A game in which divorced the race spirits.

For a long time had to wait for the successor to one of the best racing game series of all time PS3 owners. In late November it was finally time, Gran Turismo 5 for the PS3 finally appeared after nearly 6 years of development. Much was expected, it is not uncommon promised the best to date racing game console across. Gran Turismo 5 is undoubtedly a very good racing game, but also with small and even large defects. For ease of reference I will individually illuminate every aspect:

Graphics:

In short: GT5 looks certainly good to very good, but has not quite the graphics trump card as to PS2-hours, which is primarily due to the increasing strength of competitors such as Colin McRae Dirt 2, Need for Speed ​​Shift or to to take a look over the edge Telle, Forza 3. Once again, the lighting of open mouths makes. Lets you measure distances shine in a sometimes rather sterile, but very realistic shine. What is new is that this time, though, are only on certain routes changing light conditions. There would be a gorgeous sunset on the Tuscan Rally route or on the Nordschleife. This day / night cycle is even if you have seen him several times, still impressive, the distances thereby gain noticeably more to reality. Other new features include weather effects, although these unfortunately only apply to some routes. However, rain and snow effects might look prettier. In the cockpit view the raindrops look partly quite rough and in the external perspective you see them not even on the car. The same applies füt the snow. However, the spray, which is whirled up, looks good and provides cover for the driver extremely visibility. Even gravel and tire smoke look tidy.

Also open mouths make the premium models of 200 cars. These were reproduced faithfully, have excellent reflections and a cockpit view, where you can also look around. Negative fall on the shadows that sometimes act quite frayed, which by the way also to see the start of a race in the external perspective. The cockpits are illuminated partly too dark, so that not everything is clear. Nevertheless, one can see that Polyphony Digital has put a lot of work in the cockpit and from the outside the cars anyway Top. Even better, this comes in Fotomdous to advantage: There, images can pick up where you think you just took a picture of a real car. If you're thinking, I'm exaggerating, which is to simply try it yourself: D
Apart especially well received by the brake or in the headlights of an Audi RS6 Avant or Mercedes SLR McLaren. There each lamp is wirlich recognizable. Here at the latest you realize that the premium models have taken a lot of time, unfortunately, too much. Thus, the developers had to install "standard models" into play the other cars as so-called. And here occurs in terms of graphics for the first time to disappointment. Some cars like the Bugatti Veyron still look relatively well and could almost pass for a Premium model only without cockpit view, while most other cars really look as if they were imported from GT4 and have been upscaled to HD. No cockpit view, partly erroneous reflections, rough wheel arches and fewer details can surprise one after all.

Even ugly occasionally onset tearing and infrequent stuttering or slowdowns (in wet races sometimes noticeably). The racetracks see some very successful as city routes in Rome, Madrid or London, where many details are enhanced. Also, the Nordschleife was just fantastic implemented, every bump and every inscription on the asphalt is present. Other tracks like the GT Classic Trial Mountain or Deep Forest look just upscaled, hardly any new details can be discerned. Also annoying are the visible podium training at the shade in the car and outside it.

3D mode, unfortunately I could not test, because I do not have 3D TVs. But the positive side should also be noted that since the patch in December the screens are completely disabled. This makes the ride even more realistic and does not obscure the beautifully modeled interiors of cars.

Sound:

While Gran Turismo 5 has DTS 5.1, however, the engine noises could sound even richer. If you have ever played NFS Shift, will understand what I mean. There, the engines roar loudly and have a brutal sound, while the motors are only average in GT5. Even if you have a 700 HP engine, the engine is barely audible while driving and sounds partly like the sound of a vacuum cleaner tricked. Here would definitely have scored more. Best cars sound even in the outside or in the hood perspective. Too bad for people like me, prefer to use the cockpit view.
The music is well chosen again in GT5. From rock, pop, alternative and electric songs to lounge music everything is available. A big plus is also playing his own music in the menu and on the track.

Driving physics:

Let us has always proved the most important point, the GT, the driving experience. And so much can be said: There has Polyphony Digital still got it. Each car reacts understandable and especially with a steering wheel, the driving experience is more authentic over. Here one really remembers every bump or irregularity, especially on the Nordschleife. Also, high-powered bodies or cars with rear-wheel drive a real challenge if you want it to maneuver quickly through the lines. Here GT5 does everything right. Even when it rains, the car tax comprehensible, the braking distance is extended and the car can rotate at 300 km / h with an unsheltered steering movements quickly. Furthermore, the cars can tune leistungstechnisch again, which again also ensures altered handling characteristics. Settings for the gear ratio, tire, front / rear wings, feathers, ground clearance, etc. can also be made. However, I must say that this point is not completely fail without criticism. There are a few mistakes, which I wonder why no one has noticed the development team. In a wet race soft racing tires work just as well as proper rain tires, a time difference is practically non-existent or very marginal. In addition, the tire wear in the endurance race is not really comprehensible. To about 60% wear it shows nothing, then the car is slowly worse (loss of time for about 2 seconds) and the last 10% the car will plötzlch impassable and even at 50 km / h to the car hardly go straight ahead, leaving you enough good a minute loss. So much of the quality difference between a fresh tires and worn out tires is an extremely not. The petrol simulation is not quite understandable, the difference between a brim betanktem car and an almost empty car located between 0.3 and 0.8 seconds per lap (measured values ​​with a Mercedes SLS AMG on the Tsukuba Circuit measured). Here is hope again reworked sense.

For the GT series is a completely new damage model. However, this should be noted only visually in GT mode, affect the physics of small and major accidents (broken steering, power loss of the motor) are only in arcade mode and in online mode noticeable. But here I would like to mention that the mechanical damage model was submitted by patch only in the original version, it does not exist. The damage model looks even a little immature and the cars lose only after very many tough clashes a door or the bonnet. And even that only applies to the premium cars, standard cars have only scratches, while premium cars still show visible bumps.

Scope:

Gran Turismo 5 has more than 1,000 cars from around the world, each well-known manufacturers is virtually represented. However, the players will have to get used to the fact that there are only 200 instead 800 premium and standard cars. The choice for premium vehicles is partly not quite comprehensible. Every Ferrari is as a premium model and the focus was on Japanese cars from Nissan and Toyota. While many Nissan Skyline models have been designed from the 21st century. As a premium car, Audi and Mercedes have just received by about 7 cars as a premium model. Here comes quickly but on the question of whether less would have been more, especially since many of the 800 standard cars were simply taken from GT4 and GT Mobile. In the game there are 25 routes, both fantasy courses and real circuits like Monza and the Nordschleife. The 25 tracks are even partly backwards and in different versions befahbar and at different times and weather conditions, but this is unfortunately dictated by game. Overall, you get so in about 70 track variations.

GT5 has in addition to an arcade mode where you can first get to know the tracks and cars, a 2-player splitscreen and online mode to which I will come to later, of course, the heart of the game, the GT mode. There you will start his racing career and also manages its profile. Total wait 6 race series (Novice, Amateur, Pro, Expert, extreme and unlockable Endurance Series) for the player, each consisting of 9 championships each with 3-6 race. It raises money and experience, and the higher you are in the driver level, we must also take part in the very fast race series. With the money you can buy new cars or tunes the other cars, if you do not time progresses in a racing series. Experience you get for race run in wins of course more.

New are the special events where you fueled for example in go-karts on the track, takes part in a NASCAR driving school or driving in a VW Samba Bus on the Top Gear test track. These special events offer enough variety and can earn an especially early in the game again good money and a lot of experience. Known from GT license exams are also available again. However, let me say that they are no longer mandatory now. Much more, they serve to convey the driving techniques beginners. For completing a license, there is again a car as a gift. Depending on with what medal it terminates the license, there is a better car.

It gives the photo journey, which in GT4 its debut celebrated, where you can shoot images in Full HD quality on a wide variety of scenes from his premium cars this time, with standard cars this is not possible. The results are very impressive. At the dealer you buy premium cars, the used car dealer standard cars. These can then tune the car parts dealer or painted or otherwise in the GT car. Again, there is unfortunately again distinctions that rims can be only in premium cars exchange. Almost 2 dozen cars can be equipped as a new race modification and have noticeably better performance.

The B-spec mode, which you already know from GT4, is back again with. However, here changed very little. One can clothe his driver when you create, can be generated by chance his skills and enter a name. With more victories increases his experience value and thus were skills. The B-Spec is a nice addition, if you take just do not feel like driving yourself and prefer to give another driver instructions, but no more. It is also annoying that there is no Vorspulfunktion during races like in GT4, because the round number is twice as high as in the A-Spec mode. But to make a good way to make money and it is all cars.

GT5 now also offers a track editor. What, however, sounds promising, after at least Funracer players have seen in ModNation Racers, which can be built independently for great distances, which is sadly disappointed here. An "Editor" it is not really, but rather a range adjusters. One chooses a theme route and can then determine the number of sectors. These sectors can be customized in terms of complexity (more curves or rather more straight), the track width of the weather, time of day and the degree of inclination of the section in several stages. But this will always created by the computer at random, independently can not choose it. A nice addition, but nothing more. The existing routes in the game make her a lot more graphically.

Of course, Gran Turismo 5 offers also an online mode. It is possible to either create your own private session, some to be selected route, rules and vehicles or its session upload Registered in a server list. This server list can then chooses a race and also gets for each race experience and money. Although the race run host controlled, but still almost lagfrei and also the quality of voice chats to be proud of. Round offers the online mode for a long time fun and will surely be extended nor gradually through patches.

Conclusion:

Long have we waited for Gran Turismo 5, the expectations rose partially into infinity. It remains to say that unfortunately we did not do it with the ultimate racing game. The graphics are really very nice part, but also has its downside, the scope may sound huge, but at level 25 you get problems with the rank upgrades, as experience points are too thin and the prize money expected to be higher and the fact that there are too few races (Manufacturer race missing completely). Also disappointed as the game progresses, the vehicle selection to many Japanese cars there, too little European cars and annoys you even on the premium standard-issue car. However, the ride is right again fully, route selection has succeeded and the online mode is stable. Total expected hardworking console racers be busy again for several weeks and because Polyphony Digital will continue to improve the game, maybe the one or other point of criticism vanishes even in the game. Those looking for a realistic racing simulator and really is only on the grandiose ride out, can still add a star to the rating. However, if you are looking for action, tight competition and a lot of variety, will be a little disappointed and would rather pull another star.

Other comments: HDD Installation size: 8 GB (optional, otherwise approx 256MB), HD-resolution 1080p (main menu, photo travel), otherwise 1280 * 1080p.