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GRAN TURISMO 3: A-spec (PS2)
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Even grander a third time around
By WILLIAM BARKER
The passage was dark - the place smelled of death. In the jungles of the
Congo, any explorer knows that to stay in one spot is suicide. The Jabu-jabu
could have been hiding everywhere!
So on he pressed through the humid, cavernous maze, pushing past cobwebs,
avoiding dodgy tee-shirt sellers. After climbing up through another small
alcove, there it was - the holy grail of automotive gaming - Gran Turismo
3: A-spec.
Removing the game from its diamond-encrusted trinket was no easy task,
but hours of Virtua Fighter had graced the explorer wrists made of titanium.
As he wrenched the DVD-style case from its tiny vault, he heard a rumbling…
Then he woke up to the sound of the Tuesday morning garbos picking up
the trash. Yes, a dream, but the symbolism was so profoundly touching,
he decided to head for the jungles of the Congo - after playing a spot
of Gran Turismo 3, of course.
Like any strange dream, to actually have Gran Turismo 3 in my possession
resulted in heavy breathing, a little drooling and much light headedness.
But all was expected - this day had been a long time coming.
After sitting down with the game on a nice new 73cm flatscreen TV, the
intro really got my cylinders firing. The CGI is amazing, but it's when
the intro cuts to actual in-game footage that you realise this is what
all PS2 owners have been waiting for. Oh, and maybe Wipeout
Fusion, too.
This is the AAA title the PS2 needed if it is to get a good head start
on the Xbox and Gamecube. Sure, titles like ATV:
Offroad and Sky Odyssey are
well above average, but they don't come with that special defining
factor that elevates titles from 'excellent' to 'classic'.
And this is classic.
To be honest, I
never played Gran Turismo. I did play the sequel however, and there are
many parallels to be drawn between numbers two and three.
Obviously graphics
are not one of them. The graphical representations of both the vehicles
and the gameworld (i.e. tracks) are impeccable. You've no doubt seen the
advertisements on the tele, but even then they don't do the game justice.
The cars have been modeled with an eye for detail and this is most obvious
in the mind-blowing replays. Immaculately beveled bonnet scoops, exhaust
pipes, headlight clusters, spoilers and even original alloy wheels make
the cut in what has to be the most accurate and true-to-life rendering
of the modern motorcar.
The average car
is comprised of 4000 polygons, which helps explain the intense detail.
There was even talk of the big Japanese auto makers using the game as
a marketing tool!
The game, as a whole, is a perfect balance of all the aspects that make
games so addictive. Take a large handful of realistic sound samples, mash
in an intuitive menu system, splice it to some tip-top gameplay and the
end result is GT3. Plain and simple - this game is good, real good. But
not without flaw.
Two gripes. First, the artificial intelligence. While there's nothing
more rewarding than crossing the finish line by no more than a bees dick,
the computer-controlled cars aren't what you'd term 'dynamic'.
For instance, in one race, where I was going very badly, I started mucking
about, doing doughnuts, 180-degree full-motion turns and some emergency
braking. Soon the AI cars were upon me, so I thought to myself: "Time
to disturb the peace!"
So, on a long straight, doing about 200km/h, I slammed on the brakes with
two cars behind me. They crunched into me and stayed there.
They wanted to get by, but the scripting wouldn't allow them to turn out
of the way unless there's cornering involved. For the most part, this
does little to hamper the quality gameplay, but knowing that your opponent's
behave in this manner can be advantageous for the confident player.
The second gripe could also be seen as a plaudit. Maybe four years ago,
every game I got for review I would finish. Possibly this was due to my
skills being better back then? No - the games were shorter. Perhaps I
was a little keener, but the point I want to make is that the sheer size
of this game was quite daunting at first.
You go through a few races and things are peachy - until you start having
to complete harebrained solo events where you must race around the oval
test track in a slow car. But apart from these two issues, I have little
else to complain about.
Learning the tracks, the twisty bits, the off camber corners and the long
straights is one of the more rewarding aspects of the game. Going into
an average race with a great car equates to diddly-squat if you don't
know the track. With around 20 or so tracks, each of which can be raced
mirrored and backwards, too, it's highly unlikely that you'll grow tired
of them. The majority of tracks are quite technical and many times you'll
learn how to take certain sections later on the game, when you are more
comfortable with the controls.
Gameplay is tops
and while very little has changed since GT2, this should be viewed as
a good thing. Playing the game from the in-car view, you really get a
feel for the different cars and you begin to appreciate the nuances therein.
For example, my
second purchase was the brand-new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII rs. This little
baby uses a 50/50 split 4WD transmission. General grip and overall handling
in this car was very predictable and rarely did it lose traction. It really
is a joy to drive, especially with the close-ratio gear-box fitted.
My next car, allowing me entry into a number of N/A races, was the Ford
Mustang SVT Cobra R. This V8, rear-wheel drive car felt very different
to the turbocharged all-wheel drive Evo VII, both in terms of power delivery,
handling and corner speed. Truly, when you can jump into a new car to
not only see and hear the difference, but feel the difference,
it makes you appreciate all the hard work that went into making this game.
Fiddling with your car's setup, changing the wheels, the oil, giving it
a wash - it's a bit like vehicular Pokemon, only without the Pokemon.
With a smidge under 200 cars, too many upgrades and customisations to
mention, plus about four gazillion races, you'd be hard-pressed to find
better value for money. The restrictions placed on races ensure that players
will get to see a wide range of different vehicles, too.
Initially it's the visuals that will have you drooling on your Dual Shock
2, but underneath all the cosmetics lies a game which is so much fun to
play and so realistic, it's hard to put down.
For car lovers, this is the definitive game. All the stats are spot on,
the engine sound samples are pretty cool (complete with blow-off valves
on turbo cars) and the gameplay is simply divine.
You can play two-player games either on the one screen or, if you've got
like-minded gamer buddies, you can use the i-Link cable to hook up between
two and six Playstation 2s along with a screen for each (plus you can
add a seventh screen for spectators).
The rally racing aspect of GT3 has been significantly improved since we
hit the mud at 120mph in GT2. Now the controls are more responsive and
the whole experience is far more realistic, plus there are a bunch of
prototype rally cars that are a real blast to hammer around in the dirt.
The end result is a far more rewarding rally circuit that's plenty of
fun, too.
Gran Turismo 3: A-spec was hyped, it was anticipated, it's probably fair
to say it was even romanticised over. Heck, we even ran a few too many
previews on it. But at the end of the day, this is the kick-ass
application gamers have been waiting for.
It is quite easily
one of the best driving simulators ever and is likely to change the way
we look at racing games and realism forever. It's amazing to look at,
great fun to play and, above all, it will last you well into next year.
Digital Polyphony has outdone itself.
ORIGINALITY 85%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 95%
PLAYABILITY 100%
ADDICTION 90%
ENJOYMENT 90%
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