Video Game Review: 'Gran Turismo' goes slightly off track in PSP version
Lack of career mode means there's little incentive to win.
"Gran Turismo" is one of the most ambitious titles for the PSP, the first time the storied franchise can be played on a handheld system. The good news is it's packed with cars and tracks and looks great. The bad news is that for such a beefy game there are not enough things to do.
What they're selling: From SCEA - "Prove your driving skills on 35 tracks, and trade or share more than 800 stunning cars from the world's top manufacturers."
What we're telling: The "Gran Turismo" series is known for its depth, and the selection of cars is stunning. The tracks will be mostly familiar to anyone who has played older versions of "GT."
The nut graph: There is a lot to like, with a super-smooth framerate and decent handling, But there is not really a career mode; all tracks are available from the beginning and all the cars are for sale, although you have to keep checking back at dealerships as they rotate constantly.
Making enough money to try out even the best race-cars is not hard (and you have to buy them, since there are no cars awarded for winning events), so you can pretty much get a feel for everything the game has to offer in a single afternoon. Dozens of quick driving tests are good for a little bit of training and are also a source of cash, but there's no other reward for getting gold in each.
That makes it a much lighter experience than "Gran Turismo" games for consoles, where you had to win races to tune up your car, and win the best cars by winning championships. This is more of a simple racing simulator, functional enough for hard-core racing gamers, but the lack of a real career mode is a bitter pill. This is a good game that could have been fantastic.
Reason to smile: Cars you buy in the PSP version can be transferred to the PS3 version when it arrives next year. That should be good for a head start, assuming that game has a career mode.
Reason to growl: Simply the lack of a career mode. You can win race after race but the game never seems to get far.
robert.mcginty@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4250