Here are some nice touches that I found whilst playing GT4 during the last day or so.
I found this cool feature this morning when I had to get my kick of GT4 to begin the day.
In A-Spec mode, when you go to the race track sections from where you select a track, there are another 4 options that cost between 300-500cr (J) each. I shall just make up the names as they are in Japanese in the original.
Run What You Brung - You and five other random cars are spaced evenly around the track, as in a kind of track day scenario, clocking the fastest time you can. Im not sure what the point of the other cars being there is other than it feels more realistic. Maybe pretty frustrating when youre about to set a hot lap and some dufus in a WRX spins in front of you (something which the AI WRX seems to do all to often) Another particularly cool feature of this is the Narration Mode a running commentary (in Japanese) about the car youre driving. Last night I was told in great detail about the D1GP FC3S RX-7 that I was driving. It must have been very interesting. Now where are those Learn Japanese a Week tapes I had!?
Free Race Mode You are up against five AI cars, with the objective being to beat them to the checkered flag.
Photomode Live! Particularly great feature this one. Drive your car around the circuit in a particulary aesthetically pleasing manner then exit and replay your lap. Fast forward to the correct part by pressing L3 (that is the left analogue stick button, right?) and then press SELECT. Now a whole host of photography options appear. Set up the shot just right then press the shutter and post the picture on GTP. Simple. Now someone buy me a USB memory device!
Mystery Mode Theres a fourth feature that I didnt try. Doh!
Mission Stadium
SLR Challenge - Now this was ace, but ultimately flawed.
In the Mission stadium, the final challenge puts you behind the wheel of a McLaren/Mercedes SLR at the Nurburgring. Motoring heaven, right? Well how about throwing in five other Mercedes from history and then starting them using a staggered start system, which means the first car (1950s 300SL) leaves the grid three minutes before you! The objective is, quite simply, to pass the 300SL before the end of the lap. Now this is all well and good, but every time you play, you need to sit on the grid for the full three minutes whilst waiting for all the other cars to leave. Three minutes is nothing right? Believe me, its a long time here! Boil an egg or something!
More new features covered as and when I have time
