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Gran Turismo for the PSP was announced right around the time the original PSP was, so to say this game was a long time coming would be a severe understatement. Polyphony Digital has always taken it's sweet ass time putting out Gran Turismo games though.... so are any of us really surprised? Well, it's finally out now just in time to celebrate the 4th version of the PSP, the GO. So that means it's available on UMD and as a digital download. But is it worth the entrance fee, or is this a race you'd be better off not lining up for?
Quite simply, this is Gran Turismo you know and love crammed into the PSP. The look, feel and interaction are all intact. You still get a huge roster of cars (800 total), a huge number of tracks (35), and that insane level of detail and realism. You can tinker with your cars, and if you're a real gear head you know what kind of control GT offers you. I'm no mechanic so I stick to the computer provided setups. I raced using both the cross pad and the analog pad and found both to work quite nicely, so I'd say whichever you prefer you'll be more than happy with.
Load times are what'd you expect from the UMD. Not having experienced both versions, I can't confirm if the digital download version would have been better -- but the UMD times didn't bother me at all.
All in all, they did a fantastic job getting all this Gran Turismo goodness into a portable format. Sadly though, it's not all puppies and roses.
While the game boasts 800 cars, you'll only ever race against 3 AI opponents leaving the track feeling a bit... empty. I understand that it's probably a victim of the PSP processor, but it's a downer to only race in a 4 car field over and over.
While the game has 35 tracks, you only get a barebones selection of game modes so how you'll play these tracks is pretty limited. This is by far my biggest gripe with the game. You get "Single Race," "Time Trial," and a rally racing mode. That's it. There's no tournament brackets, no circuits, no progression, no nothing. All tracks are unlocked from the start. You race a single race, get some money, buy a car, rinse and repeat. FOREVER. Aside from the traditional GT license tests, that's all the game has to offer.
If that doesn't bother you, you'll most likely love the game cause it's a fantastic recreation of Gran Turismo in the look and feel department. It's easily on the PS2 level and, for the most part, looks stunning throughout. As a caveat, there are some tracks that suffer from some pretty distracting tearing. White pixel lines abound sometimes and you can readily see how the tracks were stitched together. The track selection, 35 deep, is impressive and boasts a nice choice of track, road and rally courses. They hit all the classics, and if there's a type of track you like I'm quite certain you'll find more than a few here to fit the bill. Having them all open at the start is both good and bad. Bad in the sense there's no progression or sense of reward, but good since you'll never be forced to race tracks you don't like just to move on.
I feel like Gran Turismo PSP is a polarizing experience. On one hand it looks mostly fantastic and handles exactly like you'd expect GT to handle. But the lack of game modes just leaves you wanting and bored after only a few hours of play.
YAY!- It's the portable version of Gran Turismo that we've been waiting YEARS for!
NAY! - A lack of game modes is a HUGE oversight, and ultimately ruins the experience.
For those of you who really hate reading, or only learned to read numbers: - 5/10
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