Driving ambitions

Gran Turismo is back – at last

There’s something pleasingly familiar about Gran Turismo. From the historical load video to the unmistakable ‘bong’ that celebrates every button selection, you’re instantly at home.

That comes from a back catalogue that now extends 20 years. Yet GT Sport, the first game from the franchise to land on PS4, will get the nostalgia flowing for some, but it’s still a cutting-edge arcade racer. It’s taken its time, mind: Gran Turismo 6 was released back in 2013.

A full fleet of LMP1 cars, from Porsche 919 to Peugeot 908, is a particular highlight (see motorsportmagazine.com/esports for the full list). It’s sparsely populated with circuits, but that could change in due course.

The game still feels arcade-like. It’s almost as though it wants you to win, but the focus is clearly on online racing, with limited offline capabilities, and the AI suffers as a result – rerun a race and you’ll see the same shunts. The best bit? You can still attempt split-screen races. For more challenging kicks try Project CARS; for good old-fashioned fun, GT Sport takes some beating.

Reviewed on: Sony PS4, Thrustmaster T300 wheel, GT Omega Racing seat