Review: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)

Whichever way you choose to purchase Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, the majority of PlayStation 3 owners will be thankful to have the opportunity to sample what Polyphony Digital have been working on for the last four years. At least that is until the cars hit the track.

For the price Prologue represents good value, featuring a decent sampling of cars, tracks and challenges to overcome, as well as an online option. A real highlight is the presentation, which is sublime and matched equally well to Sony’s high definition vision. Each car is superbly captured, the models are magnificent and the engine sounds match this barometer. With over seventy vehicles on offer, there is a rewarding selection to experience, including Polyphony Digital’s usual favouritism of Japanese manufacturers. The ultimate prize if you can accumulate enough credits, is to snare the Ferrari Formula 1 car from 2007, which brings a new dimension to each of the tracks.

Whereas the Gran Turismo HD demo limited itself to the Eiger Nordwand, Prologue branches out onto city streets (London) and professional circuits (Suzuka, Daytona, Fuiji) thereby accommodating a variety of styles. The tracks themselves are faithfully recreated but feature some noticeable frame rate and pop-up details, especially when using the rear view. At least the replay option is superb and one of the few areas where this title betters the current champion, Forza 2.

The main mode is broken down into a series of challenges that you must overcome to progress through the three classes. The majority simply ask that you finish well or set a certain lap time to receive those valuable credits, a trophy and on occasion a car for your efforts. A noticeable issue is that some of the challenges are unbalanced and this situation applies to those that demand you drive a specific vehicle. Whereas in other events you can select from a manufacturer or brake horsepower, here you’re lumbered with one car. At times you will have to revise your style and learn the limitations of this adopted machine. However one particular challenge where you had to reach the front of the field in one lap, whilst starting from the back, could only be achieved by ramming into opponents. In hindsight therefore it’s no surprise that the online mode is such a painful experience.

An annoying inclusion are the rolling starts, which kick off each event. Why this method was selected is beyond us and puts a dampener on any quick reflexes you may possess. Critically there is little racing improvement on offer in Prologue as for all the graphical and presentation upgrades, the racing is reminiscent of Gran Turismo 4. The lack of rumble is well documented and will be addressed yet Gamestyle suspects the cars will remain light and lack connection with the tarmac.

Prologue is hampered by the poor AI on display, which is even more noticeable when you have to repeat failed challenges until you progress. Events between your opponents are almost scripted with RPG precision, meaning you’ll see the same barging and venturing off the track again and again. Cars fail to react to events and fail consistently to avoid obvious obstacles. In summary this driving experience is light years behind Forza 2 and needs to be addressed before it’s too late.

The online racing is a real travesty but this is not the fault of the developer, although they could have attempted to foster a fairer community. Why the game ships without a friend’s list or voice communication option is beyond Gamestyle. Yes, this means you are not able to currently race friends in closed events, meaning you’re forced to play against the general public. Gamestyle has played online since the Dreamcast era and with specific titles (mainly the huge releases such as Prologue or Halo) we tend to avoid open matches simply because of the behaviour and tactics used by immature players.

With Prologue there is no option to avoid such a scenario but apparently a sizeable update is currently being developed. The sooner the better in our book, as currently we just avoid online matches. The rampant cheating is unbelievable, dramatic blocking and using opponents as braking barriers on corners on almost every race makes for a disappointing online mode. Really, if this is the standard of online play from PlayStation 3 owners (many of whom are probably new to the online world and its etiquette), then Gamestyle will be sticking to Xbox Live in future.

Prologue aims to be more than just a racing experience, attempting to be your portal to Gran Turismo TV, historical details of major manufacturers and a snapshot of weather and times from across the world. The television option is interesting for those with a passion for cars, with new video content being released and allowing you to watch amongst other things the development of the latest Nissan GT-R. Such features save what is a lackluster racing experience and a real disappointment for players who are aware of what’s already available for other consoles.

On this evidence Polyphony Digital certainly have their work cut out to turn around Gran Turismo 5 and provide a worthwhile racing experience, rather than a title full of gimmicks and superficial additions.

Rating: 6 / 10

Words by Jason Julier