Stop your whining... Im a policeman you idiot! 👍
Now that we got your daily ARNOLD quote out of the way we can move on to first thoughts of GT4.
There have already been a lot of rants on this board about the game and I have to say it's too bad some members feel the way they do. It's funny too how some of things that changed actually helped fix the same problems many of those members complain about with the GT series. In any regard here we go:
GT4 is AMAZING! 👍 I give PD full credit for bringing the depth they have on a system that is now VERY dated (the PS2). Having played the GT series from day 1, it was nice to have a lot of "new" experiences with GT4, and even though some things can get frustrating initially, in the end, I feel the changes are for the better and will propel the series forward when we hit the new Sony platform and GT5.
1st off, it is way more challenging, even if youre a solid GT3 player. I couldn't jump right in and dominate in underpowered, non-driver assisted cars. The physics and controls have changed tremendously over previous versions, but IMHO for the better. Cars behave more true to real-life, things like locking brakes, under-oversteer is more pronounced when you get the car squirly, and you can actually steer out of spins (something i found in GT3 when you hit a certain point you were SOL no matter how much countersteer you tried to apply). What this means though, is you have to relearn how to drive in GT. I think that many long time fans will be frustrated with this at first, b/c they expected to strap it on and rule the roads as before. But when you think about it, there's immediate challenge right there, as you have to learn how to get your fast times you were accustomed too.
Having said that, as I started to progress through the B license I found to already start to grasp the limits of the car better, and I have to say the 900 degree DFP RULES! If you want the true GT experience, get 1 immediately. The biggest thing I noticed was steering sensitivity and response varied by car (hey this is true IRL too!). Crappy cars had crappy steering
imagine that. The few high-end cars I drove definitely showed increased performance in that dept. and braking. Its almost like they all had independent physics and controls
Rallying is COMPLETELY different and will take some getting used to, I think its gone too much towards the feel of track driving, but its definitely better that the easy drifting of GT3. IMHO I think its a step forward not back in terms of this. Well see as we get further in if this changes or not.
In terms of AI, I only did a couple of races in Arcade mode to try it out, and the AI is definitely the best its been in the GT series. Having said that, it still has a lot of shortcomings and isnt at the level it needs to be with the series. However, I think the real blame is the old PS2 hardware and not the lack of skill from PDs developers. I expect GT5 will see a huge improvement in this area.
Graphically the game is STUNNING! A big step up from GT3 (which to date was the best looking game on PS2). Car models are tight, tracks and scenery are vastly improved. And the new menus are really nicely done. The game just looks uber polished.
Cars
cars
cars baby!! Sure complain about this ones in this ones out, theres too many of this whatever
no game out there can touch the depth and qty of vehicles in GT. Absolutely amazing, it will leave you wishing you had unlimited credits so you can buy everything and try it out
its hard to even figure out where to start (*cough* TVR *cough*). And I can confirm ALL THE PAL update cars are in! Also, Lexus, Infinity, and Scion have been added and Acura has been expanded in the USA section. The FPV GT now has racing stripes in the paint scheme (it looks uber hot), and all the new Euro cars are there as well including the Alpha GT and the full line of Audis.
GT Auto is nicely reconfigured and the wing shop looks promising for adding downforce to some cars. Also, the wheel shop is cool with the Special Wheels section. Lots of hot looking rims in there which will add some nice flare to your ride. The animations for car wash and oil change are redone and look way better.
Photo mode is AWESOME. Ive only played around with it for about a ½ hour and its going to be something that I spend countless hours in. I love the touch
theres nothing better than taking hot shots of your rides, and the fact you can save them to a USB stick is all the better. Custom wallpaper galore en route!
First dabble with photo mode:
Anyway, Ive rambled on enough for now, and cant wait to finish work today and truly sink my teeth into the game (figuring a good 7-8 hours of play tonight
)
Ive included a slew of screenies and pics for your viewing pleasure. Loads more to come. Excuse the quality of some, using a digi cam, not a capture card.
Thanks to ImageShack for
Free Image Hosting
if thats the case, that really SUCKS
