Note: I do use Forza for points of comparison in this thread as its GT's most direct competitor; that does not mean however that I think one franchise is hugely superior over the other, nor do I want this to turn in to a fanboy face-off focusing purely on visuals.
Now, before we even think about GT's journey on the PS3, we need to acknowledge THE driving game of the generation prior... Gran Turismo 4. 700+ cars from 80 manufacturers, 51 tracks, road and rally racing, huge physics and graphical upgrades over its predecessor, innovations such as B-spec mode, etc. I think most people can agree that the series probably peaked here, and it still holds up great to this day.
So, Gran Turismo 5. And 6 for that matter. As someone who has played both extensively I've realised that 6 is essentially GT5 V2.0, but in my opinion it was all a bit too little, too late. Both titles - although 6 did right a lot of 5's wrongs - suffer from a distinct quantity over quality issue (why 1000+ cars seemed like a good idea when almost 800 were PS2 models is beyond me), and the same recurring shortcomings* which games such as Forza are excelling with are really starting to make Gran Turismo seem like a relic of a generation long passed.
*Speaking of, here's what we still find (or don't in a lot of cases) in Gran Turismo 6. A game released in December 2013 after 5 Forza titles, and countless competing racing games, simulators, etc...
- Cars that almost unanimously sound like vacuum cleaners
- Terrible AI, that can be conquered by ramming out of the way
- No form of livery editor / creator
- Lack of visual car modifications beyond wheels / wings
- Poor contact / crash physics
- Lack of significant damage modelling, visual and performance-based
- No car setup sharing
- Them bloody load times
Gran Turismo still does a lot of things right, don't get me wrong. The depth is insane. The driving 'feel' - which is a huge factor for those who take this seriously - is quite frankly unparalleled on consoles. You want all the cars in the world? It has most. Tracks? Tons! Thankfully the online communities in 5 and 6 have served the series well too.
However, even as a long-time fan who sat around doing nothing but playing the shit out of Gran Turismo back in the day on my OG PS1, I can't help but feel that the series has never really moved on from the heyday of GT4. And it feels a little complacent. A bit old and tedious, maybe. It's definitely refined, and beautiful even on hardware that's seen the best part of a decade, but it feels soulless. In my opinion, Polyphony Digital need to be a little bolder with GT7, quality over quantity perhaps, but maybe not so obsessive to the point where all we get is GT6 HD+, or 12 more Nissan Skylines that are micrometre-accurate.
Now, before we even think about GT's journey on the PS3, we need to acknowledge THE driving game of the generation prior... Gran Turismo 4. 700+ cars from 80 manufacturers, 51 tracks, road and rally racing, huge physics and graphical upgrades over its predecessor, innovations such as B-spec mode, etc. I think most people can agree that the series probably peaked here, and it still holds up great to this day.
So, Gran Turismo 5. And 6 for that matter. As someone who has played both extensively I've realised that 6 is essentially GT5 V2.0, but in my opinion it was all a bit too little, too late. Both titles - although 6 did right a lot of 5's wrongs - suffer from a distinct quantity over quality issue (why 1000+ cars seemed like a good idea when almost 800 were PS2 models is beyond me), and the same recurring shortcomings* which games such as Forza are excelling with are really starting to make Gran Turismo seem like a relic of a generation long passed.
*Speaking of, here's what we still find (or don't in a lot of cases) in Gran Turismo 6. A game released in December 2013 after 5 Forza titles, and countless competing racing games, simulators, etc...
- Cars that almost unanimously sound like vacuum cleaners
- Terrible AI, that can be conquered by ramming out of the way
- No form of livery editor / creator
- Lack of visual car modifications beyond wheels / wings
- Poor contact / crash physics
- Lack of significant damage modelling, visual and performance-based
- No car setup sharing
- Them bloody load times
Gran Turismo still does a lot of things right, don't get me wrong. The depth is insane. The driving 'feel' - which is a huge factor for those who take this seriously - is quite frankly unparalleled on consoles. You want all the cars in the world? It has most. Tracks? Tons! Thankfully the online communities in 5 and 6 have served the series well too.
However, even as a long-time fan who sat around doing nothing but playing the shit out of Gran Turismo back in the day on my OG PS1, I can't help but feel that the series has never really moved on from the heyday of GT4. And it feels a little complacent. A bit old and tedious, maybe. It's definitely refined, and beautiful even on hardware that's seen the best part of a decade, but it feels soulless. In my opinion, Polyphony Digital need to be a little bolder with GT7, quality over quantity perhaps, but maybe not so obsessive to the point where all we get is GT6 HD+, or 12 more Nissan Skylines that are micrometre-accurate.
Or 1200 Honda Jazz variants that have been pulled from GT2.
