GT5 First Impressions

[vantage2]

I posted this in another thread, it's what I feel the game should have been and sadly COULD have been...

Just bring the game into present times, that's what I want. I don't want to feel like I'm playing an updated PS2 game, which is what it feels like,

- Damage - Give us a proper damage system, make the cars actually interact with the other cars on the track instead of bouncing off each other like Dinky toys. And proper mechanical damage and brake fade.

- Customization - I don't care if it doesn't effect the driving experience, jesus, just because master 'Kaz' doesn't enjoy it doesn't mean it isn't fun for anyone else. Let me paint my car whatever colour I want, let me paint my wheels and choose the sizes, let me put decals, let me slam the car to the ground if I want, if it isn't suitable for racing then that will be reflected in the game, but let me do it anyway. No I don't want neon lights, 24" rims, and ridiculous body kits like NFS. But something along the lines of Forza would be great.

Even being able to buy a standard car, say a Mercedes, and be able to 'ship' it to Renntech, or Brabus, or something to have it modded would be amazing. Add in Hamann, Hartge, Gemballa, Alpina, etc and you see what I'm getting at.

- Tuning - Give us more freedom. Why can't I make a 500hp Civic if I want by manipulating the boost pressure. If the engine explodes after one race then fine, it'll still be a lot of fun. I don't want to be restricted in what I can tune. Engine swaps within manufacturers would also be tons of fun.

- Sound - Proper engine sounds please. It's improved since GT4 but it isn't nearly right yet.

- Fix the weird shadowing and screen tear

Listen to what other people want for a change PD

The sad part is that all of the above could have easily been done in the past 5 years and we would have an amazing racing game. Instead we essentially have an updated racing game with some new features that no one cares about, nor would they miss them since they weren't a part of the old games.

So what would you rather have, the above, or:

- Karting

- Nascar

- Photomode

- (A limited) Course Maker

- (Limited) Weather

- (Limited) Time change

 

[elrousso]

I don't understand people that say they don't care about customizing their car because they aren't looking at it while driving. Would you be upset if every single car in the game was only available in black? It wouldn't effect the driving experience but it would totally suck.

Of course, it would suck big time if every single car in the game was only available in black, but my point wasn't there.

You go to the dealership, you buy a car and you can choose what color it comes in, among the colors that are available for that particular car. Now the other method of getting cars in the game is winning them, then they come is one of the available colors for that particular car. What I pointed out was, nobody made that point a game-killing flaw for GT1 through GT4 (even GT5P, though it isn't technically a game).

Obviously, I like having a choice when buying a car that I'm going to drive for some time, and that would be a big letdown if all the cars were the same color. Having the (limited) possibility of changing the color of the cars I win, when one is not a color I like, is a nice addition I was looking forward to since a couple games back in the series.

In GT2 and GT4 (didn't play GT3, shame on me) we had the possibility of changing the rims on the cars, but I'll honestly say it isn't something that really added to the game's value, unless you're going to make extensive use of the photomode and REALLY don't like the rims the cars come equipped with (I'll admit there was a time I regularly changed rims on my cars in GT2, but I don't remember it making the game much more enjoyable for me 10 minutes after having made the switch)...

I would gladly trade karting, nascar, and the course 'maker' to have a proper customization options and more freedom with tuning for all of the premium cars. This adds a whole new aspect to the game.

I agree with you on the fact that the tuning possibilities are pretty much limited, but I wouldn't go as far as taking out karting, NASCAR and the course maker to make tuning bigger, as there are other things I would take out before (museum, a couple Corvettes, NSXs, S2000s, MX-5s, Lancers, Skylines and Imprezas), I mean, do we really need one Skyline per year (quick glance at the car list, R33 '95, '96 and '97, both GT-R AND GT-R V-Spec) ?

Granted, I would LOVE to see more customization options on the cars, but I'm still happy with what is there, while hoping for upgrades (likely via DLC), in the meantime, people can always go play Forza if they want to, like I said I don't own any of the FM games (or an Xbox / Xbox360 for that matter), but I played every version a little bit and I didn't have as good a first impression as with the GT series as a whole, including GT5 (though I didn't spend many hours on the Forza games, something I plan to do eventually, so I can compare the two series on an "almost" equal footing)

 

[hagars35]

The career mode in gt4 was great you picked your first car and had ton of options with that car. You had the choice of 3 or 4 halls with very diverse races you could possible enter your car, in gt5 you get 1 or two options. Great looking game but they seemed to miss on some of the things that make the series great. You have tons of cars and tracks and manufacturers but have not created a cool career mode to implement them. GT5 is a pretty girl with no personality!

 

[m_a_r_s_h_a_l_l]

I've said it before, but this. All the other negavites people have been bringing up, pale in comparison to this. This is a problem with the CORE of the game: the combination of 'shifty' graphics, mainly shadows (ALSO on premium cars) and a framerate that can't quite hold 60 makes this game not such a nice place to be in. It might get better with patches though. And again, driving physics are awesome.

Glad some one else notices this. I have just put Prolouge back on and its so much better (graphically and framerate wise). At the moment i cant settle into the game due to this. If you drive in bumper cam and other views the f/rate improves but im a big fan of the cockpit view and its bugging me.

I hope a patch is possible. But i dont hear many other people complaining.

Plus i think the boys at Poly will be working through the night with all the other issues.

 

[diegorborges]

OMG, funky sesame street music while I'm swapping springs in the tuning menu! Makes me want to get up and clap meh hands!

That's the GT spirit.

Even with some flaws, the whole GT-feeling its there. And you just feel at home!

 

[vantage2]

Of course, it would suck big time if every single car in the game was only available in black, but my point wasn't there.

You go to the dealership, you buy a car and you can choose what color it comes in, among the colors that are available for that particular car. Now the other method of getting cars in the game is winning them, then they come is one of the available colors for that particular car. What I pointed out was, nobody made that point a game-killing flaw for GT1 through GT4 (even GT5P, though it isn't technically a game).

My point is that, when we choose a car from the dealership we take a few moments to decide what colour we'd like based on our own personal tastes, even if we aren't going to be looking at the car much while driving. But it just adds a very limited personal touch to the car and it's nice to look at. Customization just takes that to the extreme. I guarantee that with a good customization feature you would spend a lot of time just playing around the design and enjoying just looking at what you have created, and that to me adds a whole other aspect to the game. and then once you bring this creation out online everyone else can appreciate your work.

I agree with you on the fact that the tuning possibilities are pretty much limited, but I wouldn't go as far as taking out karting, NASCAR and the course maker to make tuning bigger, as there are other things I would take out before (museum, a couple Corvettes, NSXs, S2000s, MX-5s, Lancers, Skylines and Imprezas), I mean, do we really need one Skyline per year (quick glance at the car list, R33 '95, '96 and '97, both GT-R AND GT-R V-Spec) ?

Definitely. I was not at all suggesting that all of the cars in the game are necessary. If removing 50% of the cars in the game meant including a really nice customization feature I would gladly accept that.

As far as DLC goes, I hope we don't see car packages for a long time. There is just too much about this game that needs to be fixed and too many features that we need to see before car packages make any sense. Put it this way, I am a massive Ferrari fan and was sad to see so many Ferrari's were left out of the game. But the state that the game is in right now I wouldn't bother paying any amount of money to have more Ferrari's in the game. I would however pay for some proper damage and customization for the cars that are in the game.

 

[GT master42]

Its not perfect, but the PS3 is quite old technology at this point. I think it's quite an accomplishment and feels like a proper blend of old GT and new elements. It's beautiful at times, immensely deep, and has physics to die for. GT5 will easily keep me busy for years to come. I find a lot can't appreciate it for what it is -- they just expected it to be the be-all-end-all racing game with no blemishes, period. Some of the standards look okay at best, and some of the tracks have low-res backgrounds, but that's not why we buy GT, it's all about the driving experience.

As a GT fan, PD delivered about 90% of what I expected. I'm impressed, and thoroughly satisfied.

I love how a lot of reviewers are playing it like its a "racing game." 1UP said the physics feel like other GT games which clearly indicates a lot of people quite don't simply understand this GT5. It is a driving simulator -- use it as such and you will see the game's full potential. If you have spent time with aids off, and a wheel set to Simulation mode, then you can truly evaluate and comment on the physics. I'm making a reasonably fair assumption that most of the reviewers are using TCS, Skid Recovery, Amateur steering setting/Controller, etc. to water-down the experience.

 

[Proud_God]

... I find a lot can't appreciate it for what it is -- they just expected it to be the be-all-end-all racing game with no blemishes, period.

No, I just expected it to be NOT worse than GT5 prologue in graphic and framerate departement. That is not expecting too much, now is it?

 

[Cobra101]

No, I just expected it to be NOT worse than GT5 prologue in graphic and framerate departement. That is not expecting too much, now is it?

Physics are better.

But hey, let's be frank.

That's of little concern around here.

 

[porschedrifter]

Absolutely not asking too much. It should have been just as solid in looks and fps as prologue if NOT better.

The customizations in GT4 I loved, Forza3 customizations I also loved as well.

The fact that GT5 seemed to go backwards on a few things from GT4 is beyond belief, what happened to progression?????

These are the things that will likely bother me the most.

 

[GT master42]

No, I just expected it to be NOT worse than GT5 prologue in graphic and framerate departement. That is not expecting too much, now is it?

"Worse than Prologue" can be attributed to Standards, which we knew were coming. I'll admit I'm disappointed with the trees on Top Gear track, Trial Mountain, and Deep forest. These tracks aren't up to Prologue standards and I won't argue there. Furthermore, certain TV's can make it look a lot better/worse. On my Samsung 42" plasma there's Aliasing everywhere, but it's not evident on my 52" Sony LCD Bravia. This can be a factor as well.

I haven't found the framerate to be an annoyance, and have only noticed it 2 or 3 times honestly. I think its reasonable to expect slight drops with the improved lighting engine, weather system, and increased number of cars on track (at times) because this undoubtedly pushes the PS3 to work a bit harder.

I can understand your issues, different people will have different opinions of it.

 

[elrousso]

But it just adds a very limited personal touch to the car and it's nice to look at. Customization just takes that to the extreme. I guarantee that with a good customization feature you would spend a lot of time just playing around the design and enjoying just looking at what you have created, and that to me adds a whole other aspect to the game. and then once you bring this creation out online everyone else can appreciate your work.

It would indeed add a great personal touch, and I really think most people would be pleased to have it added to the game, and would make it even more interesting when racing online, where other racers would be able to see your own cars and you could see theirs.

As far as DLC goes, I hope we don't see car packages for a long time. There is just too much about this game that needs to be fixed and too many features that we need to see before car packages make any sense. Put it this way, I am a massive Ferrari fan and was sad to see so many Ferrari's were left out of the game. But the state that the game is in right now I wouldn't bother paying any amount of money to have more Ferrari's in the game. I would however pay for some proper damage and customization for the cars that are in the game.

I neither want car packages, at least not right now. I agree with you (and with most other people out there) on this, they need to fix what is wrong first, which according to most users are the graphics, damage, and more customization, and maybe upgrades standard cars' models (not necessarily to premiums, but to something else than HD GT4 models.

 

[GTP_BR_Octane]

Isnt it a bit early to start complaining about a game which's game release date was yesterday?

I understand there are hundreds of players who played the game for hours. And those should have already come to some conclusions.

But, wouldnt be wiser to go deeper in the game, experience it further and wait for some enlightment from PD about its next steps regarding the game evolution?

Instead of approaching it as final product I would rather look at it as a launch plataform.

Peace, BR_Octnae

 

[Vaga]

I'm feeling the same, the more I play the game the more I enjoy it, just had a couple of online races and they went very smooth no more connection problems but still it needs a power/weight regulation.

 

[Biggles]

Even with some flaws, the whole GT-feeling its there. And you just feel at home!

I think this is part of the problem. Maybe it was cutting edge 10 years ago but it's time for the whole "GT-feeling" to move on a bit. People who grew up with GT may be nostalgic about it, but I'm not sure younger kids are going to find it that enthralling & for older folks, it's just a game, not a "home".

Having said that, the actual driving is good - the F40 is just spectacular to drive, a real MR beast & the most exciting car I've driven in a console sim to date. One other plus is the screen shake that PD have introduced at high speed & under heavy braking - a very welcome change from the realistic but bland visuals in Prologue. 👍

But yes, it seems like the graphics are rougher than Prologue's in many ways. It's all very well to blame the aging PS3, but whose fault is that?! This is the FIRST full GT on the PS3 - we were told repeatedly by fanboys: "Prologue is just a demo"! Now we have to swallow that when the full game finally appears the hardware is already dated?!

 

[elrousso]

Isnt it a bit early to start complaining about a game which's game release date was yesterday?

Instead of approaching it as final product I would rather look at it as a launch plataform.

I agree with you BR_Octane, we've been complaining a little too much for too little time spent on the game ;P I'm still going to play it, because like I said earlier, it puts a smile on my face every single moment I play it

 

[m_a_r_s_h_a_l_l]

If you have a moment pop GT5P on and take a spin round one of the tracks and then go back to GT5. Its stuggling now. The improvements in the new game (physics are great now) are over shadowed by the current graphic performance.

I cross my fingers and all that and hope PD patch it up, somehow!

 

[dan00001]

been playing on gt5 today and i do like everything about the game but... i am hugely, hugely dissapointed in the sound of the cars wich is one of the most important things to me. i just watched the demo of the impreza wrc car in dealerships shocking! sounds like a hairdryer lol! my EK civic type r, doesnt sound anything like a v-tech! a year ago i wouldnt have said this but since waiting for gt5 for i dont know how long! i bought an xbox and forza3 and personally i think its better, atleast for the sound anyways. but apart from that i think its a great game! and ofcoarse it has rally events wich forza3 doesnt

 

[Proud_God]

"Worse than Prologue" can be attributed to Standards, which we knew were coming.

No, forget the standards (which I think are good enough, btw, but that's not the point). I'm talking about: pick any car in prologue (thus premium) and put down a lap, then pick the same car and track in GT5. Graphical performance is worse. I see games developers make the same mistake over and over: they want to put too much in their game, going over the limits of the console. I always would have thought that PD would not fall in this trap, but I guess they kinda did.

 

[Cobra101]

Isnt it a bit early to start complaining about a game which's game release date was yesterday?



Peace, BR_Octnae

Not around here. The pissing, whining and moaning is truly epic. Never quite seen a place with so many snot nosed piss ants.

Sorry, but it had to be said.



Kaz Yamauchi truly has to be disheartened by it all.

 

[badeddy]

This thread is about the impressions of the game. It kills me how if we who purchased the game with our hard earned money don't like the product we are considered to be whining and moaning. In my case i bought the collectors edition and I do like the physics but aside from that this game fails on so many levels. If people like myself just buy into the "Oh its GT so its gotta be great" fanboyisim that is rampant then we will keep getting products like this. As many have said we don't even have to compare it to forza we can look back to gt4 and see that this game is sorely lacking.

 

[sinbad]

Not played much, but enough to get an impression.

I really like the handling/physics. It's fun, but still convincing and real enough, I was fairly sure it would be.
I also quite like the track builder.


I dislike the ropey shadows and smoke/dust/spray effects (or more specifically, the way those effects interact with the car). Any wow factor the smoke has is shot down right away by the saw-toothed outline around the car. Make it work properly, or don't bother PD!

I dislike the flickery shadows on cars.

I dislike the way cars have no headlights on in your rear view mirror.

I think the way the spray is blown off Monza at 200mph is just weird, there is no other indication that it is so windy. The trees don't move and the rain isn't coming in sideways.

I really hate that there are no 2-player replays.

I also dislike the omission of Seattle, and the way weather is not available everywhere.



Overall, though. It doesn't feel polished, not even in the graphics department, which is not something I could ever have said about ANY previous GT.
It's like they bit off far more than they could chew.

I know I would rather have smoke/dirt/spray that looked good around cars than all of those premium cars and their fancy interiors, particularly when they all have steering wheels that do not turn enough to give the slightest impression of realism anyway.

 

[finnracer]

My mini review(only received game this morning so I will keep this updated):

Overall 9/10

Physics: 9.5/10 Definite improvement over GT4, GT5P and GT5TT, the weight transfer on the MR cars feels fantastic, plenty of feedback and most cars I have driven are great fun to drive(the Hommel!). Best physics on a console racing game by a fair distance in my opinion.

Graphics: 7.5/10 Good overall premium cars look stunning as do some of the standards, others a little disappointing. Main issue here being jaggies, although you generally don't really notice them when racing when you take a quick look at the shadows I have to admit, they are not great. Main areas for improvement are the shadows and a little more consistency in both the cars and tracks would be nice.

Cars: 9.5/10 Huge range to choose from, initially I though some omissions might bother me but there are so many other to choose you don't really notice. It would be nice a few more standard cars were displayed each time you visit the dealer as it can be hard to find the one you've been looking for, especially if you have been saving up for it! Japanese cars are obviously dominant but there are still plenty of great European and American cars and all of them range from everyday hatchbacks and saloons such as the Yaris, Micra and Mazda 6 to Supercars and racing cars such as The Mclaren F1, Ferrari Enzo, NASCARS, SUPER GT and WRC all having a decent presence. In this respect I would say the different types of cars in the game are all well represented and are second to none. Only noticeable omission is the lack of cars from down under but for ME that is not much of an issue.

Tracks: 9/10 Plenty to choose from, good mix of real, fantasy, rally and city courses plus you can make your own! All regions are well represented in this area as well; America(Daytona, Indy, Laguna Seca) Europe(Monza, Nurb') and Japan(Tsukuba, Suzuka, Fuji). No Spa, Bathurst, Infineon but plenty of others to choose from so its no huge loss!!

Online: I will review this separately as I want to see what its like once the initial rush goes.

Career: 9/10 So far so good loads of races in various different cars and tacks. First races are fairly easy so if you want a challenge then I recommend avoiding tuning you car until you need to. You seem to win more money than you did in GT4 meaning progress up the giant car ladder is quicker, although some may argue it loses some of the sense of achievement when you get your first Supercar! Car delivery is ok as long as you use it as you win the cars as a backlog takes ages to clear out! So far tried Karting, NASCAR and TG challenges and I think they are a good idea but the prizes are a little generous seen as they are unlocked so quickly. Licenses are all in Premium cars and the TG track is now used for the accelerating and braking runs but other wise it should be very familiar with anyone whos played GT4

Sum Up: Excellent game, not perfect but mainly just needs some brushing up here and there - should keep me occupied for the next few years anyway

Overall 9/10

 

[Danisfast]

@Cobra101: I'm inclined to agree (although not in such strong terms); I wonder if this thread was a bad idea (since it seems to be encouraging knee-jerk posts). Some people could do with reflecting a bit more on what we actually HAVE got, as much as what we haven't. One user commented that he was surprised (or disappointed?) that Gran Turismo hadn't been destroyed in a professional review. I think those are the words of someone who, rightly or wrongly, expected perfection. I think we should take a sympathetic view to what we actually have here.

Am I suggesting that all criticisms should be withheld? No, of course not. I think it is OK to feel a little disappointed that the lengthy development time isn't obviously felt in the game; the facts that the core element - the driving - and each of those delicious, 200 premiums takes 3 months in man-hours to create, are notwithstanding of course. However, what is undeniable about Gran Turismo 5 is that we have at least a great game, if not an outstanding one. Whilst I think the online needs time to stabilise and evolve, I stand by my review. The truth is; most of us will all still be playing this in a year's time due not to fanboy-ism, but the quality that pervades through enough of the presentation, and totally the important stuff; the driving.

Oh, and whilst I accept the point about GT being stuck in the past in some areas, I personally happen to like some of the identifying features; such as the strange jazz-tunes, and racing in a Vitz. These are among the many reasons, conventional and otherwise, why I, and so many people around the world, play Gran Turismo.

 

[Cobra101]

Please people. Take your copies back to Kaz personally, pour gas on them and set them ablaze. That will show him.

 

[Cobra101]

Do we need discussion of this game. It's already been herald a disaster of epic proportions so any discussion of it will just turn into a cesspool of hate.

 

[Puzyaka]

Work in progress, is what I conclude from playing the game for 2 days now and reading all these reviews. It seems that PD/Sony used GT5 to finance further development in the franchise. They already said that they are working on GT6, they said that this game isn't for this gen of hardware, therefore, it seems they didn't make it as good as it can be, just good enough to get by.

Standards have got to retire already, the technology which was used to make them is very old, and it shows.

Like in GT4, in this game I'd love to have:

Fully customizable cars, this means brakes and liveries too
Full GT franchise track list
Bringing back the feeling that I made progress in the game
Being able to do a pit stop and have B spec Bob continue until I take a rest
Having B spec separate does not make sense for me, what's the point of playing a racing manager, can I be part of the team, can I do half of the race in A spec?
I don't care if I only get 300 cars, they don't need to be called premium. They already set the standard for graphics quality, they're just cars. Standards have got to retire already.
Even in dry weather there is an issue with frame rates, pixalated shadows, this was not the case with GT5 prologue. PS3 is not ready yet for that graphical eye candy yet.
Sony has spent so much money on advertising the game and they did a really good job, in fact so good that when I got the game my expectations were too high.
If GT4 had these graphics, physics, and online, + whatever they want to add, it would be the perfect driving simulator.


That said, it is still a very good game. It is a foundation on which absolutely the best racing game can be built given that it comes out on the next gen of consoles.

 

[Cobra101]

Do we need discussion of this game. It's already been herald a disaster of epic proportions so any discussion of it will just turn into a cesspool of hate.

 

[Touchingcloth76]

I agree that the graphics are worse than Prologue's, although there's less of that horrid 'shimmering' effect. It's trying so very hard to hold a solid image but it suffers tears and pop-ups as a result.
I suppose it comes down to the lack of RAM at the end of the day.

Having said that though, I do think the Nurburgring looks pretty solid, but I haven't spent long there yet.

The physics are, as we all know by now, fantastic which is the most important aspect of the game.

Engine sound is better than Prologue but not quite as grunty as i'd like. I want somewhere between the behind view (which is ace) and the front/interior view (too tame).

Game menu navigation is a bit crap. Press circle to go back to an icon where you have to press x to exit. Why not just press circle again to exit.

Online: complete rubbish so far. Lock-ups galore for me. I'll give it a few days to calm down.

Overall: It's a good game but that's all it is. After 6 years waiting for the ultimate driving simulator it's not good enough. Too many bugs make it feel like a beta test. [F1 2010 anyone?] (maybe a bit harsh?)
But 6 years development? sorry but it's just not up to scratch... but still, I will play it to death and enjoy it too.

Apologies for the rant but I needed to air my feelings.

 

[Cobra101]

I guess people should have read reviews before they wasted their money.