The Gran Turismo video game series is one of the most loved video games by petrolheads. With astonishing graphics, a great selection of cars, and realistic car sounds Gran Turismo by far is the best driving game series ever. Unlike Forza, Gran Turismo focuses more on the nerdy stuff. Some people may prefer Forza but for me, Gran Turismo has always been better.
The previous Gran Turismo Sport though was a disappointment. I just feel they didn’t put in as much effort as the previous Gran Turismo 6. It had fewer cars, fewer tracks but it did have more sales. Gran Turismo 7 should be far better and very much similar to Gran Turismo 6 in terms of cars and tracks.
I’m very much looking forward to it. It’s being launched in 2022 so expect a lot of the new supercars to be featured in there, as well as a few awesome concepts made specifically for the game. I also expect the graphics to be out of this world, as the team behind Gran Turismo, Polyphony digital, actually designed the display graphics for the awesome Nissan GTR.
Gran Turismo will also be a proper blast on proper driving simulators. Games such as Project Cars in the past have tried to take over the simulator king title from Gran Turismo, but I think Gran Turismo 7 will make it very hard for other competitors to keep up.
What’s New Then?
Well, a lot actually. But not as new as you may think. The game’s main menu according to the trailer is very much similar to the one from Gran Turismo 4, which happens to be the best one in the series. The game also includes the much-loved GT simulation mode which is essentially a single-player campaign feature. Other new features include the return of the driving school, tuning part shops, used car sales, special events, championships, and GT auto. Dynamic time and weather effects from Gran Turismo 5 and 6 will also return.
Series creator, Kazunori Yamauchi stated that the game is a combination of the past, present, and future. With some of the previous elements being brought back into the game, we can believe him. I’m glad Gran Turismo has listened to their fans on this one, unlike other game companies.
Gran Turismo 7 will also run on 4k graphics which is insane. The quality of gameplay is going to be very high indeed plus the game will take advantage of some of the PS5’s features such as the Dualshock controller vibration feedback, the solid-state drive, and more. This is all to create a more realistic simulation experience.
What Cars Can I Expect?
There will be many cars on Gran Turismo 7. These include. a lot of the old-school JDM cars, modern hypercars, classic race cars, and just-released concept cars. Expect over 1000 cars, just like Gran Turismo 5 and 6. Plus, with the return of the tuning shop, personalization of your car has never been easier.
The front cover features two cars, one of which is the Mazda RX-concept which I believe may be the star of the show. The cover features another car, though I’m not quite sure what that is. I predict many concepts such as the BMW 2002 Homage and Jaguar’s CX-75 will be featured.
Some of the new hypercars may include Mercedes’ AMG One, Aston Martin’s Valhalla, the new Lamborghini Countach, and the Ferrari SF90.
What Consoles Is It On?
Gran Turismo is a Playstation only game since Sony entertainment is the publisher. Expect Gran Turismo 4 to be released both on the new Playstation 5 and the old Playstation 4. To get the best experience, you need to play this on the PS5 since that has the capability to provide better feedback and graphics. Though, the PS4 experience isn’t too bad either, especially in the pro model.
I’m happy that they have launched Gran Turismo 7 on the PS4 because not everyone has a PS5 due to how hard it is to attain. Plus, you can always play PS4 games on the PS5 but you can’t vice-versa at all.
How Does It Compare To Rivals
How does Gran Turismo 4 compare to its rivals then? Well, first of all, you have the new Forza Horizon 5 which unlike Gran Turismo 7 is all based around normal street roads rather than race tracks. The Horizon Forza series has always been very entertaining due to the fact of its street racing element that it provides. I think it’s a game that everyday gamers would enjoy more.
For serious car enthusiasts who want that proper driving simulation, Forza Horizon 5 isn’t exactly the best bet. Plus, Forza is an Xbox-only game whilst Gran Turismo is a Playstation only game. Then, there is Project Cars 3.
Project Cars 3 gets mainly average reviews but it did win “Best Simulation Game 2020” in the Gamescom awards. So I guess it isn’t that bad at all. The Project Cars series has always been very hands-on, but the latest Project cars 3 is more of an arcade-style which of course makes it more fun but less technical.
I think that Gran Turismo will be the best in terms of driving simulation. However, Forza may release another motorsport game next year that could be a very close competitor. F1 2021 is also a competitor despite it being wholly based on F1.
To Conclude.
Gran Turismo 7 will be an absolute blast, and in my opinion, it will be the best racing game out there. I cannot wait to see the graphics, the cars, and also the gameplay. It’s a shame that the release date has been pushed back till March 7, 2022, as previously it was meant to come out in winter 2021.
I’m also very excited about the potential concept cars made specifically for the game. Gran Turismo in the past has made some great concepts such as the Citroen GT, the Infiniti Vision GT, and the BMW Vision GT. These cars have all looked out of this world and the performance figures for these cars are crazy.
I also cannot wait to see the return of things like the tuning shop and used cars sales. they just make the game so much more thrilling and entertaining. I very much doubt this is a game serious car enthusiasts will get bored of.