After playing this game for a week I have a pretty good feeling about the upcoming GT5. This game is nowhere as pretty as the Prologue version on PS3 but for a hand held it is fucking tits. What I miss is the in car view that the PS3 version has but I doubt the PSP could handle rendering that. Otherwise normal in car view is close to what it was on GT4. The video is flawless though there is no skipping or trees popping out of nowhere. It looks and plays mostly like GT4 which I love to death.
You have 3 modes of play, race with 3 other computer drivers, time trial by yourself, or a new drifting mode. The first 2 are self explanatory. The drift mode is a little different then other games. There is a line in the road throughout the track. Once you drive over it you can star gaining points by the speed and angle of the drift. Shortly you run over another line which ends the first drift session and it adds the points to your total. Then you star over again earning more points. It is easier then it sounds. Since I can't figure out what the e-brake button is yet it is pretty difficult to drift. I do like that there are dirt and ice tracks to race on!!
Also there is a driving practice mode. It is like the old games where you had to take these tests to get your license to race. It is basically the same thing but you don't need a license to race. All tracks are unlocked. Completing each test does give you cash.
There are 800 cars on here from what I read. The way the game is setup each time you race then back out to the main menu you get a chance to go to the dealer. Each day you get access to a different manufacturer. Each day as well the inventory chances. I find myself doing a few races to get a handful of cash, backing out to the menu and checking all the cars. Unfortunately you can't tune or mod any of the cars but the game isn't complete so don't bitch about it. You can change to manual or auto, change your tires (normal, sport, racing), turn off driving assists, turn off the driving line.
The only thing I do not like about this game is the AI of the computer drivers. If you are a hardcore GT fan you should already know the "issues" with the AI. But if not I will elaborate. Going back to the driving line (just like in Forza) it seems the computer always wants to follow that line. Now that makes sense but the issue comes when you are driving right next to another car. The computer has no respect for you or another computer driver and will purposely hit your car just to stay on that line or real close to it. It seems as if the computer has no idea you are driving a few inches away. In GT4 whenever 2 cars touched (or you hit a wall) it would slow your car down for a second or so as a penalty regardless of who hit who. In this game it seems not to slow you down but you still risk being pushed off the track into the grass. Any time you are off the grass you will get a time penalty. This if your penalty makes your total lap time more then another player you will not win, even if you finished in 1st place. Shit happens it could be a lot worse.
Cliffs
Game rocks. Video is crisp lifelike and beautiful. Some of the small things in the game really make me happy. Slamming on your brakes quickly makes the in car camera pivot towards the ground a bit to make you feel like you are being forced forward. VTEC on the honda's like the 91 CRX really functions like the real car. You can hear the engine wine a lot more in higher RPMs then lower ones. Turbo lag is as it should be. Drifting and fish tailing are all life like. AI still has an issue as previous GT games have had. It is worth buying but not if you own the PS3 version already unless you really want to play it away from your house.
