Click on the "core" above to follow us, here is more than just the game
I'm not a veteran racing player, and my first exposure to the Gran Turismo series was only the fourth game on PS2. At that time, I didn't understand what driving was, nor did I understand the concept that "the car is a man's romance". But I've always liked the translation of "sports car romantic brigade" -
Although it always feels like a "Hong Kong translation" at first, these five words translate the essence of Gran Turismo (hereinafter referred to as "GT") to the fullest: sports car, romance and travel, these three simple words form the core of this series of games commonly known as "GT Racing".
It has been 5 years since the previous game "GT Sport", and although the arrival of GT 7 seems to be a little late, it is still a "sacred" IP in the minds of the majority of racing players - it not only represents the peak of "realistic driving simulation", but also represents that this will be the masterpiece of the famous producer Kazunori Yamauchi.
Thanks to Playstation China's invitation, I have experienced the full version of GT 7 a few days ago and was able to write this review after more than ten hours of driving. The platform is PS5, and the review content of the PS4 version will not be included in this article.
In general --
GT 7 lived up to the subtitle of "The Real Driving Simulator."
It still follows a very rigorous driving experience, so that it will make you feel different from the details of other racing games that "embarrass you": the unexpected push head, the imperfect wiring, the lack of tire grip and a series of conditions... Somatosensory, GT 7 makes you feel like driving has become a complicated thing.
"GT 7" is exactly that, it won't let you experience that kind of bloody passion, and there is no backtracking function that can make up for mistakes. Just like you fell down while still babbling and learning, but there is no one who can lift you, all the failures and unhappiness need you to start again in the next lap or the next game to solve it yourself.
However, this rigorous driving experience does not mean that it is "unreasonable". It allows you to watch your best result being refreshed every time you swipe the lap, or feel the joy of growing up as you learn to tune the car in a championship. As you learn and master the tricks in the game, you'll discover how smooth and fun it is to drive a vehicle.
This kind of happiness needs to be accumulated in the game for a long, long time, so you will inevitably feel that driving in GT 7 is a very hard or boring thing. If you like the driving experience of Horizon or Need for Speed, then I highly recommend trying GT 7 – it's not like other games that will make you feel visually impactful or stimulated, and won't give you great achievements and joy in a short period of time.
Because it gives the "driving" thing an irreplaceable sense of ritual and becomes a part of your life.
It's amazing that GT 7 still perfectly turns "driving" into such a romantic and formal driving experience.
"Car Romance" passed from the café
"Gran Turismo" means "cruise" in Italian. As early as the 17th century, European aristocratic princes would spend a lot of money on a long cruise in Western Europe, which was called "Gran Turismo".
The opening animation of GT 7 is a slowly unfolding "auto history picture scroll". If you are familiar with the previous games in the series, you may be very familiar with this kind of "feeling" related content - along the river of time, you can go from humans driving simple cars powered by steam to the modern era of automobile industrialization; you can also see how human beings have changed from war, culture, and technology in the same time. At first, I couldn't help but be a little amused when I saw humans taming these unruly steel monsters, but human history was rolling forward, and my mood gradually changed from funny to a little awe.
Kazunori Yamauchi has always wanted to make the "GT" series a place to display "car culture" - the crystallization of human scientific and technological progress, which is undoubtedly romantic in his eyes. So in the main interface, you can't hear the kind of rock music that can excite you, but instead there are versions of Remix of various symphonic masterpieces. The "café" added to this work has also become the first game that can be accessed in this game.
The existence of the café itself has some casual and elegant atmosphere, and in the world of GT 7, the café is a place where many racing drivers and car designers come together. Early in the game, the player will be guided to the café to pick up the "menu" that serves as a beginner guide in this game. The menu is divided into several themes, such as by country or by car type. Players need to first receive the menu and then complete a race or tournament according to the requirements to achieve the goal of collecting vehicles.
For a new player who is just entering the world of GT, by completing the "menu", the game will gradually guide the player to unlock the basic vehicle and track, and lead the player to familiarize themselves with the basic operations of driving. However, as the "menu" continues to complete, its difficulty will also increase, but for players at this time, these difficulties are no longer a stumbling block to growth.
But as I said above, the café is a place where many car celebrities gather, and the "menu" prepared by the café is also quite elaborate: for example, after you have completed the collection of "Japanese front-drive cars" in the game, the café will use a well-made animation to explain the origin, history and representative model of the model.
In addition, when you drive to a café in a specific car, there will also be guests who are also in the café to tell you the story behind the car (if you have some car knowledge, the identity of these guests may surprise you). If you want to learn more about the history of these cars, you can read each carefully translated article in the "Collection" option in the garage and savor their classic status in the automotive industry.
Admittedly, in terms of performance, GT 7's café will make you feel monotonous. But it is more like a grandfather who has not been seen for many years, after many years of greetings, brewing a cup of coffee in the afternoon sun, telling you about the shining brilliance that once existed in the long river of history-
"These classic cars will always be the white moonlight in the hearts of car fans."
The Real Driving Simulator
"True Driving Simulation" is the core experience that the GT series has always advertised, and it has always attracted driving enthusiasts – on another level, of course, it does not seem to appeal to players who just want to "get a thrill in driving".
In some of today's racing games, you only need to click the brakes or slam in the direction to make the vehicle throw a beautiful drift. However, in "GT 7", all this seems to be "impossible", and even the usual cornering seems to be impossible to step on the brakes to hit the direction - the body is unstable and directly rushes out of the track, lacking in skill. The "four-wheeled kitten", which usually only needs to tap the handle, seems to have become a "steel beast" in GT 7, which makes you frustrated and gritted your teeth on the track that does not seem difficult.
But that's exactly the essence of GT 7.
In the driving process of "GT 7", what you need to pay attention to is not just as simple as "stepping on the accelerator": the body needs to press the brakes when it is back to the right to reduce the swing; the in and out of the corner must follow the "outside inside and outside" to make the car have the maximum cornering speed; and after a long drive, the tire will reduce the grip due to overheating, and the tire needs to be changed in time... Even the difference in car handling during the day and night due to changes in temperature can be reflected in the slight difference in distance during each turn.
The weather system, which was once absent from GT sport, was returned in GT 7. In custom matches, players can adjust whether it is raining, the level of water in the field, and the level of slippery slippery. Driving at high speed in the rain, in addition to the visibility will be limited by the splash of water in front of the car, the grip of the tires has decreased significantly - when I tried the "Tokyo Expressway" rainy track with the front drive, there were several skidding accidents that could directly open the purpose of the second week of life in reality, which made me play a twelve-point spirit when driving a real car.
These realistic details make up such a specific "real driving" experience in GT 7. This level of realism even allows you to familiarize yourself with the operation of GT 7 without driving too much beyond your perception on a real sports car – except, of course, the damage to the car is not "realistic" enough.
However, while ensuring "realistic" points, GT 7 also provides a very detailed assistance system for players who are exposed to this series for the first time: for example, the auxiliary driving line allows the player to practice the line easily and conveniently, and the brake area prompt allows the player to grasp the timing and weight of the brake. For players who can't drive at all, there are even automatic brakes and steering assist features. As for the ABS and traction options, it also reduces a lot of burden for players who use the gamepad.
After turning on the assist mode, the operation of the GT 7 will be very obviously simplified and improved, you can experience the most basic fun that THE GT 7 can bring through this mode, but when a few hours have passed, you will naturally want to get rid of this assist mode and put yourself in the shoes of a "driving" fun.
As one of the features of the series, the return of the driver's license system can be said to be another major care for novices or veterans. In GT 7, the driver's license is divided into five levels: "National B", "National A", "International B", "International A" and "Super Driver's License". If you want to get a driver's license, you need to complete a series of subject tests under this difficulty, and the difficulty degree naturally increases from simple to difficult.
For novices with no driving experience, the driver's license system is a model that is worth carefully considering. It starts with the simplest brakes, straight-line acceleration and cornering, and can even provide different models of different speeds under the same corner. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it, you only need to watch the official video repeatedly to learn a lot.
Completing a goal in driver's license mode may seem like a simple task, but the "outrageous" trophy system reminds you that it is "not so easy" in this mode - the time to pick up the gold cup in driver's license mode can be described as harsh, and this harshness represents a perfect driving operation, attracting players to constantly challenge themselves for the gap of 00.00 seconds.
From today's point of view, GT 7 is undoubtedly hardcore, and this hardcore has become a magic weapon for it to be invincible in the same type of game. I don't deny that he will give you a lot of doubts and setbacks in the first few hours, but when you gradually understand the true meaning of "driving", it will become a paradise for cars, bringing you a steady stream of racing fun in the constant challenges.
What else can I experience besides racing?
Driver's license mode and "menu" are the earliest things that players can access. The driver's license mode is like a challenge task, and the "menu" is a guide who takes you to unlock tracks and tournaments continuously. In addition to the track, the acquisition of the car is also the other half of the soul of GT 7.
In addition to the top three prizes in the race, players can get more vehicles in GT 7 through the used car market, the brand lobby and the legendary car dealer. The brand hall is the place to directly buy the car of the heart, and the second-hand car market and the legendary car dealer have a more sense of hitting the big luck - the used car market is mostly old cars, and the money spent is not much; the legendary car dealers are naturally those famous cars that can only be seen in movies or documentaries, and it takes a long time to save a car. The red "Limited Inventory" logo seems to be a constant reminder that you can't afford to miss the opportunity not to come again.
From the list in the garage, it can be observed that there are as many as 400 vehicles currently installed, including the GR86 that was just released a few years ago, but as a Tesla owner, I was very excited to open the brand lobby to see that last year's new Model S Plaid did not join it, and it is still 12 models in "GT sport". Although the update of some car manufacturers still has no major changes, it is fortunate that the official promise will add new cars in the subsequent updates, so let's look forward to it.
GR-class vehicles often have millions of dollars in currency, and the "modification system" has become an important system that not only costs money but also needs to use brains.
With the completion of the menu, players can purchase 4 levels of mods in the Mod Shop. In addition to improving the performance of the car, the modification can also increase the PP value (simply put, the rating) to meet the requirements of participating in the corresponding event. Some of the modifications are gradual, that is, the modification of the previous layer must be completed to continue to improve the ability. To be clear, though, the GT 7 retrofits won't make the in-game vehicles show dramatic performance changes. For different races, the best modification of the track is the best modification, in real competitions, and in GT 7.
Another praiseworthy thing is the addition of "GT Auto" in "GT 7" that can provide cosmetic modifications and maintenance. Whether it is an old car bought from the second-hand car market or a car that accompanies you to the track, it is inevitable that there will be performance degradation after driving for a long time. At this point, the player needs to spend a small amount of money in the "GT Auto" for a simple maintenance work. (At first, I thought I could wash the car by myself, but I found that I couldn't)
The well-received appearance modification in "GT sport" naturally cannot be absent in "GT 7" - from the body color, wheel shape, caliper color, grille, etc., players can choose the brand according to their own preferences, and arbitrarily create their own vehicle. Coupled with the addition of custom painting, i guess after a week or two, all kinds of pain car design will become one of the driving forces for enthusiasts to share with each other.
It is also worth mentioning that in order to take care of players who are new to this game, GT 7 has specially added a new mode called "Music Pull". Simply put, for the duration of a song, the player needs to drive a particular vehicle as far as possible. This mode can be experienced directly before the game is downloaded. From the overall experience, this mode is closer to the previous arcade racing game of "rushing through Check Point plus time before the countdown". However, it is interesting that the countdown to the game is not calculated in time, but according to the rhythm of the song, so with the blessing of some fast-paced music, this mode even reflects a little tension.
I thought this mode was designed to relax the player, but running down the few minutes didn't make me feel relieved. There are only six tracks in this mode itself, plus the gold trophy is also very difficult to get, making it difficult for me to find any driving pleasure in this mode, from the positioning point of view is still a bit strange, I hope the official can add more interesting settings in the future update.
In general, in addition to giving players the previous racing experience, GT 7 can also be further exposed to the content of car modification, maintenance and maintenance, and can encourage you to share with other players and meet more friends through customized options.
PS5 adds a new highlight to the game
Kazunori Yamauchi could make the game's camera mode so detailed that I hadn't thought of it before. In this game, you can always find your favorite angle in the game by replaying and freezing. The camera tool adds vignetting, filters, and the processing of the car state to the basic settings such as the exposure aperture. It may seem tedious, but it doesn't really need to be set up, and GT 7 allows you to take "wallpaper-level" photos.
In addition to track shooting, players can also cram the vehicles in their garages into more than 2,000 attractions - from Japan to the Netherlands, from lush bamboo forests to snow-capped peaks, whether you drive a hatchback or a concept coupe, with a few simple settings, GT 7 can actually present a photo representation in a fake and real way.
With the blessing of the sub-era platform, the static picture effect of "GT 7" has indeed achieved a new extreme. In the PS5 version, players can choose between a "4K+ ray tracing" quality mode or a frame rate mode that maintains 60FPS. But the quality mode does not affect the frame rate of the player when actually racing: when driving, the game will lock on to the 60FPS frame rate mode, although the picture is lacking, but it ensures sufficient fluency; and when playing back and screenshot display, the game will show the picture of the strongest racing game on the PS5 in 30FPS - whether it is the sunset on the car body, or the water mist raised after getting off the bus in the rainy weather, between trance, GT 7 blurs the edge between virtual and reality.
I have to admit that the uniqueness of PS5 does add a lot of highlights to GT 7. With the blessing of the SSD, the game's reading time from entering the track to starting the race can be completed in only a few seconds, and the waiting time to enter the playback mode can be negligible.
The performance of the PS5 controller is more certain to make many players feel "amazing" - not to mention the change from delicate to rough vibration when the wheel moves from the road surface to the buffer zone, and the vibration of different vehicles in different gears has been slightly adjusted. The adaptive triggers of L2 and R2 will also show different resistance according to the different states of the wheels - for example, when re-pressing the brakes, the fingers pulling the trigger requires a very large force, and accelerating on the grass, the trigger is constantly rebounding due to slipping.
For players without a steering wheel, the game provides three ways of control of joystick / arrow keys / somatosensory, I personally recommend new players to try the way of somatosensory operation, to a certain extent, can simulate the operation of the rotating steering wheel, but also can bring some different driving fun.
Speaking of driving steering wheels, Kazunori Yamauchi once recommended the use of Tumast's TGT and Fanatec's GT DD steering wheel in previous interviews in order to better experience the joy of driving. However, as a high-end brand of Tumast, the more expensive price of TGT is not something that most players can afford.
I tested it using the entry-level Tumast T248 and the professional-grade TGT 2. GT 7's compatibility with the 248 is not good enough, and some keys cannot be corresponded, but compared to the TGT 2 born of GT 7, the two steering wheels can also show accurate control angles and perfect force feedback. Driving on different fields, the torque that the steering wheel can provide and the vibration due to understeering are also very good. However, the steering wheel of the T248 is more grainy when rotated, and the TGT 2 is smoother and closer to the steering wheel feel of the real car.
Pictured is Nayda's friendly demonstration
Needless to say, the steering wheel will always be an indispensable ultimate experience for driving games. For the specific performance of the TGT 2 steering wheel in the game, I will bring more detailed reviews to all players later.
epilogue
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the GT series, and as a representative of "slow work", many people may think that GT 7 is the complete version of GT sport. But compared with the "GT sport" that emphasizes racing, GT 7 carries not only "realistic driving", but also a review and prospect of car culture.
Kazunori Yamauchi is indeed a craftsman who has been able to stick to the 25th anniversary of "realistic driving" without wavering. Because of this, "GT 7" is still a very rigorous and deep work. It may not immediately attract you, nor will it make you change your mood, but the elegance it has been carrying out has not been smoothed out in the past 25 years.
The car is a human romance, which is not false at all.
Finally, some noteworthy details.
After completing the menu, the game will provide a raffle ticket that includes coins, modifications, and vehicles, and the only gold coins can be drawn.
Although the PS5 version has accelerated the reading speed, the performance of the vision is still lacking, for example, the refresh of trees in the distant view can be observed with the naked eye.
As it was tested in advance, I didn't experience enough online battle content, but the pattern was generally the same as GT sport.
After the player has reached a certain collector level, the game will unlock very challenging mission modes, such as the "run farther with limited fuel" gameplay, which requires the player to take advantage of inertia and the ups and downs of the field as much as possible to achieve the goal. As a later game experience, this mode can still satisfy many masters.
Driving in GT 7 is a romantic and polite thing to do, pay attention to driving habits, avoid collisions, and you'll get the extra reward of fair play.
Finally, I still don't recommend GT 7 to anyone looking for refreshment, it may disappoint you, but if you're a player interested in cars, don't miss out on a chic game that will make you find the joy of driving.
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