Gran Turismo 6 (PlayStation 3) Review

In all honesty, this particular reviewer is more inclined to a spot of Ridge Racer or Mario Kart action, rather than the seriousness of games like DiRT or Sony's flagship series, Gran Turismo. However, that is not to say its merits are ignored, and with great trepidation it was high time to put down any preconceived notions and grab the PlayStation 3 controller firmly in both hands and hit the road, rather like ripping a plaster off quickly. The ultimate test - would Gran Turismo 6 be the one to break down the walls and convert a true arcade race lover? The answer was most definitely, yes...

The first thing that needs to be remembered is that this is no joke affair; it is serious business. Players are in cars that follow real life physics as closely as possible, meaning centre of gravity can be a real issue, and spinning out of control is not something that can quickly be resolved by tapping on the breaks to enter and come out of 'drift mode' to rectify matters. This point is driven home by the guidance trail that is present in the Novice courses available at the very start. Trying to deviate from the designated path will quickly lead to unnecessary mistakes creeping in and pole position being lost all too easily and frequently. This includes checking on speed when approaching corners - too fast and wave goodbye! The trail glares red as a stern warning if too fast on the approach, and fades back to blue dashes when a vehicle's velocity has decreased sufficiently thanks to ample brake usage. This is not for the faint of heart, and yet it is an attempt to draw all levels in. The guide feature can be turned off, but until mastering the feel of each new car purchased using the in-game currency - collected by performing well in races and events - it would be wise to keep it on for that extra little bit of assistance. Anyway, it also encourages cheeky little shortcuts, seeing how far a car can be pushed off the main route without losing control. This all helps build confidence for the higher difficulty hurdles faced later on.

Gran Turismo 6 starts off slow, but does so to ease all comers into the action. Starting with some 'Sunday Driving' courses, building up gradually to let gamers earn licenses to grant access to the big leagues, and mixing in some fun challenges that divert the attention from what has previously been seen by some as a very sterile environment - it all adds to make this the most accessible Gran Turismo by far.

That is not to say all of the technical elements that drew such a large audience to the series in the first place are gone; far from it. There is still the wealth of vehicle types to choose from, only certain engine classes can partake in particular tournaments for a modicum of fairness, and the garage is there for all the tinkering necessary to fulfill the desires of the car aficionados of the world.

Everything is helped along by the updates that keep popping up thanks to the developer's eagerness to make this as perfect an experience as possible. These come in terms of gameplay balance being tweaked, entry levels for stages being made much fairer than when the game was first released, new tournaments being thrown into the mix to keep everything fresh, and special events and incentives for daily play, plus much more. It is a superb way to allow owners of the game to feel like they are truly getting the most value for money and make them feel like being well and truly cared for.

1,200 cars to choose from (including go-karts and even a moon buggy), 37 tracks to race across, numerous weather conditions across both the day and night, courses based upon real life locations, plenty of freshly created ones as well (the moon, anyone? Yes, thank you!), coffee break mini-games for a change of pace, online modes that need to be earned, and all sorts of random pieces of information that are slotted in for die-hard car fanatics. Gran Turismo 6 is the racing game of this generation, and can be enjoyed by all.