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Gran Turismo 4

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For the main series, see Gran Turismo (series)
Gran Turismo 4
Image:Gran Turismo 4.jpg box cover
Image:Gran Turismo 4.jpg box cover
Developer(s)Polyphony Digital
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s)Kazunori Yamauchi
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
ReleaseJapan December 28, 2004
United States February 22, 2005
Europe March 9, 2005
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single player, Multiplayer

Gran Turismo 4 (also known as GT4) was released on December 28, 2004 in Japan and Hong Kong (NTSC-J), February 22, 2005 in the United States (NTSC-U/C), and March 9, 2005 in Europe (PAL), and has since been re-issued under Sony's 'Greatest Hits' line. It is on DVD-9 format. After being delayed for over a year and a half by Polyphony Digital, and despite having its online mode removed, Gran Turismo 4 was still one of the most anticipated console games of 2005, and sold a million copies in its first week at Japanese retail. The game features over 700 cars from 80 manufacturers, from as early as the 1886 Daimler Motor Carriage and as far into the future as concepts for 2022. The game also features 51 tracks, many of which are new or modified versions of old Gran Turismo favourites. Notable real-world track inclusions are the Nürburgring Nordschleife, Suzuka Circuit, and Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe; tracks modeled after world famous attractions such as New York's Times Square, Hong Kong, Paris, and Las Vegas.

A PSP port entitled Gran Turismo 4 Mobile is in development, but it does not currently have a release date.

Prologue

As GT4 was intended to be released in time for the worldwide 2003 Christmas release but was delayed, in consolation, Polyphony brought out GT4 Prologue as a sneak preview (including a documentary bonus disc) to the full experience of GT4. Though it was necessary to limit the number of cars and courses included, this product still included some of the main features of the Gran Turismo franchise such as races, time attack and license tests. The sneak preview also expressed the latest technology Polyphony Digital had accumulated over the past two years. Featuring 50 of GT4's then-planned 500 cars as well as five courses, this expanded demo was designed as a stop-gap until the complete version was released.

Game modes

File:TruenoDrift.JPG
Toyota AE86 drifting in Photo Mode

A-Spec and B-Spec game modes

Player now accumulate points by winning races in the normal first-person driving mode, called A-Spec mode. Each race event can yield up to a maximum of 200 A-Spec points. Generally, a win using a car with less of an advantage over the AI opponents is worth more points. Points can only be won once, so to win further points from a previously-won event, it must be re-won using a car with less of an advantage over the AI. There are also the 34 Missions which can yield 250 points each. After a large number of events have been completed against challenging AI fields, a player's A-Spec point total corresponds somewhat to their skill level.

The new B-Spec mode puts players in the place of a racing crew chief: telling the driver how aggressively to drive, when to pass, and mandating pit stops (by monitoring tire wear, fuel level, and oil dirtying). The speed of the time in the race can be increased up to 3x, allowing for Endurance races to be completed in less time than would take in A-Spec mode. The 3x feature, however, must be turned on after every pit stop because it resets to normal time. The game manual says that the player may speed up B-Spec mode by up to 5x, but this capability is not available in the game.

B-Spec points are given out for each race completed in B-Spec mode. This increases the skill level of the AI driver in the categories of vehicle skill, course skill, and battle skill. Players can thereby use B-Spec mode in harder races as the game progresses.

Driving missions

Another new addition to the game is the Driving Missions, which are similar in experience to the license tests, but award successful completion with 250 A-Spec points and 1000 or more credits. Each mission takes place with a given car on a given track or section of track, and a given set of opponents. There are 4 sets of missions: The Pass, 3 Lap Battle, Slipstream Battle, and 1 Lap Magic. Completing each set of missions earns the player a prize car.

Hardware compatibility

GT4 is the first game on the PS2 to support 1080i resolution. It also supports 480p (NTSC only) and widescreen modes.

Despite the lack of online gameplay, GT4 does support use of the PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor, which can be used to communicate with additional PS2s to create a multi-screen setup. In addition, the Network Adaptor can be used to play games on a local subnet for up to six players, though player customized cars cannot be used in a LAN game.

Support for the Logitech Driving Force Pro and GT Force steering wheels is continued from Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec. New support is given for USB storage and print devices used in Photo Mode.

Photo mode

The new Photo Mode is included in the game, which allows the player to control a virtual camera, taking pictures of their cars on track, or at specific locations, including the Grand Canyon. This game is able to produce a selection of screenshots with variable compression rate (Normal/Fine/SuperFine) and size (up to 1280x960 72dpi), and the user can choose to save or print to supported USB devices.

Vehicles

GT4 continues in its predecessors' footsteps by offering an extremely large list of cars; the PAL version, for example, features 721 cars from 80 manufacturers. Some of those cars are multiple variations on a single base model; there are 20 different Subaru Imprezas, 25 Mitsubishi Lancers, and 48 Nissan Skylines. Each vehicle model has over 5000 polygons.[1] Cars prices range from about 4000 credits for basic 1980s Japanese used cars up to 4,500,000 credits for the top end (mostly Le Mans) race cars. Some special prize-only cars are not visible in the vehicle showrooms, and a few do not have corresponding dealerships, and thus are unmodifiable.

The game includes, as prizes, many cars of historical interest, such as the 1886 Benz and Daimler "horseless" carriages, and the Ford Model T. Because of their complexity, their digital models run into limitations of the PS2 hardware,[citation needed] these cars are not usable in races, but, instead can only be used in single car "time trials", or in Photo Mode. Even some modern cars with complex body shapes, for instance the Chrysler Prowler, or the Caterham Seven Fire Blade, also cannot be used in races. One car, the 1937 Auto Union V16 Type C Streamliner, is only capable of being driven on the Nürburgring, the Test Course, and the Las Vegas Drag Strip. There are, however, plenty of historical cars which can be raced, including a 1961 Jaguar E-type, 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL, a 1954 Citroën 2CV, and several late 1960s to early '70s muscle cars.

GT4 is responsible for a few other vehicle firsts in the Gran Turismo series. It is the first to feature pickup trucks, such as the Ford Lightning and Dodge Ram. It is the first game in the series to feature the De Lorean, using the stage II spec engine (developed in 2004, hence the 2004 designation). It is also the first in the series to feature a diesel powered car, the BMW 120d. While Gran Turismo 2 did have a one-off F1 engine version of the Renault Espace, GT4 was the first of the series to feature a production minivan, the Honda Odyssey.

In addition to the tuning parameters familiar from the previous games in the series, GT4 allows weight to be added to the car. This can be positioned to affect handling, or merely used as a form of handicapping. Another new vehicle tuning addition is that of nitrous oxide.

The Real Driving Simulator?

The Gran Turismo series has always attempted for the most realistic racing experience possible. 500 to 700 parameters define the driving characteristics of the car physics model. According to the developers, a professional driver was invited to set times using the same car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit, and the GT4 lap times were within 2% of the real life equivalent.[citation needed]

Jeremy Clarkson, host of the Top Gear television program, performed a head-to-head test of real life versus GT4 on an episode of the program. He ran Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in real life in an Acura NSX for a lap time of 1:57. His GT4 lap time was 1:41:148. Clarkson, however, used a Honda NSX-R to clock the lap time in the game. The NSX-R, sold only in Japan, is a lighter and faster version of the standard NSX.

Clarkson also had to be shown by a race driving instructor where the line was between the game and reality. He pointed out that adjusting one's braking mid-turn in a real car could cause loss of control, and also mentioned that in the game, he is compelled to take bigger risks than he would in real life, and that in the game, the car did not suffer from brake fade.

Despite the apparent controversy, in a column for The Sunday Times, Clarkson had this to say about GT4:

So Sony is on to a winner. It can make all sorts of bold claims about how its Gran Turismo cars are the same as the real thing because no one will ever be able to prove it wrong. [...] I am in a position to test out its claims because, unlike most people, I really have driven almost all of them in real life.

There are mistakes. The BMW M3 CSL, for instance, brakes much better on the road than it does on the screen. And there’s no way a Peugeot 106 could outdrag a Fiat Punto off the line. But other than this, I’m struggling: they’ve even managed to accurately reflect the differences between a Mercedes SL 600 and the Mercedes SL 55, which is hard enough to do in real life.

There’s more, too. If you take a banked curve in the Bentley Le Mans car flat out, you’ll be fine. If you back off, even a little bit, you lose the aerodynamic grip and end up spinning.

That’s how it is. This game would only be more real if a big spike shot out of the screen and skewered your head every time you crashed.[2]

Criticisms

  • Reviewers criticize the game for its continued lack of rendered damage. Instead of damage, the cars simply bounce off the walls or each other.[2][3][4]
  • Reviewers complained of the continued ability to take unrealistic short cuts, such as the one on Fuji Speedway (90's) where the driver can cut right across the chicane, allowing a player to win by cheating.[3][5]
  • The game has also been criticized for lack of online play which had been promised during early development, but was announced as being removed at the time of release.[6][7][8]
  • The lack of established high-performance automotive brands of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche.[3] Ferrari cars are not included in GT4 because Ferrari is protective of their cars' image, and they also have a deal with Electronic Arts.[2]
  • Many reviewers expressed disappointment in the game's AI system,[1][5] noting that "virtual racers will follow their (driving) line with little concern for where the human driver is at any one time."[4] This is more evident during rally races and missions in which a 5 second penalty of driving only up to 31 mph (50 kph) is given for hitting the AI or the barriers, even if the AI caused the contact.
  • Some critics found B-Spec mode to offer little to the overall experience.[5] When Australian gaming magazine Hyper reviewed Gran Turismo 4, the reviewer commented that gaining credits was too easy in B-spec: just tell the AI driver to push hard and overtake, and if your car's good enough, you win.[verification needed]

Trivia

  • Both the first release of the Japanese and Chinese version of the game was sold with a 212-page reference guide, with a message from famous car reviewer Reychiro Fukuno, an introduction to the physics of racing, lessons on using the GT Force Pro steering wheel, a machine tuning guide and parts catalogue, a tutorial for the photo mode from photographer Chikara Kitabatake, a race course index, a partial cars index and also a complete music index. The game and the guide were cased together in a special box of the same size as a DVD case. A similar guide was included with the first release of the Japanese Gran Turismo 3: A-spec.
  • Due to the tight schedule for releasing the Chinese version, obvious textual errors can be found in the game, like the names for the two '90s used cars section being swapped, and the descriptions for the damper bounce and rebound also being switched. Other minor, but curious grammatical errors can be found.
  • The Chinese version of GT4 failed to fix a bug that resulted in the game being left at 99.8% after all races have been cleared, because the Formula GT race was corrupted; thus, players were unable to unlock the final car at 100% completion. There is also a similar glitch in the North American version of the game. If the first driving mission is not completed first, before the other missions are attempted, the game will not record the mission as complete. Therefore the highest completion percent will be 99.8%.
  • Advertising for GT4 was a task for the two teams to complete on the reality show The Apprentice.
  • Comedian Jay Leno, an avid car collector, is listed in the game as a manufacturer; one of his custom cars, the Blastolene Special or "Tank Car", is included in the game.[9]
  • A special version of GT4 featuring three tracks and four vehicles (the 118d, 120d, 118i and 120i) was given by BMW to their customers who purchased their 1 Series automobile before it was released.
  • The 2022 Nike One has Morse code on the right hand side of the car. When reversed, this reads www.phil-frank.com, the artist commissioned to design this car for GT4. There is also some Morse code visible on the inside of all four tires.

Course trivia

  • Just before the start/finish line on Citta d'Aria, written on the tarmac is an inscription in poor Italian: "Dio lo benedice - fate il suo guidare il più sicuro e divertirsi" which translated means: "God blesses him; make his driving the most safely and to have fun". This course follows actual roads in Assisi, Italy. The race starts/finishes in the piazza in front of the temple Minerva.
  • On the Trial Mountain circuit, as in GT3, a monkey can be seen on a tree branch overhanging the road. In GT4 the Loch Ness Monster and fishermen are also visible—over the fence on the corner before the final chicane.
  • At the start of both 24 hour endurance races on Circuit de la Sarthe, the GT4 version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a flight of 8 airplanes trailing red, white, and blue smoke pass over the start/finish straightaway, in the same direction as the cars.
  • On the Nürburgring and Côte d'Azur tracks, it is possible to break out of the enclosed track area, and drive into the scenery behind the track.

Awards

Soundtrack

The Asian releases of Gran Turismo 4, like its previous releases, feature the theme song "Moon Over the Castle", composed by Polyphony Digital's Masahiro Andoh, during the opening. The North American release replaces part of Andoh's composition with an edited version of Van Halen's "Panama". The European release features "Reason Is Treason" by Kasabian.

Japanese Version Soundtrack

  • "Moon Over The Castle ~ Orchestral Version~"
  • "Kiss You Good-bye"
  • "Get Closer"
  • "Freedom to Win"
  • "Nobody"
  • "Green Monster"
  • "Drive You Crazy
  • "Vette Lug"
  • "The Motorious Zone"
  • "Hypnosis"
  • "An Old Bassman"
  • "Mission Impossible"
  • "Don't Kick Yourself"
  • "Be At Home"
  • "From The East To The West"
  • "Endless Journey Ver.I"
  • "Light Velocity Ver. III"
  • "Horizon"
  • "It's All About You"
  • "Soul Surfer"
  • "What To Believe"
  • "Break Down"

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Pavlacka, A. (2005-02-17). "Gran Turismo 4 - Playstation 2 - Video Game Review", page 2. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
  2. ^ a b c Clarkson, J. (2005-08-07). "Pass the joystick, sonny, this is the future of driving". Retrieved 2007-02-26.
  3. ^ a b c Sapieha, C. (2005-03-15). "globeandmail.com - Gran Turismo 4". URL accessed February 05, 2007
  4. ^ a b Lewis, E. (2005-02-22). "IGN: Gran Turismo 4", page 3. URL accessed February 05, 2007
  5. ^ a b c Ekberg, B. (2005-02-22). "Gran Turismo 4 for Playstation 2 Review", page 3. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
  6. ^ Lewis, E. (2005-02-22). "IGN: Gran Turismo 4", page 4. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
  7. ^ Fahey, R. (2004-09-24). "Sony drops online from Gran Turismo 4, hits Christmas release". URL accessed February 05, 2007
  8. ^ Ekberg, B. (2005-02-22). "Gran Turismo 4 for Playstation 2 Review", page 4. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
  9. ^ Leno, J. (2005-08-26). "The Jay Leno Column: Tank Car". Retrieved 2007-03-02.

External links

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