this release but the only Subarus are an 07 STi hatch and an 05 STi Type RA.
Yeap, its a PS3 exclusive. Prologue seems like a waste of money imo, buying an 'unfinished' game but I guess if your desperate enough and can't wait for the real thing.
I'd hardly call it desperate given the release date for GT5 isn't even set. Last I heard was late 2009 or 2010. It's also cheaper than the standard PS3 game as it isn't a complete title. $40 to test the game's physics and compete online? Certainly. Just not everyone has a PS3 yet (which seems silly given that BRD seems to be the winner in the HD format war). Some of the challenges are pretty tough. I'm trying to make 1:39 on the High Speed Ring with the Suzuki Cappuccino and even with all the driving assist things off (MT of course) I still can't beat 1:42 (even silver requires 1:41). There's also a manufacturer event for the ITR that requires you to reach the front of a pack of 16 other ITRs on Daytona in 5 laps which absolutely requires drafting skills.
I'm currently doing the Honda Intergra, beat on 16 cars in 1 lap in the Class B events. It's the only one giving me trouble.
I am up to the advanced challenges, mostly done. I had to buy... a viper. ugh handles like a boat. New GT-R drives really peculiarly, it is more prone to drift than I woudl have expected.
Heh, to me its just like paying for a demo. Btw, what would you guys rate the gameplay? 10 being super good 1 being total crap? Does it live up to the previous Gran Turismos?
its more full featured than half the racing games I have even seen, its not really much comparison to a demo. it controls much, much more realistically than previous GT games, contains more cars than any other PS3 racing game and about as many tracks. the interior view needs to be seen to be believed. its the first time you really get the sense of driving the actual car
:+1: It's awesome and I never use any other view. Now I have a good reason to buy a steering wheel controller. I think it was worth the buy as a standalone release. It has plenty of stuff to keep you coming back. Tried out the drift trials which are interesting and it's something I'll come back to when I finish the classes. I also just played online with a few buddies and it was quite fun.
Yeah the interior view is very cool with all the gauges and stuff reacting as they should. However I still use bumper view because I never really notice the interior of my car at the track I'm so concentrated on what's going on outside the windshield. Gauges are just part of my sweep and so it doesn't matter if they're realistically portrayed on the car interior view or part of the HUD (it's like flying VFR).
Is the AI any more difficult? That has been one of my biggest gripes with the GT series, they just seem to ignore you and follow their line no matter what. I'd love it if that was improved.
The difficulty of the AI hasn't improved much. You basically still pass them and that's it. However, they are more prone to fight with you in the corners and, depending on the car, will take different lines so not all of them look like they're running on rails. One thing I will say it has improved on is driving physics and the distinct handling characteristics of each car. The STi has the usual understeer, but I really noticed it in this version through the corners. The GT-R, as Zach pointed out, is a peculiar car and it's a beast you have to be gentle on in the corners. I've played all the previous GT games and never wiped out at 150 mph in a super car until this one. Definitely more real in this version than any other and I like it.
And with the driving assist features turned off (active steering control, traction control, etc.) you need to be really careful around walls. No longer can you bump a wall at high speed and have it nudge you back in the correct direction. Those armcos grab you and you'll lose control if you aren't paying attention.
Cleared Class A. The S class races are a joke with the right car. The 2007 GT-R is the most useful car you can get BTW. It dominates the PP 680 races and is great for grinding cash on the PP 680 Daytona event. The Lotus Elise 111R tuned version rocks the PP 630 events with ease. The PP 700 races are a pain so far but I think the tuned version of the Ford GT will solve that. I hate the stupid time trial events that require you to buy an expensive car just to complete it. Once I spend 300k on the Ford GT race car I have to save up for 450k for a Ferrari F40 just for one event? Well to be honest I have to think that F40 is the most powerful car in the game short of the F1 car.
Blah... GT1, GT2, and GT3 are better. Ok, ok I only say that because I actually worked on them. GT5 P is the best racing game I've ever played, the in car view is incredible. But watch out for Ferrari Challenge coming out this fall! Published right here in MN!
Actually I'd have to say GT4 is my favorite so far due to the car selection, track selection, event races, and the photo mode. I'm hoping the full version of GT5 bring it up to that next level we saw between each series.
GT4 is definitely one of the best racing sims ever made, BUT the AI issue has plagued every game in the series. I really hope GT5 has some kinda dynamic AI or something instead of the computer cars driving on tracts.
YEAH its always bugged me how you get hit when entering a turn if you cant break as late as they can, and if you have the inside you get hit.... i think better AI would be nice. in the new GT5 preview released the AI doesnt seem as bad. they give you a little more room if you have the inside but they close the door if you try to make a move. i like that
Heres an idea for all those who think the AI wasn't challenging enough, how but you don't mod the crap out of the cars and then go race? The few that I dedicate to my time attack cars are modded to hell and gone the others have sport tires and slightly adjustable suspension, not only is it more fun it keeps me honest.
The AI is "different" in GT5, though not to say it's better or worse than previous rounds. What is both a bane and boon in the new one is penalties for ramming, bumping, hitting armcos, and putting all 4 off the track. I like the penalties in that it keeps people from exploiting times by "running the rails" and using other cars as brakes by hitting them and transferring all that momentum. It also makes it very tough to get ahead through tight corners unless you really time your acceleration right. However the downside is that the logic in assigning penalties is rather odd and sometimes I'll be pushing it around a high-speed turn and another car will start floating into me and bump me and we both get penalized. Penalties are just 2-4 seconds of having your revs limited but they'll kill you on those tight races. I also don't like that your car goes "ghost" when you're under penalty so other cars can just drive right through you. The AI cars do get penalized as well but sometimes it looks like they can cut corners and not slow down at all. As for the AI when racing it's a PITA. For instance if you pass them on a straight they'll slot in behind you and draft you even if you're well off the line. They also run some wierd lines when turns are crowded with cars. I also seem to notice that they keep out of your way when you're really coming at them fast on a straight. There are a few event races where your car is on the track with cars of all types and there tends to be some track etiquette programmed in.
I felt that way too when I had the PS3 but there are so few games to play on it that I broke down and bought it... ><
The problem with the AI in GT is that it's still the same engine with more and more code added on top. As long as the engine remains a primarily pathing execution it will act very similar to previous versions. Because the engine is path finding, pretty much all the difficulty tunning will come from playing with the rubber banding. The PS3 doesn't have enough processing juice to run a dynamic Ai on so many cars. (It could but frame rates would really suck) Also loading times before races would probably be really long and would not adhere to the Sony technical requirements. So Maybe on PS4
Like I said in a previous post the AI has some unique characteristics that I've noticed such as collision avoidance. In the multi-class races the slow cars do seem to use track etiquette to let you by. They also go wide in corners when they see you come screaming up on them. Since racing itself is "path finding" with little deviation required in order to achieve top times the AI only has to be so good. I think a driving AI is far easier to recreate than a combat AI for instance.
Go try Grid (if you haven't already), the AI in there seems to like damaging all the cars on the track. I have the demo, and racing the Mustang is quite funny when you can tease the opponents. When they push really hard, they crash into each other and the walls!
Hah, grid is a great game. It got me to buy a wheel and pedals for my PC. Great versatility with a large lineup of cars and tracks. Although it doesn't have much special car customization, which is unfortunate.
I tried the demo for Grid. Seemed OK but I was bit leery to purchase another racing game after wanting to commit suicide after buying NFS: Pro Street. Don't get me wrong, Pro Street was pretty challenging, but paying for wadding up your car sometimes required some reset/reloads and was a bit tiring. There is no learning curve to the game. Dirt was the clear winner of the racing titles so far for me. Single player was good enough to get your skills honed then multiplayer let you really challenge yourself. I had some good record times in Dirt and GT5 last I checked, but they're probably buried now.
But it does offer something a Gran Turismo has yet to... Car damage. It's nice that you can't get away with car slamming and wall bouncing without paying a penalty.
True, and pretty realistically, as well. Protip: don't crash your car drivers side first into a wall at 120 MHP, it will tend to lean to the left after that. :biggrin:
Most people don't know but the main reason for GT not having car damage is licensing. When the licensing deals were signed, the car manufacturers did not want their cars to get smashed up, so damage was never included into the engine. I don't know if they have new deals or damage planned I haven't worked there in a long time. But in the PSX and PS2 versions it was the licensing that caused the lack of damage. Another little known fact - On GT2 - GM wanted to get paid for the use of any of their cars except one which they would allow us to use for free, the Pontiac Aztek. Polyphony decided to pass on the free offer.
ROFL!!! They passed the Aztek. I am just putting off until the full version of GT5 comes out. unless they are going to offer some sort of discount for buying the prolouge.
