GT2 - So amazing, I can't think of a good title!
Written: Jul 26 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: awesome cars, amazing graphics, the ability to tune your cars
Cons: no damage, occasionally some problems with graphics
The Bottom Line: This game has a whole lot of amazing features that the one or two shortcomings seem almost nonexistent.
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| bigmatt's Full Review: Gran Turismo 2 for PlayStation 1 |
I wish I was witty so I could grab your attention with a clever play on words or something, but I'm not. Allow me to get right to the meat of my opinion. Being the broke, lazy slacker that we all know I am, I didn't buy Gran Turismo 2 at all...rather, I received it as a gift from my friend who owns a Playstation 2 and Gran Turismo 2 became "outdated". Let me tell you one thing: even if I had bought the game for 50 or 60 dollars, I would easily get my money's worth. Not having played Gran Turismo, my opinion will obviously not have the same insight that GT series fans will, but I can appreciate a good racing game when I see one.
I was surprised right off the bat. It's not too often that you find a racing game with two discs. This was the first plus that I found with the game. There are two separate modes; one on each disc, which allows for more features on each. First, I'll start with Disc 2, the Simulation Mode. In this mode, you start off with 10,000 "credits" and no car. This is comparable to the career modes on many other games. You start out as a rookie driver on the Gran Turismo tour, a street racing organization (yes, it does exist in real life) where ordinary cars - basically off the showroom floor, but often tuned up by their owners - race on a variety of courses to earn more money and, ultimately, determine who is the Gran Turismo World Champion. However, you can't just start at the top, of course. There are a few requirements you must meet in order to race the higher level events. One is the power limit, which basically says that only cars at or below a certain performance level are allowed to enter the race. This is one of my personal favorite features, because not only does it require a large amount of skill, it adds a flavor of reality to the game. The other feature that I like is the licenses. Some races are "free" entry, which means that no licenses are required. However, when you get into the Gran Turismo League competition, you must have a certain level of licenses before you can race in a particular event. The license tests gradually get more difficult as you continue on, which also adds to the importance of skill in this game. However, with this seemingly lengthy explanation of the mode, I have really only scratched the surface of the game. You can choose a few different types of events, such as rally races (dirt tracks) and endurance races, which require strategy, stamina, and a great deal of time and patience. There are also multiple other vehicle-specific events, like an 80's Sports Car Cup and a Miniature Car Cup. The possibilities are virtually endless in this mode.
The other factor that I feel is important in creating this game is the game setting itself. That may not have sounded very clear, so let me explain. The Gran Turismo Racing League does in fact exist, and is one of the larger street racing leagues in the world. As a result, the game's creators used the actual tracks from the circuit, which i think is amazing. If you want to race in Rome, you can choose the Rome Circuit and see what the drivers have to go through in real life. Also included are pit roads, which are a nice feature but only necessary for endurance races.
Finally, on to Disc 1 and Arcade Mode! Arcade mode is everything you've come to expect out of the racing genre, only GT2 does it better than anyone else I've seen. You have the choice of racing almost any track you want, and you can choose from a preset order of cars, which have been separated into classes (C being basically your everyday car, B is a little bit more powerful, A is your sports car section, and S is the "super sports car" class). However, the amazing thing here is that if you've been racing the Simulation Mode and have bought extra cars, you have the option of racing with those cars in addition to the preselected bunch. It's a nice way to tie the two discs into one another. However, that's not the only way the two discs work together. If you achieve certain goals on Disc 2, you can unlock bonus items on Disc 1, which is kinda cool.
The graphics were outstanding for a PSX game. The cars are amazingly detailed, right down to the most minute aspects of the car. The cars themselves are modeled perfectly after their real-life counterparts, and the track details are astonishing. While the backgrounds are a bit generic at times, they are enough to make you feel as though you're actually there. I liked the background music, too. It seems just loud enough to be heard, but it's not overpowering. I also think that having actual bands instead of generic music adds a lot to the game as well.
And finally, we reach the cons of the game. Remember the graphics I went on about earlier? At times, they'll just mysteriously "cut out" in a spot when the view is shifting, but this effect only lasts for a second. It's understandable, but it can be a bit annoying at times. Also, the fact that there's no damage is a bit disconcerting at times. If you take the time to make the game this real, you should at least go all the way and make the crashes a bit realistic. Running into a wall at 195 mph and just sliding off doesn't seem realistic, but maybe it's just me - who knows?
All in all, this game is a great way to spend your money, as it'll provide you with hours upon hours of quality gaming. Stacked up against the other racing games I've had a chance to play, this one is definitely atop the list.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bigmatt
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Member: Matt Raper
Reviews written: 28
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
Where are my freakin' Eroyalties?!?!?
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