Gran Turismo 2 - (1/3) Author: DNM
System: Playstation
Developer: Polphony Digital
Publisher: Sony Entertainment
Price: £34.99
It's now over two years ago that the original Gran Turismo jumped on an unsuspecting public, and chained them to their Stations! How time flies.
GT has given me many moments of drunken pleasure; having my bro and a couple of mates over for a PlayStation night. The arguments over how you lost because the other player chose a faster car are quite common.
It has to be said that Gran Turismo 2 is the sole reason why I bought a PlayStation. Up until recently, I'd only ever played on friend's Stations, but I've finally got my own little grey box. Yes, it's taken me this long!
Two years on and the game finally gets the sequel so eagerly awaited by the Dual-Shock wielding masses. It's a situation that confronts many forms of media - how do you make the best better? Read on.
If you're thinking that GT2 is going to be a vastly different game to it's predecessor, you'll be sadly mistaken. Basically, it's more of the same, with the onus firmly on not fixing that which isn't broken.
One of the main differences between the two is the sheer volume of cars available for selection. Whereas GT gave you something like 250 cars, GT2 gives you a whopping 600! The sheer variety of makes and models is incredible, with a total of 33 manufacturers included. 19 of these are European, an area decidedly lacking in GT.
GT2 also has a bigger assortment of tracks to hurtle round. There are 20 normal, and 6 dirt tracks. The dirt tracks really are a great addition to the road based tracks we're used to. You will need to choose the proper wheel type for rallying, or just to look cool in replays! This is done from the wheel selection screen, another new feature. A total of nine wheel manufacturers are present.
The most notable of the game improvements though, has to be the inclusion of car damage. Collisions and scrapes now have a knock-on effect to your vehicle's performance. This means you can no longer simply rush a corner, knocking the other cars out of the way. Darn!
As with the first game, GT2 comes in two flavours. The full Gran Turismo mode, or Arcade mode. The modes come on separate discs, ensuring no annoying disc swapping occurs.
Gran Turismo mode is the full works. You start life with a measly sum of money with which to buy your first car with. Make sure you don't buy anything too powerful, as this will prevent you from entering some of the preliminary competitions. You require to have won all GT2's competitions to complete the game.
Like the first game you have to take a number of driving tests, which then allow you to enter certain competitions. The higher the prestige of the tournament, the higher class of license required. You will also need more powerful cars for the later more difficult tourneys. Don't upgrade and all you will see is their taillights vanishing into the distance!
As you win competitions, so you win more money and occasionally new cars too. You could splash out on a new set of wheels to pose around in, or with some cars you can buy spoilers and body kits.
As mentioned, damage has been incorporated into GT2, and adds a certain element of risk to everything. It isn't as bad as it seems though, with the ability to ram your car into a siding at 120mph merely denting your car. It's designed to hinder your progress rather than scupper it. I think I'd prefer a little more realism myself, but it's not a spoiler.
