Even grander a third time around

By William Barker

The rally racing is bag-loads of fun

The passage was dark - the place smelled of death. In the jungles of the Congo, any explorer knows that to stay in one spot is suicide. The Jabu-jabu could have been hiding everywhere!

So on he pressed through the humid, cavernous maze, pushing past cobwebs, avoiding dodgy tee-shirt sellers...

After climbing up through yet another small alcove, there it was - the holy grail of automotive gaming - Gran Turismo 3: A-spec.

Removing the game from its diamond-encrusted trinket was no easy task, but hours of Virtua Fighter had graced the explorer wrists made of titanium. As he wrenched the DVD-style case from its tiny vault, he heard a rumbling…

Then he woke up to the sound of the Tuesday morning garbos picking up the trash. Yes, a dream, but the symbolism was so profoundly touching, he decided to head for the jungles of the Congo - after playing a spot of Gran Turismo 3, of course...

Like any strange dream, to actually have Gran Turismo 3 in my possession resulted in heavy breathing, a little drooling and much light headedness. But all was expected - this day had been a long time coming.

After sitting down with the game on a nice new 73cm flatscreen TV, the intro really got my cylinders firing. The CGI is amazing, but it's when the intro cuts to actual in-game footage that you realise this is what all PS2 owners have been waiting for. Oh, and maybe Wipeout Fusion, too.

This is the AAA title the PS2 needed if it is to get a good head start on the Xbox and Gamecube. Sure, titles like ATV: Offroad and Sky Odyssey are well above average, but they don't come with that special defining factor that elevates titles from 'excellent' to 'classic'.

And this is classic.

To be honest, I never played Gran Turismo. I did play the sequel however, and there are many parallels to be drawn between numbers two and three.

Obviously graphics are not one of them. The graphical representations of both the vehicles and the gameworld (i.e. tracks) are impeccable. You've no doubt seen the advertisements on the tele, but even then they don't do the game justice.

Toyota Supra vs Nissan Skyline vs Honda NSX

The cars have been modeled with an eye for detail and this is most obvious in the mind-blowing replays.

Immaculately bevelled bonnet scoops, exhaust pipes, headlight clusters, spoilers and even original alloy wheels make the cut in what has to be the most accurate and true-to-life rendering of the modern motorcar.

The average car is comprised of 4000 polygons, which helps explain the intense detail. There was even talk of the big Japanese auto makers using the game as a marketing tool!

The game, as a whole, is a perfect balance of all the aspects that make games so addictive. Take a large handful of realistic sound samples, mash in an intuitive menu system, splice it to some tip-top gameplay and the end result is GT3. Plain and simple - this game is good, real good. But not without flaw.

Two gripes. First, the artificial intelligence. While there's nothing more rewarding than crossing the finish line by no more than a bees dick, though the computer-controlled cars aren't what you'd term 'dynamic'.

For instance, in one race, where I was going very badly, I started mucking about, doing doughnuts, 180-degree full-motion turns and some emergency braking. Soon the AI cars were upon me, so I thought to myself: "Time to disturb the peace!"

So, on a long straight, doing about 200km/h, I slammed on the brakes with two cars behind me. They crunched into me and stayed there.

They wanted to get by, but the scripting wouldn't allow them to turn out of the way unless there's cornering involved. For the most part, this does little to hamper the quality gameplay, but knowing that your opponent's behave in this manner can be advantageous for the confident player.

The second gripe could also be seen as a plaudit. Maybe four years ago, every game I got for review I would finish. Possibly this was due to my skills being better back then? No - the games were shorter. Perhaps I was a little keener, but the point I want to make is that the sheer size of this game was quite daunting at first.

The replays are best described as 'siiiick'

You go through a few races and things are peachy - until you start having to complete harebrained solo events where you must race around the oval test track in a slow car. But apart from these two issues, I have little else to complain about.

Learning the tracks, the twisty bits, the off camber corners and the long straights is one of the more rewarding aspects of the game. Going into an average race with a great car equates to diddly-squat if you don't know the track.

With around 20 or so tracks, each of which can be raced mirrored and backwards, too, it's highly unlikely that you'll grow tired of them. The majority of tracks are quite technical and many times you'll learn how to take certain sections later on the game, when you are more comfortable with the controls.

Gameplay is tops and while very little has changed since GT2, this should be viewed as a good thing. Playing the game from the in-car view, you really get a feel for the different cars and you begin to appreciate the nuances therein.

For example, my second purchase was the brand-new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII rs. This little baby uses a 50/50 split 4WD transmission. General grip and overall handling in this car was very predictable and rarely did it lose traction. It really is a joy to drive, especially with the close-ratio gear-box fitted.

My next car, allowing me entry into a number of N/A races, was the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R. This V8, rear-wheel drive car felt very different to the turbocharged all-wheel drive Evo VII, both in terms of power delivery, handling and corner speed. Truly, when you can jump into a new car to not only see and hear the difference, but feel the difference, it makes you appreciate all the hard work that went into making this game.

Fiddling with your car's setup, changing the wheels, the oil, giving it a wash - it's a bit like vehicular Pokemon, only without the Pokemon.

With a smidge under 200 cars, too many upgrades and customisations to mention, plus about four gazillion races, you'd be hard-pressed to find better value for money. The restrictions placed on races ensure that players will get to see a wide range of different vehicles, too.

The in-car view makes racing even more intense

Initially it's the visuals that will have you drooling on your Dual Shock 2, but underneath all the cosmetics lies a game which is so much fun to play and so realistic, it's hard to put down.

For car lovers, this is the definitive game. All the stats are spot on, the engine sound samples are pretty cool (complete with blow-off valves on turbo cars) and the gameplay is simply divine.

You can play two-player games either on the one screen or, if you've got like-minded gamer buddies, you can use the i-Link cable to hook up between two and six Playstation 2s along with a screen for each (plus you can add a seventh screen for spectators).

The rally racing aspect of GT3 has been significantly improved since we hit the mud at 120mph in GT2.

Now the controls are more responsive and the whole experience is far more realistic, plus there are a bunch of prototype rally cars that are a real blast to hammer around in the dirt. The end result is a far more rewarding rally circuit that's plenty of fun, too.

Gran Turismo 3: A-spec was hyped, it was anticipated, it's probably fair to say it was even romanticised over. Heck, we even ran a few too many previews on it. But at the end of the day, this is the kick-ass application gamers have been waiting for.

It is quite easily one of the best driving simulators ever and is likely to change the way we look at racing games and realism. It's amazing to look at, great fun to play and, above all, it will last you well into next year. Digital Polyphony has outdone itself.

Game: Gran Turismo 3: A-spec
System: Playstation 2
Players: 1-2 (6 players with i-Link)
Memory Card: Yes
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Distributor: Sony

Rating: 90%

(Ratings Key/Explantion)

Gran Turismo 3: A-spec is on the shelves now (Platinum title).

Gran Turismo 3: A-spec website