GT5P US Release (Mini Review)

[ThirdMartini]

I picked this up on Blu-Ray Disk. ( The BD version includes a behind the scenes making of documentary which is pretty cool ).

First Things First.

Install is required, took me about 5 min for the install itself, then the game needed to download the latest patch. That took another 5min. The update includes some bug fixes and improvements and is available for both Euro and Japan.

The graphics are superb, there is definetly a significant improvement over the GTHD demo. And quite frankly puts every other "next-gen" racer to shame. But really that's not the reason I bought this thing... but to get my Logitech Driving Wheel put to use again. The default driving Dynamics feel very much like classic GT, turning the professional physics on and disabling assists really makes the game interesting. It feels much more spot on then Forza which always fel to me felt like the cars were going to break loose in an uncontrollable manner. I started out with the Ford Focus ST ( since I;ve driven that car at the local track before.. so I have a good idea of how the car handles in the "real world" ) and in professional mode I could have sworn I was driving the real thing.

The forced feedback is spot on as well, I always felt something was off with Forza/MS wheel and now I'm convinced that the MS wheel is just junk, the transitions between grip and complete loose of grip on FF cars is spot on in GT5P. You can feel the wheel going loose, or just plain going soft when you loose it completely, bumps feel like bumps and coming of the track in the corner won't rip the wheel out of your hand like it does in Forza. In Forza it always felt like I was fighting the wheel itself, here it feels like I'm actually fighting the car.

I have not tried the online races yet, I'll update once I play a few of those.

The only drawbacks here is that $40 is a bit steep for what you get in this game... 25-30$ would be a much more appropriate price point.. ( but maybe sony knows better since I bought it at 40 and so will a ton of people )

[FrostyMelon]

<P mce_keep="true">Keep us posted.
<P mce_keep="true">With GTAIV right around the corner...this is probably a June rental for me.

[vcize]

Which wheel are you using? The G25?

[ThirdMartini]

I'm actually using the Logitech Driving Force Pro ( Which I bought for GT4 ). Also did some online racing and it was a mixed bag. A few of the races ran great and a few of them had the skipping all over the place issues. ( According to the GT5 manual ... this is supposed to get better over time as GT servers figure out the good hosts from the bad... we'll see ) The lack of in game chat is a downer though.

Also should add that the cockpit view in this game is "godly". I pretty much always used to play using bumper cam in all racing games.. but for some reason I I'm drawn to the the cockpit view in GT5P.

[cdub998]

<P mce_keep="true">Ohhh my copy should ship today. WOO HOO. I'll post up some non wheel impressions too later.

[Nitemare1]

Also for anyone interested it's now available in the PSN store. It's $39.99CAD, not sure if its different in the american PSN store but its only 1.9Gso if i can't find myself a disc copy tonight I'll probably just download it.

[Hazard71]

<P mce_keep="true">I really want to get this but 40 dollars for what is a large demo just seems really steep. Also why is it the same price on the PSN as the retail version? I would think PSN version would be cheaper since the cost of the disc packaging and shipping are gone when dling.

[Ballsjaken]

you're gonna make me want to go out and pick up a ps3. gt4 is the reason i finally broke and bought a ps2 (didn't hurt that they were only $150 at the time). the 360 satisfies all of my other gaming desires, with the exception of a driving game that captivates me like the gt series always has.

[ThirdMartini]

you're gonna make me want to go out and pick up a ps3. gt4 is the reason i finally broke and bought a ps2 (didn't hurt that they were only $150 at the time). the 360 satisfies all of my other gaming desires, with the exception of a driving game that captivates me like the gt series always has.


I'm a GT fan boy, I lost a year of my life because of GT4, and my 360 is going to be mostly off for the next few weeks, so keep that in mind. Also the prologue is not that deep, I managed to get through all C class events in about 3 hours finishing all but 1 in gold. (There are C,B,A class events.. and you can't see whats in the next set of events untill you clear the previous ) There are also manufacturer events that require a specific car. The rest is pretty much standard GT grind to buy new cars gameplay.

I would say that for $20 this would be a no brainer. If you're on the fence I would wait a few days to see more impressions and any news on an update. It seems they have updated the game with more stuff with each release and they're promising to basically keep that up.

Career Mode<ul> Pretty standard GT stuff.
Races are setup with car class/type limits. Yes there is that darn cappucino only race.
Races are either 16 or 8 car setups. Your position in the field varies depending on the event. Unlike previous GTs you don't getto run a placement lap Also noticed several event types: Standard racing, Hot lap and Overtake In hot lap, you are sent out alone withother cars running but the goal is for you to beat the set time. ( The other cars on the trac are faster then you.. it seems to be all about drafting the faster cars as much as possible to keepyour speed up ) I found this oone damn hard.. it's the only event I have not golded in so far. In Overtake you start at the end of the field and have to "draft" yourself into first place Nascar style. Challanging but once you figure out the gist it's actually pretty fun. 6 tracks are included, But they have 2 configurations each ( conffigurations include forward,reverse on some track but others have different configs.. like Suzuka long and short ) S Class Races are unlocked after clearing the A class races At this point you have access to quick tune on all cars, which lets you mess with HP/Gearing/Suspension/etc on cars to tune them to a specific PP level and race that.[/list]

Time Trial/Drift Trial: <ul> This is an offline "ranked" game mode that posts your best time against other pepole in global rankings.
Drift where you score points based on how much time you spend sliding Time trial..how fast you can gun it around the track You can download/save othe players ghosts and race against them[/list]

Arcade Mode<ul> You pick the track, class, opeonent skill, etc No money earned in this mode[/list]

Online<ul> There is a list of events you can participate in,
Events are locked based on if you've passed the A,B,C events in the SP career Before you join the MP session the game gives you the option of free running the track for a while, against ghosts etc No voice
No custom lobbies
[/list]

2P Battle<ul> Race against another player split scree. NoAI players it's just 1vs1
Cockpit view is not supported in this mode.[/list]

GT TV:<ul> Supposed to have some race related videos. All it has right now is the GT Intro movie and the "Beyond The Apex" GT Documentary
[/list]

Misc<ul> When the game goes into "demo" mode it seems to download a random replay off the network once in a while and plays that. You get a fancy weather report from the various tracks around the world Loading times are super fast. It does n

[Ballsjaken]

i'll wait for the full version. there's not enough time in my life with an infant to qualify the purchase of a ps3 and the gt timesink. but a man can still dream...

[BEAR NASTY]

<P mce_keep="true">I wish i could afford a ps3 just for this game and the blue ray action...stupid economy....lol

[cdub998]

<P mce_keep="true">



I wish i could afford a ps3 just for this game and the blue ray action...stupid economy....lol





Meh PS3's arent that much. Go look for a Gamestop refurb. I did that a while back after the 20gigs were discontinued and think I only paid like $330 or something with an extended warranty.

[Jaredpk2000]

Keep an eye towards coupon sites or good news sites. I found the 20% off coupon any item in stock with Kmart to cash that in for a $400 80G bundle.

[FrostyMelon]

<P mce_keep="true">http://kotaku.com/380757/frankenreview-gran-turismo-5-prologue-ps3

[AJ in HD]

<P mce_keep="true">One thing you didn't mention Martini, how is the sound in this game? I have never played any racer other than Forza2, but I'm tempted to try this one out.

[ThirdMartini]

The game sounds are fantastic. I can hear where the other cars are around me no problems. The engine sounds also seem to come from the "right place" IE Front engined cars the sound comes from the front and mid/rear comes from the rear channels. Each car definetly has unique sound to it.

All in all I think it's a bit better then Forza in the sound department, ( But that could be my7.1 setup which works in GT5P, but only 5.1 in Forza ). I do prefer Forza sound in some respects...like tire squeels sound.. it's to plasticy in GT.

I think I would agree with the reviewers in Frosty's post for the most part. Love the game ... but the content itself (cars/tracks) are a bit light.

[vcize]

<P mce_keep="true">Mine came in today and I got a chance to put in a few minutes during lunch, so my first impressions...
<P mce_keep="true">The install/update took about 15 minutes, which was kind of annoying since I was on lunch break and didn't have much time. It's done now though and hopefully with a 60gb HD I won't have to bother uninstalling this until the full version comes out (didn't check how much space it took up).
<P mce_keep="true">The menus were a little load heavy, like going from the "main menu" into the base "options menu" had a load time instead of just going straight in, so navigating around a bunch was kind of frustrating, but that's just a minor thing.
<P mce_keep="true">Once I got into the actual racing though, it was a blast. I went with an RX-8 (bastards start you 1,000cr short of a 350z [:P]) since I had actually test driven one.
<P mce_keep="true">Graphics were pretty ridiculous, in a "really f'ing good" way. Gameplay was same old staple GT gameplay. Putting the sound on "small theater", cranking it up, and going into the cockpit view was A-W-E-S-O-M-E. Replays were, as Martini mentioned, godly.
<P mce_keep="true">I agree with what Martini said about the sound for the most part. The engine sounds, etc are awesome while the collision and tire squeal sounds are fairly lame.
<P mce_keep="true">The game was pretty easy at first as my car was about twice as fast as most of the AI cars in the races I was in, but I assume that will ramp up as I go on, I was only able to squeeze in three races.
<P mce_keep="true">All in all, it's about what I expected, which is a good thing. I really, really hope they get the online stuff sorted out soon because I think this game will be an absolute blast with a group of AGErs.
<P mce_keep="true">I think I'm going to invest in a wheel for this puppy, just so I'm clear there are no wheels that work with both the PS3 and 360, right? Shame if so. Martini would you recommend your wheel? That Logitech G25 looks like the epitome of awesome (even has a clutch petal...sweet) but $250 is quite steep. Maybe I'll spring for that when the full version of GT5 hits [;)]

[FrostyMelon]

<P mce_keep="true">The other devs need to do what Namco did with installs - you get a game to play while you're waiting on the install. It's a cool little feature.

[Blacksmith95]

<P mce_keep="true">I want this game but $40 is hard to pay for it. I could gamefly it for $30 if they ever send it to me.

[Jaredpk2000]

I bought the game tonight and fit some time in for it before and after Rainbow. I don't have much more to add to what other people have commented on. However, I will add a little more about the online play.

I played two or three races and it ran flawlessy in terms of picking a race and joining up with other players quickly. I noticed very little lag. I seen a few hiccups, but nothing that affected my performance. The races I participated in were very close. The rooms were mostly filled with guys that floored it the whole time and bounced all over the track. Of the two races I did finished 4th and 6th while starting towards the very rear of the field.

Its obviously a disappointment the online play didn't come packaged with voice chat and private lobbies, but it is fun for a little romp around the track whenever your tired of whooping on the AI competition.

[ShapeGSX]

I've read that if you download the PSN version instead of buying the BD version, you have to be onlineand logged into PSN in order to play the game![:#]

[Blacksmith95]

<P mce_keep="true">



I've read that if you download the PSN version instead of buying the BD version, you have to be onlineand logged into PSN in order to play the game!http://adultgamingenthusiasts.com/emoticons/emotion-16.gif



<P mce_keep="true">


That sucks. If your internets down then your screwed.

[KingHackenslash]

<P mce_keep="true">
I've read that if you download the PSN version instead of buying the BD version, you have to be onlineand logged into PSN in order to play the game!http://adultgamingenthusiasts.com/emoticons/emotion-16.gif



<P mce_keep="true">


I wonder if thats the way it works for all games you buy/ download from the playstation store.

[Bourbon]

<P mce_keep="true">I considered getting Prologue today, but just couldn't bring myself to. Won't you ulimately be paying $100 for GT5 if you buy the full versionwhen it releases, or am I missing something?
<P mce_keep="true">EDIT: Not that that's a problem, since I'd gladly pay $100 for a couple of levels of Gears 2.

[soul embrace]

I've read that if you download the PSN version instead of buying the BD version, you have to be onlineand logged into PSN in order to play the game!http://adultgamingenthusiasts.com/emoticons/emotion-16.gif








I wonder if thats the way it works for all games you buy/ download from the playstation store.

nope i just unplugged my ethernet cable (i wasn't hooked up wifi either cause i haven't set that up) and was still able to play my downloaded games, so i don't see why you can't play the downloaded version of GT5P if you are not logged in. if someone wants to give me the money to download it i will be happy to test it out for you [:)]

[ShapeGSX]

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/04/18/playstation-store-update-grandest-of-turismos-edition




All told, a solid week for PlayStation 3 owners. Be wary of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/03/18/gran-turismo-5-prologue-download-squeezed-into-1-9-gbs);
the download version requires you to be logged into the Network and
thus connected to the internet in order to play. We'll have a full
review of the title in the near future.

[soul embrace]

that's kind of odd cause IGN has nothing about not being able to play it unless you sign up. IGN will usually bring up something like that. i really don't care though cause i don't plan on getting it or the full version. still going to take that info with a grain of salt to i see it on more than one site no offense shape

[ShapeGSX]

that's kind of odd cause IGN has nothing about not being able to play it unless you sign up. IGN will usually bring up something like that. i really don't care though cause i don't plan on getting it or the full version. still going to take that info with a grain of salt to i see it on more than one site no offense shape



http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/driving/granturismo5prologue/show_msgs.php?topic_id=m-1-42286033&amp;pid=942026

http://www.geekpulp.co.nz/2008/03/29/gt5-prologue-vs-ummm-gt5-prologue/



Well, that's 3. :)

[soul embrace]

k the only site there you listed i even heard of is gamestop so make it 2 [:)]



at the same time if you have the internet to download it i don't see why it's such a problem to have the download version to have to sign in to psn to play it. the 99% of time my internet has been down my power has been down also and then i couldn't turn on my PS3. the 2% of the time it might be down i would play something else.........no big deal. if i remember correctly when i swapped out my 360 that stop playing games, once i put the old harddrive on the new one i had to be signed in to play the xbl arcade games.

[ShapeGSX]

http://www.ps3news.com/PS3Online/gt5-prologue-agreement-missing-vital-information-cant-play-offline/

http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-129345.aspx (http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-129345.aspx)


Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if Warhawk is the same way. People probably don't notice with Warhawk because you never play that one offline. There are definitely 2 tiers of PSN games. The $20 and under tier which can be shared. The over $20 tier that can't even be played unless you are logged into PSN.

[soul embrace]

it makes sense though why release a game then one person buys it and then let everyone have it.

also anyone that buys warhawk and then expects to play offline is just dumb, since it's an online only game. it would be like going out and buying shadowrun and then getting mad that there it doesn't have good single player and you need to have xbox live gold to really get anything out of it.

when MS realeases a full game over live you can beat you will have to be signed into live to play it.

[ThirdMartini]

Just found that after clearing the game (C,B,A) classes the game unlocks S class races which let you tune your car with extra HP, less weight etc, differnet gearing, suspension setups, etc. ( You don't add on any actual parts.. just has dials for all the settings and then it calculates the PP number) Different races in theS class allow you to tune any car to that races PP rating. Pretty nifty. ( Also tuned cars are available for racing in the Online S class races )

Now to grind out 2,000,000 credits to get that ferrari F1 car.

[MazzingerZ]

<P mce_keep="true">



I considered getting Prologue today, but just couldn't bring myself to. Won't you ulimately be paying $100 for GT5 if you buy the full versionwhen it releases, or am I missing something?


EDIT: Not that that's a problem, since I'd gladly pay $100 for a couple of levels of Gears 2.





GT5 is out until next year so those 100 are very subjective, at least for me,and yes you might be missing something considering you have nothing against playing the SP of racing game, don't you? just ask yourself what am Iplaying right now?..Halo 3?...wouldn't GT5Prologue be better? [:)]

[MazzingerZ]

<P mce_keep="true">



http://www.ps3news.com/PS3Online/gt5-prologue-agreement-missing-vital-information-cant-play-offline/


http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-129345.aspx (http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-129345.aspx)



Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if Warhawk is the same way. People probably don't notice with Warhawk because you never play that one offline. There are definitely 2 tiers of PSN games. The $20 and under tier which can be shared. The over $20 tier that can't even be played unless you are logged into PSN.





yeah warhawk is the same thing...but what's the big issue here? don't get it... PSN is free...or do one have to pay a PSN fee in the US? in that case then it's wrong people is forced to pay furtherfees to play a game they already paid for...and "ironically"downloaded using the service they're asked to have enabled in order to play...maybe this is done to avoidpeople downloading this game to different PS3s and then share it...I don't know...but for an online community like AGE this is kind of irrelevant IMO...there's al ot of positive things about the game, like what Martini wrote

[ShapeGSX]

The issue is that if your internet goes out, or PSN is down, you can't play the game you legally purchased. This is not mentioned at all in the license agreement. Whereas if you buy the Blu-Ray version for exactly the same price, there is no such issue. At least one guy has been burnt by this and can't play the game he paid good money for. http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/driving/granturismo5prologue/show_msgs.php?topic_id=m-1-42286033&amp;pid=942026

Anyway, I was just warning people to buy the blu-ray version and not the downloaded version. Microsoft has the same issue with games you purchase on a different console (must be logged into live to play the games on a different console than you purchased them on unless it is a repaired console), and they get crucified for it all the time. I just figured it wasn't a desired term of the game licensing.

[Bourbon]

<P mce_keep="true">
Anyway, I was just warning people to buy the blu-ray version and not the downloaded version.And it's a valid and helpful warning, too. Thanks.

[soul embrace]

Anyway, I was just warning people to buy the blu-ray version and not the downloaded version.And it's a valid and helpful warning, too. Thanks.

yea i was just trying to make sure it was right, i usually wait till i see more info on something other than on one site before i take it as truth. with some sites that likes to whine about every little thing it's getting harder and harder to believe stuff.

thanks for the info and like i said it makes sense though, cause one person could by it and then use his info on other people's PS3s and get them the game for free.

[Blacksmith95]

<P mce_keep="true">Also moving is an issue. I could be without internet for 2 weeks during a move. Not a big deal since I can play other games but still bothersome.

[MazzingerZ]

<P mce_keep="true">



The issue is that if your internet goes out, or PSN is down, you can't play the game you legally purchased. This is not mentioned at all in the license agreement. Whereas if you buy the Blu-Ray version for exactly the same price, there is no such issue. At least one guy has been burnt by this and can't play the game he paid good money for. http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/driving/granturismo5prologue/show_msgs.php?topic_id=m-1-42286033&amp;pid=942026


Anyway, I was just warning people to buy the blu-ray version and not the downloaded version. Microsoft has the same issue with games you purchase on a different console (must be logged into live to play the games on a different console than you purchased them on unless it is a repaired console), and they get crucified for it all the time. I just figured it wasn't a desired term of the game licensing.





They have now changed the license agreement, it reads now "You must sign in toPSN each time you start the game" but still I don't think that kid got his money back. Yeah people expect this to work like all the other games you purchase on the PS3and it doesn't, that's the problem, this is not the way it works for 99% of the games, I expect SOCOM, WIpeout HD and all the other big PSN titles work the same.

[Jaredpk2000]

I completed all of the "A Class" races after buckling down and grinding out the F430. I must say it made the game immensely more enjoyable to me. The "Quick Tune" option made the game infinitely more enjoyable. It really allows someone to drive the car in a way that is preferrable to them, and I always enjoy tuning the car up to shave time off of my lap times.

For non-car enthusiasts it is quite a bit easier using the Quick Tune rather then the tuning options available in Forza 2. It gives a brief description of what each option does for car handling and a slider to make adjustments.

[FlipMasterFlash]

Can we send you cars to tune and then have you send them back like we could in Forza 2? [:D]

[Jaredpk2000]

Nope, but I could always just voice chat with you in game and give you my settings. Wait... nevermind. (A dig, I know I know, sorry!)

I don't remember anyone ever sending me a car to tune besides Firehead when we ran in the league, and he never liked what I sent because we preferred different driving styles.

[All4Fun]

<P mce_keep="true">Wouldn't it make sense to buy the physical media (BD version) so that if you get tired of the game, you can trade it for something else? That's been my rationale anyway. You can't do that with downloaded games.

[All4Fun]

<P mce_keep="true">Has anyone figured out a creative way to race with your friends online when playing GT5P?

[scorpion wins]

<P mce_keep="true">Just wondering how much you miss damage models in this game? I can't imagine slamming into cars or walls without reprocutions will do justice to the games realistic physics.
<P mce_keep="true">Competitive racing just isnt the same if you can use AI cars as a backstop while taking the inside corners. Is there any penalty for doing this?

[ThirdMartini]

Just wondering how much you miss damage models in this game? I can't imagine slamming into cars or walls without reprocutions will do justice to the games realistic physics.


Competitive racing just isnt the same if you can use AI cars as a backstop while taking the inside corners. Is there any penalty for doing this?



In lower classes no.. in the higher classes you get a time penalty for slaming other cars , walls or taking short cuts. Makes some S class races a royal pita.