It is goosebump-inducing stuff at its best. Though famous tracks can sometimes lack a bit of atmosphere. Much of it can be down to sound. Whipping around Daytona is a pleasure, but as you dash past the packed 100,000 seater grandstand you are met with silence. And a smaller scale, granted, but as a Kentish lad I would expect more bustle on the banks at Brands Hatch. Gran Turismo can often be accused of sterility, which I don’t think is entirely fair if you are willing to buy into its idiosyncrasies (such as the GT drivers that pop up for an affable chat like LinkedIn messages sent from a JRPG), but it doesn’t always catch the buzz of race day.
And there is a bit of that running through the whole game. Despite it being a game about speed, it sure does like to take its time. Getting through menus and unlocking cars is brisk enough, but I was many, many hours in before I even had a race that featured a grid start. The vast majority races pop you at the back of the grid on a rolling start and task you with moving up through the pack in an arcade-style chase. In fairness, this is a thoroughly enjoyable way to play, as the game’s AI allows you to get into some compelling scraps over position as you work your way through. However, it takes a while before it starts stretching its legs and bringing in more complexity in terms of drifting, pitting and fuel management.
It is, in this sense, the anti-Forza Horizon. Playground’s boisterous game –and Xbox’s flagship racer– hurls you out of aircraft in a supercar from minute one and gleefully distributes rewards and new events like they are going out of fashion. Gran Turismo 7, as befits its history, is a lot more considered than that. Some would say ponderous, others would say sophisticated.
Me? I can’t help admiring its purity and focus. Gran Turismo 7 seemingly has one mission: to espouse and share its love of cars and their place in wider culture. Its curated catalogue, pretty history books and gleaming showrooms are presented with dutiful care and attention. So much so that it is easy to find yourself lost in the history of the Volkswagen or Aston Martin before you know it. And once you get those cars out on the track? That’s the best part of all.
