After many years of waiting, Polyphony Digital’s ultimate racing simulation franchise Gran Turismo has finally graced the PSP. We’ve taken it for an extensive test drive, and are ready to wave the checkered flag on our review. Is Gran Tursimo the must-have racer for the PSP, just like it’s console counterparts? Or should you just race on past to another PSP game? Find out inside our Gran Turismo for PSP review.
Having big shoes to fill since it bears the Gran Turismo name (the GT franchise has sold over 52 million copies to date), Polyphony Digital was sure to pack the PSP’s GT full of content. Boasting an outstanding 800 vehicle models, and over 30 tracks with 60 plus variations, Gran Turismo for the PlayStation Portable is a full featured title from start to finish. Racing onto the PSP at 60 frames per second, you are in for quite a smooth ride.
Gran Turismo doesn’t really offer much of a single player “career mode”. But it does feature plenty of other single player modes to keep you interested long after your first race. In fact Gran Turismo for the PSP isn’t a game you can “finish”, as you will always be able to “best” your own times with every available track. For the larger portion of the game you will find yourself playing the single race mode. Here is where you can earn the most credits to purchase new vehicles for your driving pleasure. The amount of credits you win is determined by what track you choose, and how many laps you’ll be racing on your chosen track. Bored with the 30+ tracks? You can race them in reverse which offers up a whole new challenge.
Along with the single race mode, there is the mandatory Time Trial mode, where you race against a ghost version of your previous best time on a particular track. Also making it’s return is Drift mode, where you earn credits for smoothly drifting around corners and turns. On the multiplayer side you have a few different modes, none of which aren’t much in the way of innovation, but do offer a good time when friends are around. Unfortunately, your friends will have to be very close by, since multiplayer is available via Ad-hoc only.
