Review: Gran Turismo (PSP)

Racing fans have been waiting a long time for Gran Turismo to go portable and it has finally arrived on the PSP. It is no accident that this coincides with the release of the new PSP Go. Gran Turismo is undoubtedly one of the finest driving series around and it combines an impressive level of detail with a varied and challenging driving experience. The handheld version is ever so slightly more forgiving than the console counterparts but for the most part the transition has been handled smoothly. Fans of the series will feel as though they are jumping into their favourite old car but is it a rusted and obsolete old banger or a beautifully preserved classic?

One of the big selling points for a game like Gran Turismo is the depth of content and you certainly can’t complain on that score. There are 830 vehicles in total from 87 different manufacturers and you can race them on 35 tracks each with variations. This is a massive game. When it comes to the actual gameplay modes Gran Turismo hits you with its first big surprise. There is no Career Mode. Some people will find this extremely annoying and there can be no doubt it accounts for the mixed reviews. Personally I think the fact the content is all open and accessible from the start is a good thing and it means you can dive straight in wherever you want.

The menu offers Single Player and within you can choose from Time Trial, Single Race or Drift Trial. Each track has a rank starting at D and as you complete a rank the next one up becomes available. The challenge gets consistently tougher and the AI more ruthless until you battle your way up to the top rank of S. It starts out pretty gently and then gets insanely difficult when you reach rank A. There are also Driver Challenges which are just like the old driving school modes. They are great for teaching you techniques that improve your racing but achieving a gold trophy on each one is very tough.

The rewards for winning races are quite sizeable and you actually start with quite a lot of cash. This means you can buy whatever car you want from the start, or at least you could if they were all available. The developer has taken the rather strange approach of having the Car Dealership rotate the cars available every few days. There is always a random group of four manufacturers with a slice of their offerings. It’s as though they are travelling car dealers and you have to wait for them to pass through your town. The fact you have so much spare cash from the beginning does negate that feeling of reward but you’ll still have to save up for the very top cars so it’s not entirely absent.

When it comes to fixing up and tuning your cars Gran Turismo on the PSP deviates from the series norm again. Instead of in depth upgrades you can choose to do a Quick Tune that offers a few basic adjustments. You can happily ignore this and the game will automatically equip you with the right tyres. The other tweaks offer negligible differences in the handling.

One of the most impressive things about Gran Turismo is the way that every car feels genuinely different to drive. They really are unique and possess various strengths and weaknesses which you’ll need to learn unless you happen to be an enthusiast. The game does a good job of appealing to car lovers and casual players and my lack of knowledge about car manufacturers and tracks never slowed my progress.

Visually speaking this is one of the best looking titles I’ve seen on the PSP. The cars are correct down to the smallest detail, the tracks look and feel exactly right and the whole title has been put together with some skill. The HUD is familiar for fans and the game creates a genuine feeling of speed. The menu system is easy enough to navigate but the game does lack a few niceties. For example it doesn’t remember settings you have changed so you’ll need to reset them every time you race. It also feels as though there are a lot of clicks and loading waits between choosing Single Race and actually burning rubber.

The sound effects and music are solid and you can import your own music into the game and listen to it while you race. These small details are great and touches such as having the real time on your dashboard are pleasing. There is a fair bit of voiceover dialogue in here as well and a cold female voice congratulates you on climbing ranks.

There is an oddly named Ad-Hoc option on the menu which allows you to connect to another PSP. You can swap cars with a friend and some can even be shared. You can also play against up to three friends for races. This Ad-Hoc mode also promises to allow a sync of your garage with Gran Turismo 5 on the PS3 when it is released.

Gran Turismo is a driving sim which offers a somewhat dry experience. There are no spectacular crashes and no action voiceovers for stylish turns or big points totals exploding on screen. This is the way the series has always been, a grown up alternative to the flashier racing titles on show. The lack of structure here is a bit disappointing but hardly a deal breaker. There is a wealth of content on offer and Gran Turismo is a very well crafted game which is definitely worth the price.