Topic: Gran Turismo 5

[Pugnate]

D, please use your first post in this thread for your news updates, if possible.

Anyway they say the release date is 100% confirmed, and the game will be out early November. Now, I am really excited about this, but I am more excited about the CE, which I will be definitely buying:

http://kotaku.com/5564686/gran-turismo-5s-collectors-edition-is-reward-for-your-patience

This is Gran Turismo 5's collector's edition, which will cost car lovers and GT fanboys $99.

For that money, you'll get the game, a 1:43 scale model by Kyosho of a 2009 Nissan GT-R Spec V, a 300-page "car-lover's guide", keychain, 5 downloadable bonus cars and an enormous box.

$99 is steep, but then, this is also one of the classier collectors editions we've seen in recent times. The model car looks a lot better than some crummy action figure.

In case you missed it earlier today, Gran Turismo 5 finally has a release date: November 2.

There is no way in hell I am missing out on this!

[K-man]

I think I'm start to learn my lesson on CE's.  I haven't so much as even looked at the God of War III CE since I finished the game.  Bioshock 2's either.

[Cobra951]

That's just it.  And they take up a lot more room too.

[MysterD]

Collector's Edition revealed - thanks, Pug!.
Cars, cars, and MORE CARS - thanks, Idol.
Screenshots from Kotaku - thanks, Pug.

[iPPi]

I'm disappointed they decided to have a model of the GT-R for the CE instead of the SLS AMG... considering that the SLS AMG is on the cover art and shown frequently on trailers.  Oh well...

[idolminds]

Hmmm...

There are 2 "levels" of cars: premium and standard. 200 premium cars, which are highly detailed including interiors, damage modeling, etc. Then theres the 600-800 standard cars, which are more like GT4 models. Less detailed, no interiors (black windows), and I think no damage modeling outside of paint scratches and the like.

A little disappointing that its taken them this long to make this game and end up not really redoing all the cars. I don't think it will matter much in the end. With the improved lighting and rendering it still looks great. And I'd rather have the massive selection of cars than have them cut down to just what they could totally remodel.

[Pugnate]

Yea what you said exactly and all of it.

[Cobra951]

I imagine a meeting going something like this.

Top brass:  How many cars ready now?

Project leader:  Uh, about 200.

Top brass:  What?!  After years of development?!

Project leader:  *Bows silently in shame*

Top brass:  We can't wait any longer!  This is what you're going to do . . .

[idolminds]

Its funny how our expectations change over time. The original GT released 178 cars.

[Pugnate]

Can you believe these are actual screenshots?

http://kotaku.com/5566629/gran-turismo-5s-most-beautiful-screenshots-yet/gallery/#

My god. Definitely need a BIG HDTV for this!

[gpw11]

Didn't the "Prologue" thing for the game could out like three years ago?

[iPPi]

This game finally comes out next week.

[idolminds]

Exciting!

[Quemaqua]

Anyone going to grab this?

[Pugnate]

I am getting it on day 1.

[Pugnate]

Well, the game hasn't come here yet...

Reviewers seem underwhelmed, overall:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=277431

[Cobra951]

A 10/10 simulator wrapped up in a 5/10 game

That's a common observation among the reviews.  Surprising, after all that development time.

[sirean_syan]

I wonder how much the reviews reflect all the animosity Polyphony has earned due to its delays and obviously piss-poor time management. As a non-fan of the series, I've always felt like that it was a complete simulator for something that I was just never interested in and has worked itself into being more of a niche product as new technology allowed them to do so. I don't think that should be reflected in a score, but I can see reviews game for not appealing to everyone.

Either that or they just put a product together that is just poorly thought out. From what I've seen and read, that's a complete possibility (like the quote from IGN). I don't think that's surprising really. When you get that lost in a project and too obsessed in the details, you lose sight of the big picture.

[Pugnate]

I don't think the delays and poor time management had to do with the disappointed reviews, because the type of criticism seems to be uniform. Besides, companies like Valve and Blizzard seem to do worse in terms of delays, and are treated as the darlings of the industry.

The general consensus is that the game isn't as much fun as it should be. Well, I'll be buying it regardless... but the fact that both the new Final Fantasy and Gran Turismo games are less than brilliant probably sucks for Sony.

[sirean_syan]

That's true that some companies can get away with delays, but I think it hurt Polyphony is this case because how poorly the whole thing was handled. They put out that $40 "demo" years ago now and treated it like they were doing people a favor. While I feel like Valve and Blizzard sort of put out the same vibe (more lately than a couple of years ago), there has always been a certain arrogance than goes with GT that has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. At least with Valve and Blizzard, you get the sense that they'll hear what fans and critics say. That's not the case with Polyphony. People have been crying for car damage and better AI since GT2, but improvements made on that front are minimal and seem to be done begrudgingly. That doesn't sit well with non-diehard fans (which I suspect most people are).

I don't ever feel like Gran Turismo was every really about fun, at least in the normal sense. To me it was an unapologetic simulator and I respect that. The problem here is that it just isn't put together very well this time around.

[Pugnate]

For a start - and hear us out here - this is the first GT game NOT to blow our trousers off in the visuals department. In fact, as you roll out of the pits for the first time, you'll look at the environment and hear a nagging voice in the back of your mind. That voice will be saying 'this isn't a very pretty game'.

No, we're not mad: there's no flair to GT5's graphics like in Codemasters' games, it's all cold, clinical precision. The problem is, if you slavishly attempt to replicate real life, like Polyphony has, it's all the more obvious when you can't quite get there. Blurry textures, angular scenery and barren landscapes are, if you'll excuse the pun, par for the course.

While the premium cars are undeniably gloriously detailed, they look entirely out of place in such drab environments, surrounded by cardboard cut-out trees. City tracks fare better, but only just.

Gran Turismo used to be the benchmark for visuals, but over the five years it's taken to put GT5 in a jewel case, the game's begun to look decidedly pedestrian. Overall - and we NEVER thought we'd say this - we reckon Forza III has the march on GT5 in overall aesthetics.

From the computerandvideogames.com review.

I don't ever feel like Gran Turismo was every really about fun, at least in the normal sense. To me it was an unapologetic simulator and I respect that. The problem here is that it just isn't put together very well.

No it wasn't "about" fun, but it was fun. And racers have moved on in the past five years. But yes, it also seems to be an inconsistent experience.

Anyway, here is a pretty well written review:

http://videogamesdaily.com/reviews/201011/gran-turismo-5-review-%E2%80%93-better-late-than-never/

Since the first game in series Gran Turismo led the pack visually – from its translating the exhilaration and atmosphere of motor-sports into the environments to those cleverly post-processed replays that, given a squint and the wail of Clarkson, could have been lifted straight from an episode of Top Gear. GT5 maintains this impeccable standard for the most part, but when it falls short it stands out like a key scratch on a new Lamborghini. The game engine seems ill-equipped to deal with shadows, shady little gremlins ruining the photo-realism that the stunning premium models work so hard to achieve. The effect is compounded when racing in low-light conditions, or when the tyres are kicking up clouds of dust or snow, creating some hugely pixellated messes of badly behaved low-res textures.

Overall they are impressed by how the game looks, but have pointed out a lot of flaws in the graphics engine.

Also, everyone seems to be upset that only the 200 premium cars are fully detailed, while the rest are imported from GT4.

I don't know, isn't 200 enough?

The actual driving has gotten a lot of praise. The physics of the game are apparently top notch. Hmmm... anyone know of a good wheel for the PS3?

[scottws]

I have GT3 and Forza 2.  That's good enough for me.  The physics simulations in those games were excellent and I don't need a prettier graphics engine.  Besides, the wow factor of these games wears off after the first day.

I guess the plus is newer cars.

[sirean_syan]

Heh. Watch the first few minutes of the Giant Bomb Quick Look as the game goes through the introduction: http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-gran-turismo-5/17-3535/

I don't think I've ever though a racing/car game could be so pretentious. It's kinda funny and, if one was so inclined, someone could probably read a little too far into it to determine what where Polyphony lost their way. Still, the whole thing is interesting. They totally wanted to make the perfect end-all car game, shot super high and probably laid out a game that would take ten plus years to complete. I'm wondering if Sony put their foot down a year ago and just told them to put something out.

[Pugnate]

Thanks for posting that. Am watching it now.

So you know what would be really irritating? If they forced you to see those FMVs every time you started the game.

edit:

Wow, people weren't kidding about the menu. I was sure the critics were exaggerating, but that has to be the worst menu in a current generation game I have seen. That is just terrible. And when you go in deeper, it looks like a real cluster fuck. Man, that is so Japanese. Plus, what is up with the Kenny G style pop jazz music in the background?

Sy is right, it does feel a little pretentious.

Still buying it though.

edit:

"The whole game sounds like a Charlie Brown special." -- Jeff Gerstmann.

edit:

The video is a lot more irritating than it should be because these guys just keep goofing around.

edit:

OK so the menu isn't *that* bad. Some of it is though. I am not sure what menu they were looking at earlier.

edit:

Well, not sure if I am going to be buying this game anymore, at least immediately. It looks like a mixture of ass and excellence, which I didn't even think was possible. The cars and lighting etc., look fantastic, but stuff in the environment looks TERRIBLE. The trees look like they are cardboard cuttings still in place from alpha. The difference is more glaring because some of it looks so excellent.

[Pugnate]

I just came home with Gran Turismo 5.

God, I am so weak.

[sirean_syan]

Don't know why I'm harping on the game so much, but it is interesting to me...

Remember what I said about pretentious?