VIDEO GAMES REVIEW

Sony's portable Gran slam

October 10, 2009

Darren Zenko

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

 

Along with gunplay and sports, driving simulators have been a cornerstone of interactive entertainment since the pre-video days of electromechanical arcade games, and since its 1997 PlayStation debut, Sony's Gran Turismo series has been the genre's standard-bearer. Renowned for its consistent cutting-edge visuals, vast garages of lovingly modelled supercars, and uncompromising simulation of the physics and mechanics of auto racing, GT has set the bar by which other driving games, for better or worse, have been measured ... and now, for the first time, we've got it in portable form.

One of the first things you'll notice when you fire up the PSP Gran Turismo is that the series' heritage of pushing its platform's graphics capabilities to its full effect remains true. Just as that first Gran Turismo game popped eyes with a glossy liquid sheen that reset what we figured the PlayStation was capable, so does this portable edition restate the potential of Sony's sleek hand-held. It's flat-out gorgeous, pushing a constant stream through the PSP's screen in what amounts to automotive pornography: ultra-high-end exotics and beloved classics arcing through turns, dappled by shadow and reflection, all ticking along at a positively silken frame rate.

In other ways, though, GT PSP steps back from other things we've come to expect. I'm no hardcore connoisseur of driving simulators – I'm horrible at finding the racing line, and my lead-footed arcade instincts have me grinding the barricades more often than not – but even I could feel the unfamiliar hint of forgiveness that's crept in here. It's still a long, long way from anything you'd call an "arcade racer" but it seems that in the interest of portable play Sony has eased up a bit on the drive-perfectly-or-fail aspect of Gran Turismo 's simulation.

An even bigger change is rather than the work-for-it grind of moving up through the racing circuits, gaining ranks and unlocking precious rides, building your garage through hours of sweat and track-learning, this Gran Turismo is focused on quick play: pick a track, pick a car, and race. Unlocking new vehicles is now more a matter of chance, with a handful of manufacturer's dealerships – and a handful of their lines – "open for business" on any given racing day. I guess this is supposed to provide the motivation to keep playing – you won't see the next day's random selection of cars unless you race – but there's something unsatisfying about the Lucky Dip approach to accessing the game's 800 rides.

But, as they say, your mileage may differ. Maybe you just want something in your pocket that'll allow you to play race-driver while your bus idles in traffic. That's cool, too, and Gran Turismo will gladly provide that, in high style.

Toronto Star

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