Polyphony Digital is back with a delivery that promises to regain the essence of the license and regain the path of the unforgettable Gran Turismo 4.
Gran Turismo 7 is already a reality. Polyphony Digital was one of the main protagonists of the PS5 presentation event held this past June 11, where among other prominent names we had an element that cannot be missed in the launch of a home console: speed. The series is going through a bad time, there is no doubt; far from what it was in its day.
In this newsroom we are big fans of Gran Turismo, with special attention to PS2 deliveries and the full conviction that Gran Turismo Sport is a great video game today, in 2020, but not when it was released on PS4 in late 2017. The reason It is simple: it did not have enough content to meet the demands of those who had trusted the Kazunori Yamauchi team for almost two decades. Neither campaign mode, nor ID cards, nor used cars; a discrete number of vehicles, almost all luxury … He was focused on the online mode, where he has created a professional community, very active and dedicated. The experiment went well where he wanted to focus, but they forgot the roots of yesteryear.
Gran Turismo is back
The importance of Gran Turismo in the PlayStation brand and in the future of PS5 is total, Yamauchi himself knows it. In his appearance during the event it was understood what Gran Turismo 7 is looking for. A good listener, few words are enough.
“Today, I would like to share with all of you some information on the new Gran Turismo that I am really excited about,” Mr. Yamauchi began. “I think this new Gran Turismo will make fans very happy, especially for its campaign mode.” And Twitter started to burn. From there, the company logo and a staging that – seen later in 4K resolution and at 60 FPS – made it clear that it is a true new generation GT. Not only technically, where you will take full advantage of the PS5 hardware, but also for its content and technological use.
Gran Turismo 7
Returning game modes and features: GT Simulation Mode returns
A trailer of just a couple of minutes has told us many things; more than we could believe at first. From a Porsche logo that confirms that the contract that links the brand with said team is maintained to characteristics such as dynamic climate, absent in GT Sport. But the interesting thing came later, when Sarah’s character welcomed us to GT Town, the dashboard of traditional campaign mode.
The interface is little different from GT Sport, but the way in which the elements are broken down in this way designed for a single player is as we saw on PS2 with Gran Turismo 4. Broadly speaking, we confirm that there will be a School, which you will surely bring the cards back to determine our level of competition and the tests to which we are authorized to participate; Bran Central, where all the teams and dealers are located; Used cars, to acquire already used vehicles at a more affordable price, especially in the early stages of the adventure; GT Café, of which we still do not know what it can be (will it be similar to the Coffee Break of the fourth installment of the saga? Social center with all the profiles gathered as in GT Sport?); shop to buy specific car parts and apply improvements (Tuning Parts Shop); GT World, where we can see all the circuits of the game; Special events; online mode …
Original circuits and vehicle improvement
We pause here. The fact that Trial Mountain was used in the trailer as one of the main circuits to show the gameplay is no accident. We are facing an original layout of the saga – therefore, the original circuits return, not only based on real places – set in a mountainous area of Sierra Nevada. This time it will be 3.38 miles long and will mean the return of one of the most iconic circuits on the license; present in all numbered titles (including Tourist Trophy and PSP); all except GT Sport. It will continue to maintain 15 curves, yes, judging by the video we have seen.
Gran Turismo 7
The names of the main cups remain unchanged: Sunday Cup, Clubman Cup, FR Challenge, GT Cup … From the tuning store we can buy modifiers for the turbo, brakes, heat sinks, suspension, gearbox, catalyst … Everything that makes up the engine of a competition car can be bought in exchange for the money that we get participating in races, the credits. Thanks to tuning we can convert a car from just 250 PP (Performance Points) to a portent on the asphalt of more than double or triple the rating. Here the system has not changed, luckily, because it is a language with which every Gran Turismo player feels comfortable and knows perfectly from GT5 and GT6.
If we are not wrong, other recognizable circuits for now are clearly Northern Isle Speedway, Blue Moon Bay Speedway and Willow Springs, of GT Sport, although there is also Daytona, absent for example in the last iteration of PlayStation 4. Otherwise, you can see that classics like Laguna Seca and Spa (which came through various updates to GT Sport) return to Gran Turismo 7; also Nurburgring, Dragon Trail, Circuit Barcelona Catalunya, Le Mans and Monza. It would be very strange if any Sport license was lost after having modeled so many real circuits in the immediately previous title, presumably graphic and material aspects are reused to make them look better on PS5 now. The total number of circuits has not transpired; neither the one of vehicles.
The gift cars will be present in a similar way to GT Sport. The model for updates to the next episode will be able to benefit from the possibility of always being updated, adding content periodically and offering gifts to players whenever there is an event to commemorate. To the left of the PP, the miles and the credits, in the upper bar of the menu we will have the car that we are using at the time and, immediately to the left, a notification that will indicate if we have any pending gifts. Another aspect that reassures us is that the pilot level is maintained, a way to encourage progress and show off our profile in Photo Mode or Scapes, where we can show off with the rest of the community the custom designs we have made as well as captures in idyllic landscapes. Porsche Carrera GT joins the list of confirmed vehicles from the German manufacturer, just like the 2016 Aston Martin DB11 and Toyota 86 GT.
Technological leap: the most realistic Gran Turismo
It would be rash to say that Gran Turismo 7 will run at 60 FPS in 4K resolution by now. We hope it is; However, currently we have to stick only to what we have seen and what Sony has confirmed through different official channels. Although we cross our fingers before a possible launch date of the game in 2020, for now it is a complete mystery. It would be a good showcase to show the already confirmed use of the DualSense, the PlayStation 5 controller, which will have haptic feedback. It promises to offer sensations previously impossible with the control in the hands; from the handles to the counter trigger of the rear triggers.
The gravel and effects on the asphalt will be present in every detail.
In turn, GT7 will feature ray tracing, real-time ray tracing, which will be accelerated by the console’s own hardware. This will favor much more realistic lighting and more immersive and detailed 3D audio without the need for high-priced headphones.
For the rest, we look forward to knowing more about a Gran Turismo 7 focused on being the real the real driving simulator that accompanied the PlayStation universe with so many years of outstanding qualifications. It will be released soon exclusively for PS5.
In case you’re interested: the theme song included in the Gran Turismo 7 campaign mode menu is Ensemble Siddonance by Kids Fly. You can listen to it on Spotify here.
