GT 2 The Best There Is But Is It Enough?
Written: Dec 07 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good Graphics, Many Cars to choose from and Many Tracks
Cons: Nondriving Music, Too many of some cars and No Special Stage 11
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| Abraxmed's Full Review: Gran Turismo 2 for PlayStation 1 |
Gran Tourismo 2(GT2) may not be the most realistic racing game from the stand point of physics, but it is pretty good. The thing that makes this game is the huge variety of cars to choose from. Though heavily slanted to Japanese cars there are many European and American cars as well. The courses are all distinct and well designed. Unfortunately they took out Special Stage 11(one of my favorite tracks) and they don't use the option to drive the courses backwards, which doubles the number of tracks. The graphics on GT2 are good. Maybe a little too flashy, but the background detail is amazing. I never usually see it, but when I do I am impressed, it can be tough to look at the scenery and drive 150 mph.
This game is a great way to drive cars you will never be able to drive in real life. Though GT2 will never be anyones sole reason for buying a car it has had an effect on car sales, mainly in Japan. That brings me to an annoying part about GT2. They pick certain cars and feature them way too much. Can anyone say Civic and Skyline. I don't know if they just happen to be the programmers favorites, or if Honda and Nissan paid off Polyphony Digital for advertising. But there are sooooo many Skylines and Civics. I don't really dislike either car, but I would 50 different cars then 50 Skylines and Civics, and I think most people agree with me there. For example I wish the offered more Eclipses, but they only offer one! The best selling car in its class in America and they offer one. It isn't even the best one! Nor is it the one I own. OK so that is just my car, but there are other cars like that. They also put way too many K cars in GT2. For those that don't know, K cars are tiny comuter cars, like the Geo Metro or the Ford Festiva. But these complaints are mostly good things they could have done better. They offered many cars which is good, I just wish there was more of a diversity between the cars that are in the game.
Another problem is the physics. One you can't flip the cars or even pop them on two or three wheels very easily. The only way to get the car off of its wheels is to jump them. Doesn't make sense and it wasn't like that in the original. But that seems to be the case with many things, they overcompensated on weaknesses of the original GT. Turbo-lag for instance was too previlent in GT and disappeared in GT2. For the most part it was an improvement over GT. But the front wheels should lock when turning and braking at the same time. It happens to me when Im going 50 and I brake too hard, but it doesn't happen at 200 in GT2. It is a serious oversight and detracts from the reality of gameplay.
Of course the car modifications are done extrememly well. There are things that could be done better about it. For example why can only Japanese cars take racing modifcations(get stickers and look fast for those nonGT fans)? OK some other cars can take it, but for the most part you have to buy(or win) a racing version of the car. One thign that doesn't make sense is the weight reductions. For simplicty all cars get the same weight reductions(I think it is done by a ratio). But heavier cars(especially luxury cars) will lose a lot more weight then a tiny sports car. Again a minor point but something that will need to be fixed before I crown GT2 the king of all racing games.
The bugs are completely annoying and there are many of them. Anyone who has read my reviews know I could care less about the spelling errors. But the cars going inside each other and bouncing away is not racing. Or when you do a machine test(see how fast your car can go), and it wipes your garage clean. That is no fun at all. The track getting built before your eyes isn't too great either, especially when it is an upcoming turn. That graphic slow down in two player is the worst though. It isn't as bad as Driver 2 but have both players spin in the sand and see wha happens. The sound track is OK. I love Garbage and like the fact that their song is in it, but none of them make me want to drive fast. They just aren't driving songs, nor were the songs on the original. Maybe the Japanese drive to different songs.
Overall GT2 is my favorite racing game. I don't think GT2000 will be much better. The graphics and physics will be better, which is a good thing, but they are decreasing the number of cars from 400+ to 150+. Of course if that is all K cars, Civics and Skylines they will only really take away 150 cars. I haven't heard yet if they are decreasing the number of tracks. I would be surprised if they didn't take out the rallys though. I don't like the rallys, nor will I miss them, but another options never hurts. For $40 it isn't a bad buy, you can always buy the original for $15 or $20. Either way great games for the money. GTs are safe bets.
Recommended:
Yes
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Abraxmed
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Member: Abraxmed
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Reviews written: 78
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