I downloaded the torrent file today and burned a DVD tonight, worked like a charm (after some google "learning") and my swap magic disc v3.2 with flip top PS2. I have never downloaded a game or DVDs but since this is a "demo" I didn't have issue with it. Given it is all in english (japanese can be set too) with a MPH option I can only assume this is the demo that PS2 magazines here in the USA will be offering in a month or two.
I have played GT3 for years and have played GT4p since the Spring. This demo is nothing like either.
You can tell it is a demo. The navigation is a bit rough, occasionally you get a sakey screen as it seems to be thinking and in general the interface isn't full "slick" and ready for prime-time, though it is very good, on par if not better than GT4p was.
Car Physics....well it sure doesn't feel like Gt4p! Though it seems to differ from car to car and circuit to circuit. GT4p always felt "slippy" to me and I never got fully comfortable with the feel of the game, with the DS2 or DFP wheel. This demo feels more like GT3 as far as grip but completely different as far as car feel. It is generally difficult at first to drive the Falken GT-R with driver assit off. The other cars are easier but you can't over drive the car into corners and get away with it like you could in GT3. If you goo in too fast and deep you are into the wall. You really gotta set-up your turns and choose your line wisely. The margin for error is much much less than GT3.
The Falken GT-R at Nurburgring is AMAZING! With assists off after a few tries it becomes great. Once you start figuring out the circuit it is even better. The Falken GT-R SOUNDS AMAZING, utterly and completely amazing. The feel of the car is like you would expect a race car to be, stiff and not forgiving but rewarding proper line choice and throttle control. I am even more stoked for the full game now and some RUFs at Nurburgring.
Trial Mtn. Doesn't feel fully "done". I can't say what is wrong but the Falken GT-R doesn't perform or feel as good there, nor do any of the other few cars. Plus it actually looks less detailed than Nurburgring or George V or even how it looks in GT3. It just doesn't look or feel finished and feels like an after thought thrown on the demo.
George V. I thought Citta on GT4p was tight and twisty. If you don't like Seattle you won't like this circuit. It is all 90* corners with extra tight streets. That being said it looks good, on par with GT4p, maybe a touch better. Oddly though the cars feel more like GT4p on this circuit. Slippy and nervous. I see that the surface is rendered to be "damp" so that may be part of it but in general it looks and feels like it came out of GT4p.
Other tidbits;
- The tires don't smoke at all, even if you drift. You do have sparks in the reply though and if you go off course you kick up dust.
- The tires sounds while in the car in game are distinct and you hear they different from the engine, unlike in GT3 were is all blends into one.
- THE ANALOG STICKS WORK FOR BRAKE AND THROTTLE as do the buttons. FINALLY, it always bothered me that the analog sticks didn't work for brake/throttle in GT4p.
- The DFP wheel 900* deal feels different than GT4p. It feels much more like areal car and the visual cue slider for steering under the speedo/tac, which I thought would be annoying, really helps to keep track of where the wheel is. You actually get increased resistance the farther you turn the wheel, god forbid you hit a curb with the wheel cranked all the way over. In GT4p the steering, no matter how deep felt flat.
- If you hit a roller to fast (nurburging or trial mtn) you are screwed. The back end of your car kicks up and you fly into the wall. No more just gunning it and landing in control like in GT3
- If you slam into a wall you don't have the 10seconds @ 50kph like GT4p. Instead the screen goes blurry. Same goes for hitting another car.
-The AI doesn't seem anymore swift than GT3. I still got rammed into from behind, even when I had the line and I notced cars going all over the circuit, especially @ nurburgring. I will assume the AI engine isn't final yet (I hope).
- I think all the cars sound great, much better than either Gt3/GT4p. The Flaken GT-R is AMAZING (did I say that already?) but the RX-8 and skyline sound good too, the Rx-7 sounds a bit flat though.
- The car shadows and rendering seem a bit rough and unfinished, especially the lighting effects on the quarter panels. They look toned down from GT4p (everything isn't as slick and shiney) and even less detailed than GT3. Again I assume this isn't final.
- There is actually a difference in tire feel between street/sports/racing, unlike GT3 or GT4p. I didn't try the arcade tire option. Nor did I compare laptimes. Just "feel".
- Photo mode - I spent about 10 minutes but couldn't really figure it out, so I gave up. I'll try tomorrow or the next day and want to see if I can get a print.
-The 150second time limit is annoying but you can drive about 80% of nurburgring if you go forward once and then turn around and go the wrong way on the next play through. That back straight is INSANE. You can do a lap and a half to a three-quarters of Trial and George V easily.
All in all if you can't download the demo or figure out how to get it to work you aren't missing THAT much. This demo is cool but don't loose sleep. Like I said I would expect this demo, or something like it, to be in the USA PS2 magazines in a month or two. Probably better than this one, which is a big jump rom GT4p.
. I love the deep sound of the cars as it's initially revving up, and you can hear a really clear change in pitch
