So, a pretty big patch (v 1.02 12GB) was released last night that made some pretty big changes. Also, the game was running off of the beta servers until last night as well. Because of these factors, and the fact that we didn't get it until last Thursday, are the reasons why I'm not posting an actual review until next week.
Minuses right now include:
- No opportunity to upgrade parts on cars as in the past. I'm actually ok with this, but it's a huge departure for series veterans.
- No weather effects beside clouds. This is mainly a minus because other games are offering extended weather like rain etc. Personally it doesn't bother me much, but I get why it's a big deal to a lot of people. (patch notes mention adding car data for Rain, so there's that)
- Car damage is still pretty limited, but it does happen. It just doesn't go far enough in terms of "realistic" performance limitations from huge hits (so far, I have a feeling this is coming in the future)
- They've evolved your driver's career and how it's done, so it doesn't feel familiar to GT fans, but I actually like what they've done. Instead of attaining license levels, progression is essentially based on XP, Miles driven, and in-game credit. So instead of finishing license challenges for progression, you now move through Arcade Mode and the challenges in Career Mode instead. This gives you a lot more freedom instead of a linear path to higher levels. You're not "creating a driver", but instead, you ARE that driver, and you're still trying to earn what's needed to move up the ladder. Some tracks and variations are locked until you reach a certain level, but it's not bad at all. I only have a handful that I still need to unlock, and I haven't been annoyed by that at all.
- Sometimes the game likes to put you in an awkward situation in a rolling start, like bringing you into a huge, sweeping turn that requires you to slam on the brakes once you get control. I hope they can address that issue somehow.
- Again because GT fans are used to something different, the amount of cars available feels light, and we already know that Super GP is coming via DLC at some point. But it feels like we're going to be purchasing a lot of car and track packs in the future.
Positives:
- The visuals are stunning, which is admirable in a time where both PC2 and Forza 7 have already hit (I like the visuals in both of those quite a bit.) Even on a standard PS4 without HDR, GT Sport shines in every aspect. The lighting is fantastic, especially in night races. Headlights emit what feels like perfectly accurate light, especially when you see the active shadows of cars in front of you on a wall along the track. A night race at an "oval track" is impressive to say the least too. Beyond that, if you have an HDR-capable display, GT Sport really is your new showoff piece. The extended color space and lighting/brightness control is amazing. It's just a shame that it's so difficult to show that to people that don't have an HDR-capable display of some kind.
- The racing is incredibly solid with both the DS4 and a wheel. I play in my office on a DualShock 4 and I haven't had any problems yet (I can't say that about (PC2 unfortunately). I just love that the actual "tires on the surface" feel is there for me, which is rare in racing game IMO. Control of the cars feels so accurate, especially between RWD, FWD, and AWD. You're forced to actually think about your strategy more depending on the drivetrain for whatever car you're using.
- The audio is fantastic so far. I'm not one to know exactly how every real car should sound, but from what I actually do know, I love how it sounds, especially in headphones. Everything moves around accurately, and nothing dominates the audioscape like the braking sounds in FC2 (for example).
- There are over 1,000 landscapes available for using in Photo Mode, and the entire system is a lot of fun. A "Scapes Pack" is available for download today, but I believe it's free.It's easy to lose a LOT of time in there, and they've included some really cool locales.
So far, for me at least, the "minuses" are pretty minor, and what's available feels great. It's dominated all of my free-time and that's a good thing. I also love that it doesn't feel "gimped" at all on a standard PS4 either. Everything is fantastic no matter what model PS4 you're using, and that's important for this game. I'm sure that the GT superfans are going to find many issues with the game, and I would expect nothing less, but in terms of my expectations, this is in-line with what I wanted so far, but I still have a LOT more to dig into before I'm comfortable giving it a proper review.