Stupid review!

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GT4 recieved a lot of hype for a long time, leaving sceptics with high expectations and with enough justification to be unreasonably harsh. Bottomline is, GT4 is basic. Basic, but executed in such a complex manner that it actually seems more than it really is (which IMO, is fine by me), leaving many players disappointed and wanting more out of the game. PD was more worried about realism than anything else, which is what I believe to be the ultimate demise of a lot of entertaining side projects (Drag Racing, Drift Competitions...). But what PD did accomplish was/is amazing for what GT4 can be compared too. It has tons of nicely rendered cars, a heavy duty physics engine, and some of the best graphics I've seen on any game ever made. See my point? GT4 is really only suited for very few people.
 
FAOLIU05
But what PD did accomplish was/is amazing for what GT4 can be compared too. It has tons of nicely rendered cars, a heavy duty physics engine, and some of the best graphics I've seen on any game ever made. See my point? GT4 is really only suited for very few people.

Pretty graphics and lots of cars are no good if you can't enjoy driving them, or are limited in doing so. Let's take a look at what GT4 can be compared to:

Enthusia has enough cars to keep you busy, and almost no repeats at all (unlike GT4). Its physics are far superior, the best the PS2 has ever seen, excluding perhaps Richard Burns Rally. The graphics are nicer in some ways, and the cars are more detailed. The engine sounds and other sound effects blow away GT4's versions.

Live for Speed has better graphics, the best physics of any driving sim today, and excellent online play.

GTR and GTLegends have better graphics, much better sound, many more cars per race, more-realistic physics, and online play.

TOCA Race Driver 3 has better-looking graphics, many more cars per race, more variety (although it doesn't have road cars, nor as many cars as GT4), more-realistic physics, and online play.

Forza has more cars per race, plenty of cars to choose from, a much more in-depth customization system, and online play.

...so, what does GT4 offer that these games don't? Tons of cars, most of them Japanese and/or slow or "ordinary," and some of them unavailable in most gameplay modes. The largest variety of very-accurate real-world tracks, and a mode of gameplay where you take pictures of a car...that's about it.

GT4 is about as realistic as Forza, and almost as realistic as TRD3. All three are a joke compared to the other games I mentioned. Realism wasn't task numero #1 for PD. The only thing they had on their minds was having an insanely huge car selection, which is understandable considering the panning GT3 received for having less cars than GT2.
 
That might be true Faoliu05, except that GT4 was about the best selling PS2 game of 2004. On the board here, the gripers are a pretty tiny squeaky minority.

I poked around some at Tea Leaves, and it seems to be populated by oddballs. Some are okay, but a couple like PeterB just rant incessantly and rather mindlessly about things they hate. Like Peter ranted about reading a C.S. Lewis book he hated. Now first, he hates C.S. Lewis?? He's one of the greatest authors of all time and an intellect rarely equalled. I find his books fantastic and fun to read, and I love the way he writes.

Second, he read a book he hates?? Go figure. Most people have enough sense to stop punnishing themselves with something they despize. The opening chapter of Thomas Covenant was enough for me.

What do you do with people like this? Ignore is a good idea. I'm sure some people couldn't care less about my posts either.

Wolfe: Just saw your post. I think a few points of order are in order.

Live For Speed is undoubtedly a marvelous game. But the cars and tracks don't even exist, so talking about "realism" is kind of debatable. Plus, the makers want to charge practically the price of a production game for a hobby build with a handful of fantasy cars and tracks. I know that they promise to let you have free access to any developments they make, but who knows how long that will continue? What if they quit? And if they manage to become a full fledged company and get licenses and data for real cars and tracks, will they let you have the game that comes of that?

GTR is a fabulous game I'm sure, but it only offers two classes of professional race cars and that's it. But it has the same issues I have with Forza except for the murderous NFS:U bots Forza is populated with, namely the disconnect with the car. The cars in GTR float, and even more than Forza, I feel like I'm hang gliding behind them with a remote control in my hands. I don't feel connected to the car at all. Not to mention, but I will, that Star Force kills computers and its makers must have their fingers twisted. But mostly its the disconnect with the car that kills it. I don't care about the most gorgeous game in the world and the most accurate physics ever as much as being able to engage it properly. If you can't drive those 220kmh beasts properly, there's not much point to it, is there?

A few people enthuse about Enthusia, but hardly anyone even knows it exists anymore. I'm going to get a copy this weekend, working around a fantasy RPG I'm running, but with only TWO real life tracks as I understand it, I have a feeling that my enthusiasm isn't going to match yours.

As for Toca 3, half the world is grouching about "the same arcade physics as last time." I may get a copy myself because of the depth of play, but I don't know for sure. Forza is a handful just trying to come to terms with that unruly beast with its moronic bot A.I., and Forza does have some charm. Plus I can have my butch drivatar B-Spec Bob tackle races which are being a complete pain in the bumper. I swear, that is one cheap racer at high level.

I think people that insist that Gran Turismo is such a joke really need to get hold of copies of some of these other games and do a side by side drive off like I did. I appreciate much more what each game has to offer. But I will say something undeniably definitive.

Gran Turismo 4 put me inside the vehicle like no other game I have ever played. Compared to the other racing games out there, the involvement and feel of driving is superior to them all. If they can't put me in the car like Polyphony can put me in a car, all you have is your preference over mine. But the other game companies let me down somewhere along the line, so they have some work to do if they want any more of my money. Gran Turismo 5 has the potential to blow them all away, as well as Forza 2 if Team Forza can learn a couple of things from GT.
 
With it's usual array of mainstream console competitors (or games it's most compared with (Sega GT, Forza Motorsports, Project Gotham Racing, and Need for Speed) it can easily seal deal as the best racing game of it's genre.

I personally played Forza Motorsports, and it reminded me of a very old, dusty game hiding away in the depths of my dresser called "Sega GT" for Dreamcast. And I mean it was almost an exact duplicate, right down to the physics engine. I tried out my friend's suped-up Supra and it handled like a unicylce. Already I'm pretty much disappointed with Microsoft. But it wasn't until I saw the disgusting texturing/rendering of the Viper GTS that I straight up quit the game all together and begged my friend to burn it away with holy water, because that game is the devil. I wasn't impressed with Forza Motorsports at all. At it's very best it could be compared to GT4. But even then, it's still pathetic considering how big and wealthy Microsoft is.

I was more captivated with what PGR:2 offered. Though it had a more exlusive car list than GT4, it pretty much had everything I dream about every night. I was also more content with it's gameplay, though I just wasn't a big fan of it's graphics. It looked as if they took texturing lessons from NFS:U. After a while this kind of thing take it's toll on me, and I begin to notice it more and more. It also had a confusing points system (which today I still don't understand, lol). And by reading a lot of reviews about the game, it seemed that people got rather bored of it, quickly.

Enthusia... well... I've never played. Perhaps I should. But it just seems like a lesser to the GT Series. Numerous reviews have trampled that game into the abyss that is the discount rack at every major gaming store across the world, or so it seems. It just seems that GT4 has already hit everything Enthusia has to offer. And if that "2 Real World Tracks" thing is true, perhaps it better belongs on the rack of despair than running down my PS2's lifetime.

The only game that I think really holds a candle to GT4 is none other than Sega GT 2002 for Xbox. I mean it has everything! I still have a burning desire to really dive into that game and play my life away. I only got a few chances to really play the game. It has a real drag racing competition, used parts you can buy for that quick fix, and some player friendly gameplay. I don't remember the physics too well, but I do remember succeeding at the handling regardless. And from what I remember, the graphics weren't half bad either. One thing I really like about the game were all the side projects. You could drag race, fix up your garage, play aracade games, and whatnot. It made the game really addicting (well... for me anyway). It offered just a little tiny bit more than just racing.

I guess this all does pertain to personal prefference. But I think GT4 is a step ahead of the competition, because of said values PD meticulously fit into GT4 and that meager gaming system (a.k.a. PS2) I'm not hating on PS2!).
 
GT4_Rule
That guy must have been high on some drugs when he wrote that. What an idiot.

Errh... read the posts above yours, like this one:
Kent
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Tenacious D
I poked around some at Tea Leaves, and it seems to be populated by oddballs. Some are okay, but a couple like PeterB just rant incessantly and rather mindlessly about things they hate. Like Peter ranted about reading a C.S. Lewis book he hated. Now first, he hates C.S. Lewis?? He's one of the greatest authors of all time and an intellect rarely equalled. I find his books fantastic and fun to read, and I love the way he writes.

Second, he read a book he hates?? Go figure. Most people have enough sense to stop punnishing themselves with something they despize. The opening chapter of Thomas Covenant was enough for me.

Uh... I finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy and found Tolkien somewhat longwinded and his view of the world simplistically black and white. Everything took too damn long. You could have walked Frodo's journey in the time it took to read all three books... and I'm a fast reader... I usually finish 400-500 page books in around five hours... Enjoyed it, though.

I also think Shakespeare's plots border on the absurd... no, wait... they are definitely absurd. :lol:

As for what you've said about the other games, not having played them, I cannot comment. :lol:

What I can comment on is GT4. I find many of the accusations and rants to be accurate. They hurt, but they're very big problems which should have never been in the game. While peterb is right about a lot of these problems, I outright disagree with some of the observations... heck, Wolfe and I still disagree on the level of realism vs. unrealism in the game...

I used to agree about understeer till I started doing track time and pushing my car more... OMFG! The understeer!!!

What you can't deny is peterb's reaction is the likely reaction of 90% of the pick-up-and-play crowd. If you're a brand-spanking new to driving sims in general and GT4 in particular, what is the first reaction to GT4 you'll have?

OMFG! So many damn license tests! And the controls suck! Why won't the car turn?!? (bigger question... why won't it turn at all under braking? :lol: ) Why do cars drive like molasses in the license tests? (N2s + driving aids = teh suck)... WHO THE HELL DESIGNED RALLY MODE!?! all valid points. Even the screen shake is an irritating thing, although I felt the contention that it's not a good looking game kind of inaccurate (people still walk in and think I'm watching a real race sometimes).

GT4 is game you grow to appreciate with experience and practice. Take note about who complains about "horrible" cars the most... the newbies. After a day on the site... they realize that the ASM and TCS are what's ruining the driving experience... they start complaining less. After a few months of playing, assuming they get better, that is, they stop ranting about them and learn to enjoy the drive. Not everyone will get as far as turning the idiotic driving aids off. And if they don't, they're lost to GT forever.

It's not, on the surface of it, a particularly good racing game compared to the competition... c'mon, how many of you guys have NFS stashed near your PS2, for when you want a quickie?... But it's a neat driving toy to while the hours away, with a whole lot of goodies thrown in that other games still don't have.

But it's truthfully not for everyone, and whether the good points outweigh the bad points is a purely subjective thing. I think they do... but then, that's why I'm here. :)
 
Dimitrov
Not me. My GT disc NEVER leaves Playstation 2

So there is a way to get the disc out? Jiish, live and learn. :D

Ok, more serious, my GT4 never leaves PS2 either, because I just don't have any other game...

The article itself has many good points, (forexample the part about the rearview mirror) but is ruined because it has a bitter tone to it. Feels like he is on a mission to save the day from GT4.
 
well i must say the graphics are eye popping and i havent found another game of the same quality cause for one i get curious and take certain race cars into photomode and check out each nook and cranny
 
Tenacious D
Wolfe: Just saw your post. I think a few points of order are in order.

Live For Speed is undoubtedly a marvelous game. But the cars and tracks don't even exist, so talking about "realism" is kind of debatable. Plus, the makers want to charge practically the price of a production game for a hobby build with a handful of fantasy cars and tracks. I know that they promise to let you have free access to any developments they make, but who knows how long that will continue? What if they quit? And if they manage to become a full fledged company and get licenses and data for real cars and tracks, will they let you have the game that comes of that?

Live for Speed isn't the most realistic sim because the cars it features are exactly like the real thing -- as you said, most of them don't exist -- it's the most realistic sim because the cars it features behave almost exactly like they would if they existed.

You don't need to base your sim cars on real ones -- and you don't need to have real-world courses to drive on -- if all of the proper laws of physics are in place and simulated. Take care of the physics, make them detailed and accurate enough, and everything else will fall into place. The Live for Speed crew didn't have to "program" drifting, or burnouts, or donuts, or understeer, or body roll. They simply modelled the tires, suspensions, and powertrains to behave like the real thing, and those handling properties emerged all on their own.

As it stands, LFS S2 costs about $40, which seems like a lot for a game with a handful of cars and tracks, but truly nothing can beat its physics, the online multiplayer code is almost flawless, and as of yet, updates and improvements in patches have been released non-stop.

Knock it if you want for the possibility of an end to the free updates. PD and Sony haven't given us anything to fix the problems of GT4, namely online, which was first promised in GT4, then promised as a separate game, and if GT4O doesn't appear, they will have let us down in the same way.

Tenacious D
GTR is a fabulous game I'm sure, but it only offers two classes of professional race cars and that's it. But it has the same issues I have with Forza except for the murderous NFS:U bots Forza is populated with, namely the disconnect with the car. The cars in GTR float, and even more than Forza, I feel like I'm hang gliding behind them with a remote control in my hands. I don't feel connected to the car at all. Not to mention, but I will, that Star Force kills computers and its makers must have their fingers twisted. But mostly its the disconnect with the car that kills it. I don't care about the most gorgeous game in the world and the most accurate physics ever as much as being able to engage it properly. If you can't drive those 220kmh beasts properly, there's not much point to it, is there?

Although I personally find that GTR doesn't disconnect you from the driving experience, I would have to say that this --

"I don't care about the most gorgeous game in the world and the most accurate physics ever as much as being able to engage it properly. If you can't drive those 220kmh beasts properly, there's not much point to it, is there?"

-- pretty much sums up my argument for GT4. Except GT4 doesn't have accurate physics to begin with.

Tenacious D
A few people enthuse about Enthusia, but hardly anyone even knows it exists anymore. I'm going to get a copy this weekend, working around a fantasy RPG I'm running, but with only TWO real life tracks as I understand it, I have a feeling that my enthusiasm isn't going to match yours.

Is it impossible for a track to be good if it doesn't exist? All real-world tracks existed in the imagination(s) of some designer(s) before they were built. The only difference with track designers on videogame production teams is that it takes a lot less work, time, and concrete to produce the tracks they design.

I suppose you hate every single fictional track in GT4, then?

Tenacious D
As for Toca 3, half the world is grouching about "the same arcade physics as last time." I may get a copy myself because of the depth of play, but I don't know for sure. Forza is a handful just trying to come to terms with that unruly beast with its moronic bot A.I., and Forza does have some charm. Plus I can have my butch drivatar B-Spec Bob tackle races which are being a complete pain in the bumper. I swear, that is one cheap racer at high level.

I personally wouldn't recommend Toca Race Driver 3 if you're looking for realism. On Pro-Sim mode, it's a little better, but it's more like TRD2-with-more-wheelspin-and-brake-lock than a driving sim by any means. It's still just as floaty, mediocre, and unengaging as ever.

Forza is a complete joke as a driving sim, but a pretty entertaining arcade one.

Tenacious D
I think people that insist that Gran Turismo is such a joke really need to get hold of copies of some of these other games and do a side by side drive off like I did. I appreciate much more what each game has to offer. But I will say something undeniably definitive.

I've played every single one of the games that I've mentioned, among many other driving games. Not necessarily side-by-side with all of them, but I'm always analyzing the physics of driving games I play, even if they're completely arcadey. :lol:

Tenacious D
Gran Turismo 4 put me inside the vehicle like no other game I have ever played. Compared to the other racing games out there, the involvement and feel of driving is superior to them all. If they can't put me in the car like Polyphony can put me in a car, all you have is your preference over mine. But the other game companies let me down somewhere along the line, so they have some work to do if they want any more of my money. Gran Turismo 5 has the potential to blow them all away, as well as Forza 2 if Team Forza can learn a couple of things from GT.

If GT4 does that, then good for you. For me, GT4's driving experience is simply lifeless and sanitized, and the physics seem like a re-hash of GT3, which was a re-hash of GT2, which was a re-hash of GT. Each time, they fix some of the inaccuracy problems of the previous games, while adding new problems, and most of GT's competition has moved forward.

----------------------

FAOLIU05
With it's usual array of mainstream console competitors (or games it's most compared with (Sega GT, Forza Motorsports, Project Gotham Racing, and Need for Speed) it can easily seal deal as the best racing game of it's genre.

It depends on what "best" is defined as. For example, I wouldn't argue that any of the other games on that list there are more realistic, but I can tell you for certain that Sega GT, PGR, and NFS are all much more fun and rewarding to play. ;)

FAOLIU05
I personally played Forza Motorsports, and it reminded me of a very old, dusty game hiding away in the depths of my dresser called "Sega GT" for Dreamcast. And I mean it was almost an exact duplicate, right down to the physics engine. I tried out my friend's suped-up Supra and it handled like a unicylce. Already I'm pretty much disappointed with Microsoft. But it wasn't until I saw the disgusting texturing/rendering of the Viper GTS that I straight up quit the game all together and begged my friend to burn it away with holy water, because that game is the devil. I wasn't impressed with Forza Motorsports at all. At it's very best it could be compared to GT4. But even then, it's still pathetic considering how big and wealthy Microsoft is.

No disagreement here. :lol:

FAOLIU05
I was more captivated with what PGR:2 offered. Though it had a more exlusive car list than GT4, it pretty much had everything I dream about every night. I was also more content with it's gameplay, though I just wasn't a big fan of it's graphics. It looked as if they took texturing lessons from NFS:U. After a while this kind of thing take it's toll on me, and I begin to notice it more and more. It also had a confusing points system (which today I still don't understand, lol). And by reading a lot of reviews about the game, it seemed that people got rather bored of it, quickly.

I hope you aren't suggesting that PGR2 is more realistic than GT4, but it's certainly more fun, and I agree with most of what you've said here.

It took me a long time to get bored with it, namely because of Nurburgring races on XBOX Live. :D

FAOLIU05
Enthusia... well... I've never played. Perhaps I should. But it just seems like a lesser to the GT Series. Numerous reviews have trampled that game into the abyss that is the discount rack at every major gaming store across the world, or so it seems. It just seems that GT4 has already hit everything Enthusia has to offer. And if that "2 Real World Tracks" thing is true, perhaps it better belongs on the rack of despair than running down my PS2's lifetime.

Enthusia's reviews were horrible because mainstream game reviewers have no clue how to drive. Taking a look at any GameSpot gameplay video will reveal this. :lol: This is how they think -- with the much-anticipated and well-known GT4, the difficulty is because "it's realistic." With Enthusia, a brand-new upstart, the difficulty is because "it's not realistic at all."

See what I said to Tenacious D regarding the lack of real-world tracks.

FAOLIU05
The only game that I think really holds a candle to GT4 is none other than Sega GT 2002 for Xbox. I mean it has everything! I still have a burning desire to really dive into that game and play my life away. I only got a few chances to really play the game. It has a real drag racing competition, used parts you can buy for that quick fix, and some player friendly gameplay. I don't remember the physics too well, but I do remember succeeding at the handling regardless. And from what I remember, the graphics weren't half bad either. One thing I really like about the game were all the side projects. You could drag race, fix up your garage, play aracade games, and whatnot. It made the game really addicting (well... for me anyway). It offered just a little tiny bit more than just racing.

Sega GT is such an awesome game...sooo unrealistic, but it's fun as hell, the car selection is very unique, and as you said, it has many neat features. :)

FAOLIU05
I guess this all does pertain to personal prefference. But I think GT4 is a step ahead of the competition, because of said values PD meticulously fit into GT4 and that meager gaming system (a.k.a. PS2) I'm not hating on PS2!).

You're entitled to your opinion, but I feel that TRD3 proves that the PS2 is capable of pretty graphics and lots of things on-screen, and that Enthusia proves that the PS2 is capable of realistic physics.
 
I was thinking the same thing. What´s wrong with GT4´s graphics? They certainly look alot better than for example EPR or TRD3.
I also think GT4 has a better drivingexperience than those two. I never got a feel for the cars weight and grip in EPR, and I got bored with very quickly, simply because it didn´t offer a driving experience. I´m way more connected to the cars behaviour in GT4. EPR just floats around, and has very little in common with how it actually feels to drive a car. Perhaps EPR has better driving physics than GT4, but that goes down the drain if it doesn´t feel like it has that. And it feels like it in GT4.
TRD3 is fun, but it´s too arcadey in it´s feel, so GT4 wins that round too. Never played GTR, but I´ve heard it´s a good one, but I´ll wait for it to appear on a console. Not much for PC gaming myself. Never played Forza either, and from what I understand you either love it, or hate it.
 
and you hit the throttle too early. The ASM system says "OH MY GOD. If I let you turn this much, you might OVERSTEER! Then the car will spin out! HAVE NO FEAR. I WILL SAVE YOU."


:lol: this little piece was eally funny
 
GT40 MKII
amen the ai are a little DE DE DEE
:lol:👍

The graphics aren't horrible, they're brilliant. But they aren't perfect. (eg. Aliasing, messy background textures, most tracks have cardboard people in the stands etc.) And that comment about photo mode is a bit wayward.

I think GT4's physics are pretty good compared to GT3's. When you go back to playing GT3, you just wonder why it feels so wonky. I haven't had many problems with understeer. But I've never played Enthusia or GTR, so I can't judge it against these two. And yes, the default ASM settings make the cars feel very sickening.

I don't see much wrong with GT4's menu system.

And I don't think there's enough background info on each car. I don't mind the scrolling marquees, though.

That comment on GT4's car selection was pretty cheap. Sure there are a lot of skylines, but there's a lot of other stuff too.

I agree with him on the AI and rear-view mirror.

Overall, his review was very biased. Some people will agree with him, some will think he shouldn't be allowed to bash the game at all. He's entitled to his own opinion, and if he thinks the game sucks, good for him.

As for me, GT2 remains one of the three best games I've ever played (the others are Half-Life 2 and Winning Eleven 9). IMO, GT4 delivers a satisfying driving experience, but it's imperfections negate its strengths and makes it a disappointment.
 
Mr. Boy
I think GT4's physics are pretty good compared to GT3's. When you go back to playing GT3, you just wonder why it feels so wonky.

I actually did this recently, once I found my copy of GT3 again. I forgot how fun that game could be if you ignored how unrealistic it was... :sly:
 
I think it's pretty embarassing to see the "***w you peterb" people coming to that place, saying they're all from a 80.000+ forum.

I don't know but if I were Jordan I wouldn't be to happy with this. Peterb must think this is a really dumb forum now, and he has all reasons to, and so do many others that have a different opinion on GT4.

Lets not all be that childish:rolleyes:
 
niky
Errh... read the posts above yours, like this one:

Oops....

The AI just knocked me into the grass when I was racing in Infineon World Sports Endurance Race. I still managed to win, but man, I was cursing the Sauber C9.
 
Damn... I wanted that award. I just got to get the nerve up to try it... :lol:
 
Well I don't understand something... Who is this person that is reviewing? I don't see any IGN banners on the web page or anything. It's just someone's blog no? Doesn't this person have a right to just express his opinion/personal review about a game? I don't see why anyone would get so bent out of shape about it.

While I didn't get a chance to read all the responses, one point I must bring up is that even if he was a professional reviewer, he is entitled to his opinion, whether biased and unfair or not. This is why people follow some reviewers and some follow others. This is entertainment review, it is fundamentally based on personal likes and dislikes. It is not some technical computer part review based on facts. If your personal views match the reviewers, more often then not, you will probably learn to like that reviewers work, and follow their recommendations.

I wish more people would realize this before calling someone an "idiot" just because they disagree with a review. On the contrary, it's often the commentor who shows their idiocy and close-mindedness by brashly saying such things.

oh and p.s. I personally enjoyed that review even though I disagree with many points and also find it a bit superficial. It gave me a good laugh though and I would read more articles/blogs due to the fun/frank nature of the person's writing style. If you do not take it as some weird personal attack (judging some responses you'd think Kaz's family was responding or something) or too seriously, I think it's amusing.
 
Wolfe2x7
I hope you aren't suggesting that PGR2 is more realistic than GT4, but it's certainly more fun, and I agree with most of what you've said here.
No way. PGR:2 has some of the worste realism I've ever seen. The only thing I truly liked about the game is the audio and the car list. Other than that, it did nothing for me. But Online at Nurb sounds like fun.

Wolfe2x7
Sega GT is such an awesome game...sooo unrealistic, but it's fun as hell, the car selection is very unique, and as you said, it has many neat features.
Ever play Sega GT for Dreamcast? To this day it's still my favorite racing game of all time. It was the most original game I have ever played.
 
Somebody awakened my bad side... I've ripped one reviewer of GT1, now let's see what I'm coming up with for play boy at Tea Leaves.

--GRAPHICS-- (He says: "...the full uglitude of GT4 is revealed... to convince your friends into thinking that GT4 doesn't look like ass... Graphics aren't everything, though.")

Gran Turismo 4 is the most beautiful of the GT games. You mean to tell me that the more ludicrious looks of GT3 is better than GT4? Unless you think Forza Motorsport is more beautiful than GT4, you'll need to get up off me with that mess, player. Or he probably thinks "Burnout 3: Takedown" looks better. Look at the details when you race with the convertible top down. Think about how beautiful your ride looks in a good Photo Mode location. There are beautiful automobiles in this game and beautifully-modelled vehicles. (Verdict: 3.25/10.00)



--DRIVING DYNAMICS-- (He says: "Gone is the 'driving through a vat of butter' feeling, replaced instead by ludicrous amounts of understeer on every vehicle (including front-engine, rear wheel drive monsters) at speed... 'protecting you from oversteer and understeer, which doesn't really make a lot of sense... I'm not sure I have the words to accurately capture how completely brain-dead this is.")

You're right, I don't know how completely brain-dead this is. No, not what he said, but his choice of words in response to driving in GT4. I actually turn ASM off and tone down TCS all the way down to 1. This choice of settings won't make someone like No TCS Needed happy, considering the screen name. But I actually don't want to unecessarily spin or have an avoidable spin. You can always tone these settings in your garage or whatever. I always say that any car you think is crappy can be made better with tuning. THAT'S WHY YOU TUNE UP THE CARS! Don't like to race a Civic Type-R? Mod it up so you can moderately like it. Hate that Midget D-Type? Make it better. People questioned Enthusia Professional Racing for its driving model, but the driving model isn't bad. Here's my suggestion to understand the driving model- race a go-kart. That was the way I got accustomed to the driving model. It doesn't have to be a flawed model, you know. (Verdict: 4.00/10.00)



--TUNING-- (He says: "...'tuning the car' is an essential part of the game... If anything, tuning is about making a car act less like stock model, not more. So this is just a stupid decision on Polyphony's part...")

Are you kidding me, player? So you mean to tell me that if I rigged a 1998 Ford Taurus SHO with Stage 3 NA and Racing Mediums, that it's the same performance I should expect when I see a late 1990s Ford Taurus at a used car dealership? I'll bet my Pescarolo Courage C60 that this reviewer escaped from the looney bin and decided to attack Gran Turismo like it was a helpless senior citizen. He must be an arcade-type person, so at least be thankful there's Nitrous for you to use. It was a stupid decision to say that tuning makes cars MORE like stock than LESS. That's the worst shizzle I read. I'd want to be nice guy, but read my verdict score for what I think about this. (Verdict: 0.25/10.00)



--MENU-- (He says: "...the boring and confusing single-screen menu system of GT3 with a boring and confusing side-scrolling menu system in GT4. 2.5 engineers probably worked full time on that menu system for 11 months. Their next project will probably involve little animated menus for DVDs that keep me from watching the movie as quickly as I'd like. The menus are a mishmash of choices superimposed on a fairly abstract map of the world. It's not the worst menu system I've ever used. It does, I guess, get the job done.")

You know, I might need Anger Management classes after looking at this. That is truly ridiculous. You know how ridiculous this is? The menus are of professional quality and looks a hell of a lot more polished than any other GT. Everything looks really polished, even on the perspective of menus. So what were you looking for, something like ugly-looking graphics with obnoxious and annoying rock music in the background? It VERY MUCH gets the job done. Just for the "2.5 engineers for 11 months" deal, check this score. (Verdict: 3.00/10.00)



--CARS-- (He says: "GT4 has detailed information on every car in the game, but frustratingly presents that information via a side-scrolling marquee view that prevents you from actually reading the items in less than 10 minutes... apparentely the localization team hates me I have to suffer... as in previous games, a large percentage of them are Skylines. I happen to like Skylines, but if you care more about, say, American muscle cars than obscure Nissan models, you might find yourself a bit chagrined.")

Oh, here we go with the "too many Skylines" deal. Don't like them, don't use them. I hate people who think that every other car is a Skyline or a Kei car. At least it's better than an all-sports car game, because let's face it. Don't racing only sports cars get old every now and then? Don't you want some diversity? That's why there's a world of cars even if you like to b*tch and gripe about wanting Ferraris and stuff. At least this game had more diversity than GT3. Even GT3 kept many of the manufacturers despite the fact that GT3 was more incomplete than any other GT. Think about it. (Verdict: 5.00/10.00)



--LICENSE TESTS-- (He says: "...GT4 makes you trudge through too many license tests and too many entry-level races to 'earn money' to make progress. The license tests themselves are interesting, but I wish they were optional.")

After all the "forced to race..." comments, this one is about as bad. I always start anew with a GT game. All that License Test stuff, that's to teach your ass how to drive rather than slamming the wall and spinning out. You don't know what a GT could throw at you, so that's why you prepare with the License Tests. They prepare you for racing in GT4 and even real life. Plus, you can even win cars just for clearing a License section with all of a certain prize. In other words- you can basically start Gran Turismo 4 without buying a car. My first car was the 2002 VW Golf, and I lost my first race at Autumn Ring Mini Reverse. It was okay because I knew this GT wasn't going to be easy. Freaking practice your technique and you won't be such an ass on the track! If they were optional, then you'd just pretend this was just another racing game, because it is NOT another racing game no matter what any hypocrite dare say. (Verdict: 4.25/10.00)



--B-SPEC MODE-- (He says: "One feature that is new since GT3 is the addition of B-Spec Mode. Essentially, you are directing a computer driver, gently suggesting that he try to pass an opponent, or that he ease up a bit, or that he come in for a pit stop. If you're one of the intrepid souls who was an early beta-tester of LawnMan 2: Watching Grass Grow, B-Spec mode will be right up your alley.")

At least the guy doesn't call the B-Spec racer as "B-Spec Bob." That's the only credit I'll give him. Other than that, this jive turkey is only reinforcing the same b*tchings people made about B-Spec. The worst of them is someone asking "why let the game play itself for you?" That is not true. Don't believe that garbage. You have to stand by your B-Spec racer every step of the way. Think about it like this. We are all B-Spec racers anyway. If we're trailing, we need to haul ass as soon as we can. If we're leading, we want to take things easy so that we don't easily blow the lead. A number of times, I've had the lead out of one turn, all to return to second place (I call the lead as "coming back," in the sense of "I have the lead, but that lead is coming back."). Overtaking is key as long as you do it right. You don't want to overtake in lapped traffic, do you? You have to play the game smart and not make silly mistakes that will cost you the race. Think about this like a sports game. You have to execute the play to perfection and hope your team can communicate effectively to win the game. Next person to say that B-Spec is only a waste of time, you need help. By the way, not every race is in B-Spec, so that's something to be proud of if you just HATE this. (Verdict: 5.50/10.00)



--TRACKS-- (He says: "One unquestionable plus about the game is its selection of courses... This, more than anything, is the best reason to buy the game if, like me, you need your racing games to have a good sense of place. There are also about 10 'original circuits' that are utterly bland and forgettable, but given the faithful rendition of Suzuka, I'm willing to cut them some slack on this issue.")

So Grand Valley Speedway is utterly bland and forgettable? Even I thought Alpine Ring (or Alpine Raceway?) in Forza Motorsport was a well-designed original course. I like original courses because you don't have to worry about gaining extra licensing money. Plus, it's a chance to show your creativity. Give it a shot. Come up with an original race track that can be as fun and as challenging as a real race track. Grand Valley Speedway has long been the #1 signature race track of the GT series. What does "ToCA Race Driver 3" have as a signature course? Well, maybe Brands Hatch, since that's the track where you see your car previews when you select a discipline and a race track. I wholly disagree with the track comment, but not for the reasons he specified. The highlight of the game is the cars and the racing. Correct cars can be debatable, but not tracks. I'm actually torn on what to give this, so I'll go for the half-grade. (Verdict: 5.00/10.00)



--ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-- (He says: "The AI is indistinguishable from that in GT3, which is to say it is disgustingly horrible, an abomination of Biblical proportions. If there was an option to win races by simply turning off the stupid, irritating, useless, and utterly challenging computer cars and just racing against the clock, I would turn it on in a heartbeat... it is complete travesty from top to bottom.")

Read my complaints about ToCA Race Driver 3 and Pro Race Driver. When a race can be determined by the AI and not other factors, you know a game loses its appeal. I'll admit that this is the first Gran Turismo game in which I admit I've been lapped. I was lapped in the GT World Championship race at Hong Kong. I was a bad driver, accepted the loss, and moved on. Racing games aren't easy. It isn't hold down one button and win "by default" (like some stupid commentor once said on this site). To me, I'd rather race GT4 than anything of Codemasters or Microsoft. And the AI isn't THAT bad, so don't p*ss in your Huggies about it. Alright, player? Play those games before prostituting your supreme dislike of GT4's AI. (Verdict: 2.75/10.00)


--REAR VIEW MIRROR-- (He says: "The rear-view mirror in the game is still useless in that perspective it gives is somehow pointless... Can this possibly take more than three lines of code to fix? Gotham got it right. Gran Turismo doesn't.")

Too many whacks to the head, eh, boy? I'll admit to using my behind view than the rear view often times. I do use my rear-view, just that I prefer the look-behind. So I'll give this a modest score, and maybe the highest I'll give him. (Verdict: 7.00/10.00)



--WHY YOU SHOULD CARE-- (He says: "Well, if you want to buy my copy for $45 and save yourself $10 on what it could cost you at Best Buy after tax, drop me a line. Otherwise: it depends on your motivation. If you're looking for car porn, and the USB photo feature sounds appealing to you, and you like the idea of having a semi-interactive catalog of cars from around the world, I think you can justify the purchase... If you're looking for a good racing game, no,you should not buy Gran Turismo 4.")

Pay special attention here, GTPlanet. Initially, I had the TUNING score at 0.00, but I changed it to 0.25. This is the dumbest s:censored: of his review. Want to waste your life, play "Burnout 3: Takedown." Or for that matter, almost ANY Burnout. This game has something for everyone whether you want to admit it or not. Sometimes when I don't feel like racing for hours on end, there's a lot to do. I can listen to the Juke Box, check out some race previews, learn a few more about cars, buy and earn more cars to play in Arcade Mode (I think my count is at about 615), improve my License Test reults... I mean, there's so much to do. Don't buy the game if you aren't a committed gamer. I was motivated since when GT4 was first conceived to the public. In fact, I wanted to join GTPlanet just to follow GT4 and see what I wouldn't see elsewhere on the Internet. GTPlanet is still a wonderful message board service with dedicated people following GT5. Want to get the game, listen to me. Listen to Live4speed. Listen to Amar212. Listen to anyone cool on this site. The game is worth the money. Oh, and if this game is so bad, then why is this game a Greatest Hit about a year later? (Verdict: 0.00/10.00)





-- JOHN'S FINAL VERDICT --
Ironically, he talked about fifteen-page essays about how good GT4 is. Well, he said so much that I decided to attack his points. I had to put in so much because he had so many points I wanted to touch up on. Clearly put, this reinforces why I love the game. I love the game for many of the reasons he hated it. I've read complaint after complaint about this game. It doesn't mean I have to believe them, however. This game appeals to a number of different audiences of different types of levels. Areas I don't think he mentioned includes multiplayer, music, car sounds, variety of cars, rally racing, and that sort of thing. This cat is only jealous about this game. Everyone IS entitled to their own opinion. It doesn't mean, however, that he can simply attack certain sections of the game as if GT4 hasn't been attacked already. It leads me to believe this guy was convinced more about Forza or hated GT3 and wanted to know if GT4 could right GT3's wrongs. Most of his logic was flawed and even just nit-picky. Do you think people wanted to own GT4 just to increase Sony and PD's respective profits? Hell, they could have offered GT4 for charity and still make many millions and billions of dollars. I wanted to play this game for a long while and my interest has yet to die. I've loved this game and the series for what you can do. He made too many complaints, especially too many meaningless and mindless ones. I am a Gran Turismo veteran. I know most of the series inside and out. I love the series and Polyphony Digital. They shown that with a not-really powerful console, you can do so much to still have people appreciate your game with abounding love and respect. I get sick of most of the whining. I'm surprised he didn't make any jackass comments about no online play, so I'll cut him some slack. He is the "American Idol" equivalent of Simon Cowell. Gran Turismo 4 was a great game as I look for a potentially better GT5. Gran Turismo was the reason why games like Project Gotham Racing and even Forza Motorsport exists. Many have tried, many more have failed. But at the end of the day, it remains a stellar and complete racing title no matter whomever doubts any relevant element to GT4. This review is fraudulent and worse than that GT1 review someone gave. I don't know what driving game this guy was thinking about, but it is actually more enjoyable than GT3. Maybe he had this review planned for "Burnout 3: Takedown" and ended up posting this about GT4. ;) While that was my only humor of this post, this was the result of about three hours of reading and pre-typing my post. After I've wasted a few hours of my life, I can proudly breathe again with this Final Verdict. So to anyone who wants to be as nit-picky, this could be you: (Final Verdict: 0.25/10.00)

Court is adjourned. Now can you dig that?
 
I actually prefer GT3 myself. The steering is very slow and unsensitive in that game, but overall the cars handle a bit more like they should. Most importantly, though, GT3 is more fun.
 
I prefer GT3 over GT4 for one reason- racing Special Stage Route 11 and (maybe) Rome Circuit. Othat than that, GT4's better. I don't need a bogus review to prove it. So we can learn something from this stupid review- crack kills.
 
peterb
Interceptor: thanks for your thoughtful, well-worded reply. I find it interesting that you actually agree with many of my points, but disliked the tone of my piece because it's opinionated. You imply that a review should not be a "summary of experiences I gathered playing GT4", but should somehow be "neutral." I respectfully disagree. In fact, I'll propose to you that the reason most videogame reviews suck is because the reviewers are trying so hard to be "neutral" so they can keep getting the supply of free games. I have no interest in being neutral. I play the games. I tell you when I think they're great. I tell you when I think they suck. I tell you when I think they're just OK, or when they're only a little bad. That's not neutral. It's my opinion. That's what, in my mind, a review should be.
If I had to write a review about a game, I would try to be as neutral as possible, describing every important detail. Of course, I'd also include my personal opinion, but I would do that in a separate paragraph, cause in my book, it should not be "included" in the review itself. That's exactly what you did, and what all the guys are banging on about. You kind of "insulted" the game, cause you referred to many aspects as being "stupid, useless, ridiculous" and so on. For many people, GT4 is the game of games, and they don't like seeing it being bashed.
For me, the Gran Turismo series is the game as well, cause I learned so much about cars and had so much fun in the process, that it's by far the game I play(ed) the most. I have no problem with someone critisizing it, but if, it should rather look like stated above, and not like you did it, which brings me to my conclusion:
Yes, GT4 has many faults ... BUT ... still, it is so much fun for people that like this kind of games, that there is not a single game, and I do mean not a single one, that could ever replace Gran Turismo. I play other games too, and they are a lot of fun. But at some point, I stop playing most of them and start to play other ones, cause I'm through with them. GT is different, and that's what the game is all about. There's only one reason that will make me stop playing GT4, and that's GT5. If you don't get that feeling, Gran Turismo is not your game, which is no problem actually, but should be no reason to bash it either.

Regards
the Interceptor
 
Oh my goodness! Someone has an opinion that differs from mine! I must immediately slander and belittle him as that is the only way I know to make a counter-argument! How dare he voice his own thoughts, which he is entitled to?


On another note; no review of anything is neutral. Really. Ever read a movie review? Ever read a game review? The very fact that things like games and movies are reviewed means that someone's opinion has entered into the equation.

Standard review: (my own)
GT4 is a great driving game, with a vast selection of cars, lifelike tracks, and some impressive graphics. The sounds can often be too generic, unfortunately.

Review minus opinion (AKA neutral)
GT4 is a driving game, with cars, tracks, and graphics. It also has sounds.
 
i agree with some of the things he said, such as
the a.i. unforgivable really 👎
tcm, asm. whos idea was this? :crazy:
the menu. pi**es me off, its to scattered
scrolling text. how hard is it to have a seperate screen for info, although i dont know what hes on about in regards to info on each car??? i certainly dont have that :grumpy: can anyone tell me why?
 
speedy_samurai
On another note; no review of anything is neutral. Really. Ever read a movie review? Ever read a game review? The very fact that things like games and movies are reviewed means that someone's opinion has entered into the equation.
There will always be the writers opinion hidden in every review. But you shouldn't make the review about your opinion, rather than the game you are supposed to talk about. Good writers are aware of their opinion and know when to show, and when to hide it.
A good review should be interesting to read for the beginner and the advanced, contain all the useful information and leave you with the right picture of the reviewed item when you're through. Of course, it can also contain a personal opinion, but it should not be all over the article. Why not do the "Personally, I think that .." thing? Much better than bashing something you personally do not get warm with in the whole review, leaving the reader with a false impression.

Regards
the Interceptor
 
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