The first new addition revealed in GT5 was the inclusion of two different car types: Premium and Standard cars. The game will offer over 800 standard cars, which is a line-up composed of old favorites from the first Gran Turismo game up to the fourth, each of which is optimized to take advantage of the PS3’s pixel shader. Aside from those, there are 200 premium cars, bumping the grand total of cars to over 1000. Premium cars will get the royal treatment, and include updates like sectional damage and photorealistic interiors. All cars will have damage and dirt this time around, adding more accuracy to the game’s photorealistic graphics. Speaking of damage, cars will also be able to roll over, making for more realistic crashes.
The game also includes NASCAR vehicles, a first for the series. The game currently has nine authentic NASCAR models, with more on the way, official NASCAR rule sets, and the ability to use them on other tracks. There are also some brand new tracks on offer, including Madrid, Tuscany, Rome, the TopGear test track, and Nurburgring. These tracks have been painstakingly recreated to mirror their real-life counterparts, even down to the graffiti that covers Nurburgring.
The Photo Mode is also returning with some brand new improvements. There’s a Race Photo Mode, which lets you take snapshots of a race, and the Travel Photo mode, which allows you to drive your car to exotic locations, step out and take a picture of the area. You’re able to set up your shot in many ways, and the system allows you to create some really impressive shots.
The online mode was also detailed, and is pretty deep. The game gives each play a lounge area to check not only their progress in the game, but also their friends’ rankings, chat with them watch other people race.
Graphically, Gran Turismo 5 is a phenomenal looking game, and boasts quite a few graphical enhancements over Prologue. The game features time of day changes, low/high beam lights, smoke illumination, collision sparks, and debris that kicks up, making the experience even more immersive than before. Another interesting addition is support for 3D televisions and face-tracking with a camera, the first time those two features have been combined.
It’s been a long wait, but it’s about to pay off for fans of Gran Turismo. The next game launches on November 2, 2010.
