What 1 thing makes Gran Turismo as great as it is

  • Thread starter Thread starter iAMgt5
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I would probably just say the overall feeling of quality, which is more related to the visuals, the love of cars and racing that you can feel it wanting to suck you into.

Definitely NOT the physics though. Ive never loved how the cars feel in GT games, they dont feel like when I drive my own car. Just never felt right to me, but everything else is so good that I get over how 'lifeless' the cars feel.
 
What got me most excited about GT1 when I read a preview was the License Tests. I believe that was a first and it's so unique. You get a feel for not only the physics but also how you should spend the rest of your time driving. If you can get it right in the license test(s), you are ready for the next section of the game.

Jerome
 
Well apart from the variety there is also the structure of GT mode which is one of the best gameplay modes to the date,also the restrictions in some races,rally with unlikely cars,also the licences and the driving challenges.
 
iAMgt5
OK, I know this might be a tough question to answer, especially when you're limited to picking 1 reason, but let's see what we can come up with.

I love the series now, so it's pretty hard for me to find the one, but I think I just found it tonight.

My wife and myself have been drinking and my son wanted to play on the "racing car game". (he's 2 and a half, so he doesn't know the name... YET; but he was referring to gran turismo prologue).

He can't reach the pedals on the playseat so my wife said, "i'll help you."

Poor kid.

She basically told him to buzz off as she got so into the racing. I had to lure her back to our bar with a sexy looking malibu bay breeze (little umbrella and all) before my poor kid was able to finally get back in the seat.

Well, that was enough to get me to my reason: wife likes it, i'm good :)

It's such an awesome game that a complete non-gamer such as my wife was able to take the helm and be swept away by its realism and beauty. she was like, "when the hell's the real one coming out?"

if i only had an answer ...

EDIT:

I'll grow the list from this post, so I don't look like a post-hog, unless a Mod's ok with it. anyways, here's what we've got so far:

1- wife approved (or as flourescentBlak mentioned): non gamer approved
2- scope
3- museum
4- physics
5- variety

NOTE: this list is NOT in a priority-based order, but rather the order i'm reading them in this thread. maybe if i can add a poll in the future, it'll be more representative of our community.
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haha what a great story!
👍


Now, i am new to the whole GT world, but one thing I believe makes the series so great and powerful is that it appears to be the vision of one person (bows to Kazunori Yamauchi-san) with focus and ability and not a "design by committee."

I feel that when you have large groups or committees try to make something as a collective effort it tends to weaken the final product. I often see this in crappy american comedy shows...the jokes are so stale, bland, safe.

Converseley, when you have one person (or small group) with a good vision and focus, energy, talent they can make something great. Star Wars by George Lucas (at least the first one!), GT by KY, etc...

I'm probably talking gibberish and nonsense...but it is only a simple, personal belief! haha
:)
 
Great thread.

Personally, I was 12 when GT came out, and it taught me so much about cars and the art of driving...it even made me passionate about the racing culture in general.

Gran Turismo is an ENCYCLOPEDIA.
 
I am very young but here is my story:

I went on holiday, and in my cousins house, he let me play GT4 (only briefly as I had to leave in about 5 Mins) I was confused as I couldn't take a corner at 150mph (I told you I was young!) and kept coming last.

We returned September 2007.

On 29 March 2008, I got GT5:P and my brother went to football training (2 hours of GT5:P to myself :sly:) I only had a pad and got up to like A-Class.

Summer 2008, I ditched the game for a loong time.

January 2009, Got back into the game.

Summer 2009, started searching about the game on the internet, found the G25 :eek: and immediately wanted one :dopey:

Couldn't get it and I was :grumpy: But I got a Thrustmaster Ferrari GT wheel. Played & played.

Summer 2010, I was too good for the wheel and decided that I needed an upgrade.

October 2010, Got my Fanatec Carrera wheel and am lovin' it!

All this because of GT, well i wanted to be prepared and I am sure PD want to give us a good game.
 
Unlike other games, Gran Turismo isn't all about making money. Its about making a real racing game.

That's what makes it so good.
 
Quite simply, the amazing variety of cars. What other game let's you drive an amphibious WWII era military vehicle?

That said, they really should retract the Schwimmwagen's propeller. It should be up when not in the water.
 
Shant J.
Quite simply, the amazing variety of cars. What other game let's you drive an amphibious WWII era military vehicle?

That said, they really should retract the Schwimmwagen's propeller. It should be up when not in the water.
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Gives hope that it might actually be usable in the water, plenty of lakes around certain tracks......GT5 'The real navigation simulator'.;)
 
The greatest thing about GT is that it that it takes itself seriously in every aspect. Even in the most obscure "what if" scenarios. While you can find it slightly amusing drivng an old VW bus around the Nordschleife, you always know that the game isn't joking about it. That's pretty cool!
 
Physics. No matter how much of another feature other games may have, they always end up sucking because the physics are completely unrealistic.
 
I've always found Gran Turismo to be very laid back and relaxed and that's something I've yet to see in any other racing game.
With most games, you get some rock soundtrack that seems to be all about getting you to get up and race hard. GT isn't like that, at all. It has that easy jazz sound that's more like something you'd be listening to while washing your car on a Sunday morning. Which, by the way, is something you'd be doing in Gran Turismo as well.

It always left me with the impression that GT never needed to motivate me to drive. The driving itself was more than enough of a reason to pick a car and take it for a spin around the Nordschleife or one of GT's phantasie tracks.
While Forza, for example, tried to recreate that relaxed athmosphere by going for a easy listening soundtrack (in the menus, at least), it never captured that attitude of Gran Turismo very well.

I still have the GT4 OST on my MP3 player and it still reminds me of this relaxed feeling... You know, no pressure. Just drive.
 
The fact you can race ridiculously under powered beetles and Fiat 500's up hills at the nurburghring!
 
The one thing that truly sets the GT series apart from the rest is how you dont know what car you will unlock after each race section is complete. I love that black silhouette spinning and then you get you see your car. I still remember the wow factor of unlocking a car that I did not expect at all. Some of them are very rewarding. Like the Mercedes CLK Touring car you win after the Mercedes event in GT3. That was a treat! I ended up using that car to finish up most of the game. 👍
 
I agree with what most of the members in this thread have to say,my own thoughts? A vast number of tracks and machines to use on them.
 
I think its the difficulty and that you cant turn the AI down to easy. You have to win every race as is. There is no "cheating" in that way and that is what kept me playing it when I was a kid. The sense of accomplishment was very high because of this especuially when one mistake and you have wrecked your race which used to happen all the time to me :indiff:
 
GT1 looked awesome back in those days and from that day on me and a friend of mine kept playing it through the series. We still do!! (both 29 now.) GT is just sweet memories of sitting on the edge of the couch racing eachother and passing the finishline with, sometimes, no more than a few thousands of a seconds in between. and that's why it's so great to me.
 

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