Gran Turismo has always been the Playstation's benchmark series, it's yard stick - the one others have to live up to. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue continues this magnificent tradition, pushing boundries in all areas, and creating a superbly enjoyable, and stunningly beautiful, game.
First of all, the graphics. Anyone who sees the game is blown away. The cars look near identical to their real life counterparts, and the tracks are also beautifully, and accurately, rendered. There are several comparisons on the internet that show real life and GT5 images - with many, it is impossible to tell the difference, and in cases, the GT5 car looks more realistic! I have never seen a game to match Gran Turismo 5 graphically.
The cars don't just look great; they sound incredible. Engine notes are ridiculously realistic, and when added to the gloriously detailed cars, you would expect to be watching a video clip instead of a game. The sound of the cars is spot on, although the soundtrack is a little lacking in depth. With just a handful of in-race songs, and even less variety in the menus, the music, while good, can get a bit repetitive, though you don't really notice.
Onto gameplay. While I can't claim to have driven many Ferraris in real life, the handling of the cars is shockingly realistic, and when teamed with a PS3 Racing Wheel, truly stunning. There are over 40 events, seventy-odd cars, and five or six tracks, in forward and reverse modes. With online play, split screen and time trial as well, there is plenty of depth for such a bargain price. The online play isn't perfect, with a few issues, but is still good fun, and an excellent way of extending the game's lifespan. Gran Turismo TV is a new service, allowing you to download episodes of motoring programmes from around the globe, including the superb Top Gear. You really are getting a lot for your money, especially as Polyphony Digital, the developers, keep releasing updates for the game, in order to improve it.
All in all, Gran Turismo 5: Prologue is a bargain. Achingly beautiful, astonishingly realistic audio, lifelike and gripping gameplay and plenty of longetivity. It will certainly tide you over until the full game's eventual release, and is far more than the glorified demo many people wrote it off as. If you don't yet own Prologue, get it now. It is a superb showcase of the PS3's performance, but, more importantly, great fun.