Gran Turismo Sport is out now in North America and later this week in Europe and Japan, which marks the first instalment of the simulation racer on the PlayStation 4. Millions of you downloaded the demo to get your first taste of the title, and we’ve been faffing around with final code for a few days. However, despite a global embargo on reviews lifting today, we’ve decided to hold our verdict back in order to properly test the release on retail servers.
Here’s a quick FAQ including our initial impressions of the game, and when you can expect our review to go live:
When will Push Square’s Gran Turismo Sport review go live?
It’s hard to attach a timetable to reviews, but all going well we’d expect to be in a position to review Gran Turismo Sport later this week. We’ve had access to final code for several days now, but due to the unique nature of the game, we’ve struggled to make progress due to the servers being offline. Sony did provide us with a means to circumvent this, but frankly, we want to experience the game exactly the same as you will, and so we’ve decided to wait.
Gran Turismo Sport is unprecedented in that its save system is almost entirely tied to an online connection. This means that you can’t even save your display settings without being on the Internet, and we want to ensure that this enormous reliance on Sony’s servers is functioning fully before we share our verdict. More importantly, while we have enjoyed numerous online races in both the game’s beta and recent demo, we really want to put this aspect of the title through its paces, as it is the main attraction of the package after all.
What do you think of Gran Turismo Sport so far?
We really like the game, but it’s still early days. To be fair, the campaign which has come under so much scrutiny does seem somewhat meatier than it’s been given credit for – but obviously it lacks that rags-to-riches progression that has been a part of Gran Turismo’s DNA for decades now. The track selection seems lacking in real-life locations and there are many notable omissions in the vehicle roster – but Polyphony Digital has pledged ongoing support for the title.
The package shines in other areas: the online racing format may be ripped wholesale from iRacing, but it works very well. Bizarrely, there’s a real sense of occasion each time you qualify for an event and take to the grid, and our experience of the multiplayer thus far has been buttery smooth. What’s most impressive is how courteous people are: you can play bumper cars, but you’re going to kill your etiquette rank and ultimately get matched with other idiots long-term.
Instead, there’s a strange kind of buzz when you’re jostling for lowly positions such as eighth, bumper-to-bumper with a Frenchman. Take him cleanly in the final corner and, even though you won’t be picking up a podium place, there’s an unusual ecstasy associated with these very personal battles that few other racers manage to replicate. Gran Turismo’s slogan, “the real driving simulator”, has always suggested that it’s perhaps weak in the racing department – but with real consequence and human intelligence, the online focus here brings a very agreeable competitive flavour to the franchise for the first time.
How is Gran Turismo Sport’s virtual reality mode?
It’s limited but impressive. Gran Turismo Sport only really allows you to race in one-on-one events and view car models with PlayStation VR, but the results are so strong that we secretly have our fingers crossed that Polyphony Digital can be convinced to expand the scope of this mode. Sitting in the cockpit of all kinds of cars really does impress with the virtual reality headset on, and while the tracks take a noticeable image quality decline, the visuals on PS4 Pro are far beyond comparable titles like DriveClub VR.
Anything else you should know about Gran Turismo Sport?
Erm, well let’s save our full impressions for the review. There’s a definite class to this product that’s evident from its outstanding intro movie – which spans the very origins of motorsport – through to its scarily detailed in-game museum. It just feels like a quality product: the user interface is quite busy, but it’s a pleasant place to be. And the presentation, while it’s not without its low-points, hits some outstanding highs.
In some ways this is a strange game: it represents a bold new direction for Gran Turismo as a franchise, and that’s sure to divide opinion. The one thing that can’t be criticised, though, is the care and attention that’s been invested into what’s here: you’re unlikely to have ever played anything quite like GT Sport – and that’s a little bit scary but quite exciting, too.
Are you planning to purchase Gran Turismo Sport this week, or will you be waiting for our full review? Scream if you want us to go faster in the comments section below.
Comments 43
Very sensibl;e review policy rather than chasing the 'first' attitude for clicks and review a game that can't possibly be reviewed properly pre-launch.
I would only really buy this for the VR mode to be honest so would wait to see if this is an expansion of this because that looks awesome.
This is one of the reasons I enjoy this site so much.
As for the game itself, I'm a bit torn on it. I never really invest enough time in driving games to make it worth the purchase but I do like to play them. Will probably end up getting this as an impulse buy sometime over the next few weeks.
I wait for reviews. If they will be good, i buy game. If not, i buy Project Cars 2.
I played the demo, so I know what to expect. Hint - an 8 or 9 out of 10
I was so impressed by the Beta that this weekend I got an Xbox One S with Forza Horizon 3 and Forza 7 on it......
"Gran Turismo Sport is unprecedented in that its save system is almost entirely tied to an online connection. This means that you can’t even save your display settings without being on the Internet"
I really don't think this is a great idea, let's just assume Sony's servers are up to the task, it relies on everyone who owns the game to have flawless internet connection.
I'm pretty lucky where I live as we have plenty of solid Fibre Broadband options but not everyone has this. There are parts of the UK that struggle to get any kind of internet connection at all and I imagine it's worse still in other countries.
@arnoldlayne83 Well I imagine you wanted those games anyway, right? Not sure how that’s really relevant here.
@Marios-love-child Yeah, it’s not ideal. I believe the reason it’s being handled this way is because of the FIA stuff, but I agree... Lots of potential problems.
@get2sammyb
Yeah can see it causing a few issues.
I did throw my toys out of the pram a little last week over the lack of the proper offline campaign mode but after spending a fair bit of time playing the Beta I am starting to warm to it a little more now and I'll probably still pick it up tomorrow.
I have it on pre-order with Smyths with £5 off so think I'll still take a chance on it
I'll wait for the review and get this if it's good, I've been very impressed with the demo.
@Marios-love-child Yeah, if the server is turned off in the future, we can't save in this game, I hope sony add more single player content so we can still play the game in the future when the server is shut down.
I'm gonna get it day one, I know they will support this game in the long run so I know I'm getting my money's worth of content
Also the big brands associated with the FIA and GT are really an indication that they are in this for a long run
@get2sammyb the selling point of gran turismo for me was always the single player career mode. That is gone.
Single player AI I found it ridicolously easy anyhow, online I got ghost cars (??) penetrating my own car, got penalized for being bounced out of the track and generally had to wait 20 min before racing.
Ah, 3 times every 4 I got server connection issues....
If this is the future of GT franchise, I will stay with Forza
@get2sammyb Do we have to change the oil?
@arnoldlayne83 Fair enough!
having to be online for saving is such nonsense. what will happen when they'll INEVITABLY turn off the servers in a couple of years? (gt5's online has been killed after only 3.5 years and with gt sport out gt6's online will be next to go soon!) i won't be able to play the game at all anymore?!
@manu0 While I do understand the concern to some extent — especially with how quickly Sony has been shutting some games down — I personally find it hard to worry about whether I'll be able to play GT Sport in 2021.
I'm thinking my money's going to Project Cars 2. For some reason not holding much hope for GT...
@get2sammyb What's the car roster like, Samuel old chap? Are there many classics to cherish in photo mode?
@ApostateMage Honestly, not really. It's quite a limited selection. Here's the full list: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-10-06-gran-turismo-sports-car-list-revealed
I'm torn on this game so much.
I hate the always online aspects of this. That you have to be connected to the internet even just to save the game. That's ridiculous. (I've just moved house and have no WiFi for another couple of weeks so won't be able to do much until then). That's just not right. Surely the ability to save without internet is a basic requirement. I hate to support that shiz.
That it's single player content has been cut massively. It seems the VR content is minimal. (Race against one car, only two laps, no fastest laps etc).
On the other hand, it's Grand Turismo on PS4, that alone is a big deal. Plus it's got (some) Virtual frickin Reality in it. GT-VR man!... This is massive to me as a huge fan of VR and unattainable cars. It may be what pushes me off the fence with the game.
But why do PD have to make it such a difficult choice. It should be an easy purchase for me to make.
I think I'll wait for the first decent discount. £35 and I'll bite. Gah I have a £15 Amazon voucher... Does that count?
Are all the tracks playable in VR @get2sammyb?
That car list is really disappointing. It hasn't even got any Skylines! I honestly would have preferred it if they had over a thousand cars with only a hundred or so being premium models like in the controversial GT5. A bit gutted really.
@Dange As far as I can tell, yes.
No review yet? Fine, but where is my round up?
Online to even save is all I need to know anyway. Why do they do this?
Hopefully with something like this being so reliant on being online for everything, they at least give you the option to play offline a few years down the road through a final patch or something.
Agreed, although ironically, you need to be online to download the patch. And what if the patch is taken off the servers.
I'll wait for Fall 2018 when we'll get Gran Turismo Career Edition: GT Sport + all DLC cars and tracks + the old Career mode they'll introduce via patch after the servers implosion.
@sinalefa Frankly, I haven't done a Round Up because — knowing what I know — no outlet should have scored this game yet.
@wiiware I suspect they will do. The impression I get is that GT Sport is going more of a platform to be built on over the coming years. PD are already aiming at 600 plus car eventually and more tracks and challenges are been promised.
I know I've said it on other articles, but I'm most keen to find out about the variety and quality of the tracks on offer. So far the ones I've seen have looked a little dull, and personally I really like to feel like I'm driving somewhere amazing rather than reproductions of famous racing tracks that all look pretty much the same.
@arnoldlayne83 What's a Xbone? Oh yeah, the first device ever without exclusives. xD
The demo was outstanding.
Really good to see PD focus on racing and ensuring every aspect is super high quality.
The online requirement and lack of single player content is a deal breaker for me. To be fair I'm not the biggest driving game fan around, but I do still enjoy Driveclub which doesn't suffer from my two gripes with this game and can be picked up for next to nothing these days (although I never played that game anywhere near launch when it had its problems).
@Dange Not 100% sure, but i think patches are handled by Sony's servers, so as long as PSN stays up, should be able to get them. You can still get patches for PS3 games, so i sure hope we can download PS4 game patches for the next five or so years.
Going to be interesting to see how this is received.
After the first four reviews, it was 78 on Metacritic. Some of the decisions with this game are extremely disappointing. Guess I'll wait to see what Need For Speed Payback offers. If that's another miss, I'll buy Forza Motorsport 7.
Back when the Ps4 and Xbox One were just launching, Sony mocked Microsoft for their need to be online to play, leading to enormous backlash that forces Microsoft to Backtrack. Now, Gran Turismo Sport is implementing it on the Sony platform..
@techdude
It is pretty ironic (and very disappointing). I don't keep up with all MS-published releases (only ones I care about at this point are Gears and Forza) but I'm pretty sure the few first party Xbox One exclusives don't have an online requirement to enjoy single player. To be fair, most first party PS4 games don't either. This is rare but I don't like the precedent it sets, especially if it sells 10s of millions of copies.
@get2sammyb so basically you could say this article is almost like a... prologue??
Ill let myself out.
@arnoldlayne83
Forza is not fit to wipe GT's behind. I have Forza motorsport 3, 4 and 6 before you say anything.
If you haven't got access to Forza it's worth a buy, if you have it probably isn't.
Thats also if you can put up with the utterly ludicrous requirement to be Online to save your progress. Head-bangingly stupid, that.
@Cpt_Price No, but recently devs seem to listen to gamers complain. Adding a career mode for offline gaming shouldn't be more difficult then modelling a single cockpit of one of the cars...
I have only one question:
Can I switch to left hand drive?
@KappaBeta It seems 'locked' based on the car. My beloved WRX is in right hand drive
@NathanUC Yes it's like that indeed. I hadn't noticed it because it only occurred to me when the steering wheel was on the wrong side
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