Having spent a few hours now with the DLC my main take-away is that it should have been two separate things. The DLC that expands the base game is great. I love the new cars, the level update (though I'm already max again), the permanent invitations, new tracks, and new races.
The Power Pack part should have been a new game. It's 100% arcade. There's nothing that ties it to Gran Turismo outside of the tracks used and that PD is the developer and publisher.
It's as robust and replayable as Ridge Racer 5 was from like 2002. Once you complete a "challenge" (and I can't even call it that b/c even with using the 2 Chilli car I'm winning by seconds) there's no reason ever to go back to it whereas in the base game you can go back and try a different car, different setup, etc.
Progression of the "Race Weekend" isn't great either. While practice can be fun most of the time 5 laps is all that is needed to dial the braking points in and grasp the handling of the car.
Qualifying is a joke. I mean it's great that I can start up front now instead of chase the rabbit but for the most part it's 1-2 laps is all that's needed and the rest of the time you're sitting in the pit screen with fast forward going.
The racing has been amazing! That's the part that keeps me from wanting a refund. My main issue here is that while I'm presented with 3 options that I can't change in any way there's often 3-4 other options the AI gets to have. I want ALL the options.
Again, 100% arcade and 100% NOT GT. The Power Pack is an amazing arcade game. Don't tell me it's Gran Turismo because it's not.
I haven't gotten to the enduros yet. I expect to be as disappointed with them as I am with the rest of the Power Pack and it's 100% going to be because I can't use my own garage cars in them. Sell me the PP as a new game for 30 USD and I'm singing your praises. Sell me the Power Pack as a GT DLC for 30 and I'm pissed off.
Same difference....
Let's say they went with your proposal,
Someone here will just be asking
why a new game, why not just make it an extension of GT7, why separate it... It's too short to be a game on its own and it's too expensive at $30 for what it is, especially a standalone the game.
That's why it is a DLC, you can think of it as you want.
In previous GT, there was an Arcade section.
I would say this very much belong to GT.
Here is what I gather GT8 should be:
A - licenses, missions and menus (cafe section?)
B - arcade (pick up and play) with local players (multiplayer) and music rally (just mindless fun)
C - car collecting, history and appreciation (cafe)
D - single player mode and career mode (sim based model)
E - live sanctioned racing against the community (GT Sport)
F - free roam open world with side quests like Forza Horizon and everything else... ( Based on arcade models)
G - community and social interaction (liveries, share photos and videos)
H - customs races, lobbies and map/track creations (that can be accessible for B, F and G
I - photography (scapes), technically this should be in C.
All that can coexist in one single game....
