Not here much but I'll occasionally post something if it deserves merit. Most of my reviews are adap...
Not here much but I'll occasionally post something if it deserves merit. Most of my reviews are adapted from my University mag and are short by ciao standards (250 words). While I firmly believe in quality over quantity a lazy sod is still a lazy sod.
Member since:06.05.2001
Reviews:88
Members who trust:18
The original Gran Turismo (GT) game heralded a major step forward in racing games. It proclaimed itself to be 'The Real driving Simulator'. Well it didn't recreate trying to get a parking space on a Saturday morning at Woolies, but as far as track racing (Y'know, cars going round and round) it was on the mark for a 32-bit system.
GT2, 'The Next Stage of the Real Driving Simulator', was the highly anticipated follow up. GT with bells and whistles on. Many, many bells and whistles.
*I LIKE DRIVING IN MY CAR*
GT2 is split into two main categories: 'Arcade' and 'GT mode', each on their own disc. Arcade offers the player (that's you) a smidgen of cars and tracks. Each track has a difficulty level of Easy, Medium and Hard. Completing all the courses on all difficulty levels earns a reward. In GT it was a high res mode, in this I don't know what it is. I've been 'going at it' with GT mode.
Arcade mode allows the player (again, that's you) to jump into a car, and drive it. No insurance needed, no deposit or dealers fee. Here, have a brand spanker, and go. The cunning and slightly annoying thing is, you (the player) can't progress very far without acquiring your licenses.
Licenses. Best be loading the GT disc.
*GOT MY L'S, ALL I HAVE TO DO NOW IS GET THE KEYS OFF THE FOLKS*
The license structure in GT2 is there for a couple of reasons: to teach; and as an incentive to progress further into the game. There are 6 different licenses to get, ranging from fairly easy to teeth grindingly infuriating. Perseverance is the key.
After getting the licenses, next step is to pick a car. An unknown benefactor has blessed you with 10 000 credits, allowing you to get a second
hand car. Get yourself a car, race it and get a better one. Repeat.
But it's not that simple or repetitive. Not at first anyway. There are many car manufactures to choose from, and they're split up into 'Cities'. East City holds all the Japanese car manufacturers, such as Toyota, Subaru (remember, Subaru spelt backwards is 'U R A bus') and the like. North City has English and German manufacturers, like Audi, Vauxhall, Volkswagon and such. West city contains Euro trash French and Italian manufacturers like Peugot, Fiat and some others. South City has all the Yank tanks: Chevrolet, Dodge and a few more. To be precise, there are 38 manufacturers, and over 500 cars. Not that you'd drive them all, as a lot are just a different variation of another model, and some are just plain naff (Daihatsu, I'm looking at you).
*ALL DRESSED UP AND NOWHERE TO GO*
As this is (primarily) a circuit racer, there's plenty of tracks to sample. Some are regurgitated from the original, with no graphical improvement, others are new and some are real tracks from around the world.
The original allowed a single race on any track to earn a few extra pennies. Not very profitable, but served as a handy practice session. That has been scrapped from GT2. Not a big deal.
In all, there's approximately 16 tracks to race on, plus some are offered in reverse and some are variations of themselves (eg there's Seattle Street Circuit Short and Long).
Each of these tracks is featured in a tournament or three. Each of the tournaments is 'restricted' by factors such as license class, power output, and in an interesting twist, by style of car. For example there's an historical cup, an 80's cup, a Super-tourers etc. But this last feature isn't enforced, meaning any car can enter any tournament, as long as the power output isn't breached - a feature remedied in GT3. As well as these 'gimmicky' tournaments, there's also some 'Endurance' races. Fancy a 40 Lap race? You'd better if you want to complete the game, and you'd better plan your pit stops as those tyres will be shredded after 12 or so laps.
So while there's plenty of tarmac for streetcar enthusiasts, there's also a much-hyped Rally mode. While some critics argue that the Rally mode is dirt heaven, I say that it's filth. It's poorly executed and unacceptable when compared to other Rally games such as Colin McRae. Of course, CMR is a dedicated Rally game, but this tarnishes the overall product.
The upside to the Rally mode os the inclusion of some spectacular Rally cars. The Ford RS100 is in there, as is the Lancia Delta. My current 'thing' is collecting all the rally cars from Colin McRae 2.0. An arduous task.
*DATSUN 240Z: BABY POO BROWN IN COLOUR, NEEDS WORK: 21 000 CREDITS*
Along with 1999's newest models, there are some golden oldies and some raging prototypes. Some can be bought, others can be won by coming first in a race. There's a Datsun 240Z in the used car lot. Costs a bit, goes not great, but still fantastic. Corolla Levin/Truneo. Two tone! Subaru 22B! Corvette Stingray '69! A car enthusiast will be weak at the knees.
And it helps to be a rev head. Along with buying cars, it's possible to turn that standard GTO into a 1000 HP beast. Best put some good tyres on it. And brakes. And better suspension. Gear ratios will need a tinker with that much power. And on and on it goes. Knowing what does what helps, and that's one of the games shortcomings. The original had a basic run down in the manual about what each part does on a car eg stiffening the suspension will be beneficial on smooth roads, but for rougher roads, a softer suspension and greater ride height is more suitable.
No such thing offered here. You'd be best off poking through the net to find a tuning guide. Or picking up a cheap copy of the original to read the Driving Strategy Guide, because it is possible to stuff up the handling on your latest pride and joy.
*"IT'S LIKE WATCHING TV" ONE FAN ENTHUSED*
All the car models are faithfully recreated here. Not that I've driven a Dodge Viper or a DB7, or even seen most of these cars on the road, it does feel and look suitably suitable. For a 32 bit title, there's a bit of reflection going on (not real, but it does the job), tyre smoke kicks up here and there. There's some authentic sponsoring going on, with manufacturer and petroleum companies on billboards around the tracks.
Driving tunes and sound effects are a schmick as they're going to be on a 32 bit system. Some well known bands contributed, including the likes of Fat Boy Slim and The Cardigans, yet the ultimate driving song 'Eye Of The Tiger' is strangely missing. Car noises are nicely worked - throbbing engines, squealing tyres and the smack of metal on barrier are used to full effect.
Yet it is limited. There's a lot of pop up going on. Not savage enough to hinder gameplay as it is possible to get used to it, but in parts scenery just comes out of nowhere. Some cars have clipping issues, and there's no damage. Even 'Need For Speed' managed to pull it off, but I think it's more of a case of pride. Put simply, manufacturers didn't want to see their cars getting totalled, but then again it's another strike against the 'Real Driving Simulator' tag. Some weather effects would have been nice instead of the sun shining 24/7. A new energy source is implemented in GT2, as petrol doesn't seem to be a drama, although as mentioned previously, tyre wear is a factor.
Overall, if you're a bit fiscally challenged to get a PS2 and GT3, this is a worthy game. It's going to take a lot to conquer it - especially the endurance races - so buckle up and get ready to stack on the miles.
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Glad to see you've not lost your touch with a fine turn of phrase, Paul. Splendid review. Gave me an insight and a good laugh in about equal measure. Who but a churl could ask for more? Cheers ~ Steve
Spike5792 12.06.2002 18:27
An excellent op! Not really a console fan myself. Prefer to stick with the P.C but GT is an excellent game in its own right and they should bring it to the PC!
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Advantages: HD support for gaming, films in the shape of blu ray and sound. Along with a free online service. Disadvantages: Downloading can take up hard drive space quickly.
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