Gran Turismo 3: A-spec

The Good
Incredible Graphics - On first inspection you think, "Yeah, they're not bad", however after a bit of play you really appreciate how great they are. There are heaps of subtle touches - heat haze, track glare, smoke, environment mapping, shadows... it's all there. It amounts to something that could almost pass for real life video at some moments and really good computer graphics the rest of the time. Still impressive after a year or two out of the box!

Size - This is one big game, LOTS of tracks, LOTS of cars, LOTS of options and multiple modes of play. This game is the best value for money I've ever gotten from a game (maybe with the exception of 'Doom'). If only all games were this size we could justify the high cost!

Sound - Again, awesome. Sound effects are good, and each car has it's own growl. While not exactly the same as the real things, it's close enough, and closer than most other games have ever come. The music is also a good rock selection and while none of it is really well known, it all fits in with the atmosphere of the game and furthers the adrenaline rush.

Engine - The car handling is great and feels very true to life. At the same time you don't have to find tweaking minor details and studying stats and lap times fun, to do well - the emphasis is on the racing (as it should be!) - other games take note!

The Bad
Not Much - There's not much wrong with the game at all. All I would say is that the "Gran Turismo" (career) mode could have been balanced a little better. By that I mean that it is very easy to work into a corner where the only races you are likely to win are ones which you don't quite have a car that meets the criteria. This requires you to repeat previous races in order to get the money for new vehicles and/or parts. After a while this becomes a drag - but this is only a minor thing, and better that than have the whole thing mapped out linearly for you.

The Bottom Line
A game worth buying a PS2 for. Simply awesome.

The Good
This game has got lots of gameplay time, about 60 hours. The cars and tracks available are very high detailed. Also has different types of tracks, goes from technical, with lots of turns, to high speed tracks. Each car has a different handling. The endurance races are not too strenuous.

The Bad
In this game there were only about 180 cars, way less than previous titles. Some professional events and races are just too long.

The Bottom Line
This game marks a huge leap in graphics and that's due to the change from PS to PS2. It allows you to have a very nice time, alone or with your friends. It justifies being one of the best selling PS2 games ever. It's a classic and if you can you should get it.

The Good
The amazing amount of realism: Light flowing through cracks in the tree branches and bouncing off the roof; headlights lighting the way through the rain; sun sets blinding your view; logo's on the cars. Everything has been taken care of.

The tracks: Updated looks for classic tracks from GT1 and 2, and new tracks with plenty of winding roads and tight turns, making for some great passing moves.

The Cars: A great selection, including some new models (and my personal fav, the Ford Tickford V8 Supercar, marking the debut of Australian cars in the GT series).

The Rally mode: Bigger and better then GT2, and just as good as any other stand alone Rally game out there.

F1 Cars: Yes they are in there, somewhere, although not the latest versions, but still this makes for another good reason to complete the game as best you can.

And finally, the sound. Plug in your surround sound system, and you'll be in heaven.

The Bad
A few things missing in the latest version:

Online: It's a pitty that an online mode hasn't been included, but that makes GT4 all that more important for the PS2. The i.link modem meanwhile, does a good job of bringing heaps of people together at a time.

The Cars: Not as many as the previous title, but then again, it wasn't all that much fun racing in a VW Beetle, was it? So the lack of a huge amount isn't that much of a worry.

Car Damage: Thank the car manufacturers for this loss, as they do not wish to see their cars damaged. This would have added a lot more realism to the game, and a bit more strategy in buying new parts, etc. So hopefully GT4 will change that.

No Drivers: Not that I didn't like this, but it seems funny driving these super realistic cars without a driver inside them!! Makes it look like radio controlled cars!

The Bottom Line
The only reason (for the time being) why you should save up and buy a Playstation 2. Amazing detail, and a sign of great things to come over the next few years, considering this is a 1st/2nd generation title. You must get this, if only to watch the sun set.