Q. When is a game not a game?
A. When it’s a technology preview!
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is a technology preview. It’s about all of the cool stuff that you’ll be able to see and play in the real game when it comes along, but the designers were so excited that they simply couldn’t wait!
OR
It’s all of the bits that are ready but there are issues with the rest of the environment so this is all we get right now.. it’s all a matter of perspective.
You may recall that I’m new to the world of the “Play Station” [sic] and so have not followed to evolution of Gran Turismo through to its current (pre)incarnation. Maybe that’s why when I loaded it up I was, well, less than bowled over to be honest! Yes, the graphics are clean and crisp. Yes, the car physics are realistic. Yes, there are some premium marques in the mix. But overall this leaves me with a solid feeling of ‘Haven’t I seen this before?’
When I saw the box on the shelf in the shop, marked down to £25ish, I thought “Ooh, bargain, I’ll have a piece of that!”. I was aware, at some sub-conscious level that this wasn’t a full game yet, but I was still excited about getting my first PS3-based driving experience and seeing what new shiny stuff was being brought to the table. I brought it home, slid the shiny platter into the machine and sat expectantly.. perhaps I was waiting for thunderflashes, sparkles of magic and the sounds of a choir softly singing. Whatever it was that I was expecting, what I got was pretty standard fare.
As you may know I’m pretty much full on into driving games, I have 2 on the go at the moment (not counting GT5 Prologue) so I’m aware of much that is good and not so good in this genre and not so good is a label that I’m afraid I have to level at quite a lot of the GT5 Prologue game-play. Look, I KNOW that this isn’t the finished article it’s a Technology Preview but even so, some of this stuff is really basic. I SHOULD be able to select the car I want, from my Garage after I decide what race I’m doing but no, I have to go out of the Events selector, pick my car from the Garage, then go back into the Events list. When the tier you’re working through requires 3 or 4 different cars to complete this is not simply a chore it’s a PAIN!
Equally when I see a race that is for GT-Rs I would expect to be able to use my newly purchase R34 V-spec NUR but no.. that I needed to buy the new R35 is not clear, annoying and this actually made me spit out the disc and load up something else.
After I did return I decided to have a look at the Arcade races, after all these should be simple, jump-in-and-drive fun no? Again no. Again I can’t choose my car inside this mode, it has to be from the Garage, given that I don’t actually know where I fancy racing or of what type of race this seems to be a little ill-conceived. Even accepting of this the races themselves lack any sort of.. well atmosphere. Perhaps this isn’t in the release yet, perhaps I’m being too harsh, perhaps I’m expecting too much from a preview but you know what, if you’re going to charge 25-30 biff for something it’d be nice to deliver some sort of value for money! The Drift challenges lack the oomph that I was expecting and don’t forget to tweak the controls, yes they forgot that in Drifting it’s best if the traction control isn’t engaged!
I want to say something good about GT5 Prologue, I really, really do but I’m afraid the best I can do is that the driving experience is as good as others I’ve played. That’s it, sorry, that’s the best I’ve got. In fact you know what I can’t even go that far as, when I adopt my ‘rubbing is racing’ approach this game decides that a reduction in power is the best way to deal with such a heinous crime and this ridiculous ‘penalty’ is also applied for the unforgivable sin of touching a guard rail or concrete wall! SERIOUSLY?? Do these people never actually watch touring cars, NASCAR or pretty much every other form of motor sport including F1 and bike racing?
I don’t think I’ve been so disappointed with a game since.. I don’t know.. since Transformers! There, that’s how strongly I feel about this one.
Oh, and the download it insists I try every time I load up the game.. that’s never completed either.
Message to Sony, look at Race Pro they may have things right with the ’serious’ racing bits. Look at Need For Speed they may have it right with the ‘fun’ bits and you know what, look at Hot Import Nights (seriously) they may have it right with the flow of car choice and events.
Q. Am I going to buy this when it’s finally released?
A. Not without playing someone else’s copy first.
Yes it's very pretty.
You can't use THIS GT-R in the GT-R race!
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