Playstation Gamer UK

I’ve taken my time in getting back on the writing train so I thought I’d do a quick review on the latest game I have been playing. GT5 Prologue is a game I finally got round to playing when I fancied a game I could pick up and play over the exam period. I have been putting off playing this mainly because I it sounded like poor value for money and in some ways at £17.99 it is, but for fans of the racing genre it is still a must have. GT is a relatively new experience for me and I was not disappointed, the tracks are limited but I like that in a game, because gives you more time to hone your skills. Although I Daytona gets old fairly quickly and London is poor, the rest provide a nice mixture, where the High Speed Ring breaks you in gently and tracks like Suzuka test your ability to hit the right lines to the limits. There are cars a plenty too, although I still haven’t been bored enough to do the billions of laps need to get the Ferrari F1 2007 car, I have managed to unlock enough along the way to keep me happy.

I decided to start with the Focus ST, in orange of course, which handles like a dream, but the Integra is required for some of the C-class races so maybe better investment to save some extra pennies for later on, although for those who haven’t had the pleasure of making their own journey through the game I will leave my suggestions there. Right, so I have never really driven a racing sim before and found it tough switching between cars because of how unique they are to drive. This was particularly true as I invested in more power, the Ford GT in particular took me a lot of getting used to. However, GT is very rewarding and the new in car view, for me is a game seller itself. I normally go for the behind the car view, but on GT, especially early on the sense of speed is non-existent and this would have been a major turn off for me if the new in car view hadn’t been there, (because I hate sitting on the bonnet because of the loss of control it provides). The new in car view sits you in the exact viewpoint you would have, behind the steering with your three mirrors and makes the experience much more absorbing and exhilarating. I at least, managed to imagine myself as a real racing driver more than I ever had in any game previously and when I realised this I feel in love with the game.

There are some gripes which I have to address. AI is like racing a robot, they only have a couple of different scenarios and otherwise only change if you are quick enough to interfere and for a modern game that for me is unforgivable. Also some of the speed lap times are impossible in my opinion, without some serious ‘cheating’ and by this I mean taking corners at high speed around the edge…which brings me onto the next point of lack of damage, which I know has always been the case and is to be sorted in the final game. However, unless they make the speed laps achievable without riding the walls then damage is basically going to ruin any chance of full completion for I guess the vast majority gamers. I still haven’t got gold for everything and although it is different I have managed Platinum on Wipeout therefore have some pedigree in perseverance and driving skill, but correct me if I am wrong here.

To sum up, this review has been fairly vague, but lets face it apart from me most of you readers have played this before and know what its all about. I have tried to provide a different perspective, by getting across how this differs from the competition and how it has made me feel. Therefore, even if you can’t pick a second hand copy up you should still consider investing in it, because who knows when the final game will be hitting the shelves. This title should definitely wet you whistle and has most certainly ensured I will be be buying the final version.

What we loved

- The in car view

- The depth of realism

- The number of cars

What we Hated

- AI

- Speed lap difficulty

- No in-car view on two player

- No damage

Overall Verdict – 4 Stars ( What does this mean? )

If you love driving games buy it, even if your an arcade racer fan. I stuck it straight on professional handling and manual gearbox and loved the challenge it provided, this not only made the game more enjoyable but added to the longevity.