Date played: October 17th, 18th, 19th
Platform: PS4
I had to buy Gran Turismo Sport. I had way too much fun with the demo, even with it's glitches and problems. I was happy to see that the final release is much improved in terms of stability and hasn't crashed once yet.
The game is just so much fun to play online... I have barely even done anything else honestly. I don't even do the lobby mode, I just go straight to the Sport mode, where 3 daily races are available, scheduled at short intervals. In the three days I played, I only played about 6 or 7 races total, a few driving lessons and a couple of arcade races. That's because I spent a lot of time in the menus, learning the different systems and learning how cars are really used, because the format here is way different than previous games.
In other Gran Turismo games, and even in Forza, cars have to be fitted with parts to improve their performance. Usually, this means that a car can be heavily modified, but not in this game. Here, cars only have a few levels of upgrades, which are bought with mileage points, a currency earned by completing tasks and just driving. This means that cars no longer require a huge investment of money to be useful anymore, so you can use any car right away, which is fantastic.
I did relatively well in my time with the game. Aside from a disastrous 22nd place in a Civic Type R race event, due in part to me not having put in a qualifying time, but also due to bad driving,.. My most memorable race is my first victory aboard a racing Nissan GT-R on a small oval track. This track is kind of like Nascar, where the only thing that matters is following the best driving line as fast as possible without hitting walls or other cars. I put in a decent qualifying time and started in 9th place, then worked my way up to about 5th place by just driving cleanly.
Things got rougher around 5th though because the guys ahead of me were highly skilled. Still, I held on, battling for position by simply staying true to the driving line and going real fucking fast. I ended up crossing the line in 4th place, but won the race thanks to penalties to other racers ahead! I had a completely clean race, so I had no penalties, and was close enough to pass them all. It felt great!
With my winnings, I bought myself a nice, lower class car, the beautiful BMW M4. This car is slightly faster than all others in it's class, probably due to it's drive train, so I hope it's worth the money because it cost half my savings... I then had another decent race in a Honda Civic Type R at Brands Hatch. Being one of the daily races the day I played the most, I ended up doing this event a few times. I think I had a middling 13th or 14th place in one of them, then a solid 4th place.
It was my last race that was the most interesting though. Since I had lots of time to practice and do some qualifying laps, I was starting to be really good with the track, which led to a very fast qualifying lap, clocking in at 58.571 seconds. This was such a good lap, it gave me a pole position in the next race! Starting at pole was so cool and exciting, and completely changes the way I played the game. That is to say I was leading the charge rather than avoiding idiots and driving around traffic.
This huge advantage comes at a cost though. The constant pressure from other racers behind me was a big stress. I was able to handle it rather well for most of the race. The guy behind me was clearly very good, but he was the only one that was a real threat. When I saw him take a corner slow and wide, growing my lead by about one second, I felt like I had this. For the first 3 laps of the race, I held the front of the pack like a pro.
But then it happened. I went too fast into one of the more difficult corners of the circuit, missed the apex and flew off the track, slowing me down enough for another Canadian to pass me... Deflated, I still pushed on, hoping he would also succumb to the pressure, but he didn't. I placed 2nd, a good position that felt like a blown opportunity rather than a good race.
I just love Gran Turismo Sport. Sure it's the most beautiful rendition of cars I've ever seen in a video game. Sure, the engine sounds make my heart skip a beat when they roar with savage ferocity. Of course, the great driving physics are fun. But that's not what makes Gran Turismo Sport a great game. No, what makes this a great game is that they managed to distill the essence of competition and put it on a race track for 24 players to enjoy together.
It's rare that a racing game allows for real sport without imposing ridiculous constraints or adding very complex rule books. This game does it with finesse, and I don't even know exactly how. I think it's a combination of light penalties, intelligent ghosting of rival cars and a player base that loves to race. It's not the same crowd as Mario Kart or Forza Horizon, so maybe that makes a bigger difference than I thought...
Platform: PS4
I had to buy Gran Turismo Sport. I had way too much fun with the demo, even with it's glitches and problems. I was happy to see that the final release is much improved in terms of stability and hasn't crashed once yet.
The game is just so much fun to play online... I have barely even done anything else honestly. I don't even do the lobby mode, I just go straight to the Sport mode, where 3 daily races are available, scheduled at short intervals. In the three days I played, I only played about 6 or 7 races total, a few driving lessons and a couple of arcade races. That's because I spent a lot of time in the menus, learning the different systems and learning how cars are really used, because the format here is way different than previous games.
In other Gran Turismo games, and even in Forza, cars have to be fitted with parts to improve their performance. Usually, this means that a car can be heavily modified, but not in this game. Here, cars only have a few levels of upgrades, which are bought with mileage points, a currency earned by completing tasks and just driving. This means that cars no longer require a huge investment of money to be useful anymore, so you can use any car right away, which is fantastic.
I did relatively well in my time with the game. Aside from a disastrous 22nd place in a Civic Type R race event, due in part to me not having put in a qualifying time, but also due to bad driving,.. My most memorable race is my first victory aboard a racing Nissan GT-R on a small oval track. This track is kind of like Nascar, where the only thing that matters is following the best driving line as fast as possible without hitting walls or other cars. I put in a decent qualifying time and started in 9th place, then worked my way up to about 5th place by just driving cleanly.
 |
| I battle for 5th place |
 |
| Victory! |
It was my last race that was the most interesting though. Since I had lots of time to practice and do some qualifying laps, I was starting to be really good with the track, which led to a very fast qualifying lap, clocking in at 58.571 seconds. This was such a good lap, it gave me a pole position in the next race! Starting at pole was so cool and exciting, and completely changes the way I played the game. That is to say I was leading the charge rather than avoiding idiots and driving around traffic.
This huge advantage comes at a cost though. The constant pressure from other racers behind me was a big stress. I was able to handle it rather well for most of the race. The guy behind me was clearly very good, but he was the only one that was a real threat. When I saw him take a corner slow and wide, growing my lead by about one second, I felt like I had this. For the first 3 laps of the race, I held the front of the pack like a pro.
 |
| I lead the pack with confidence! |
 |
| I lose pole position, and the race... 2nd place ain't so bad I guess |
I just love Gran Turismo Sport. Sure it's the most beautiful rendition of cars I've ever seen in a video game. Sure, the engine sounds make my heart skip a beat when they roar with savage ferocity. Of course, the great driving physics are fun. But that's not what makes Gran Turismo Sport a great game. No, what makes this a great game is that they managed to distill the essence of competition and put it on a race track for 24 players to enjoy together.
It's rare that a racing game allows for real sport without imposing ridiculous constraints or adding very complex rule books. This game does it with finesse, and I don't even know exactly how. I think it's a combination of light penalties, intelligent ghosting of rival cars and a player base that loves to race. It's not the same crowd as Mario Kart or Forza Horizon, so maybe that makes a bigger difference than I thought...
