I'll just preface this by saying I have been a massive racing game fan since I first played Rad Racer on NES. I've owned and played every GT and Forza title extensively and until GT5 was very objective when comparing the games. Forza 2/3 were leaps and bounds ahead of GT4 overall (sure you can nitpick here and there) but they were both more well-rounded games. I was hopeful that with the long development time that GT5 would revolutionize the genre like the first 4 did. I was wrong. Apart from pretty menus and Logitech support I can't think of a single way that GT5 stacks up to Forza 3.
Overall it's a 'good' game. Nowhere near great. Not revolutionary. There are just too many compromises in this game and too many corners cut for somethinh that was being worked on for 6 years. I think PD has left the door wide open for MS and T10 to regroup and figure out a way to market the Forza series. I expect Forza 4 to be completely in a league of it's own by the time it is released (whenever that will be).
All this said, I do still get enjoyment from the game, if for no other reason that I finally get to use my PS3 and G25 for what I originally bough them for (thank god for Blu-Ray, Tversity and F1 CE/2010). "Worth the $60" is about the most positive thing I can say right now.
Here are my biggest gripes:
- Disparity between Premium & Standard cars:
If the disparity was only limited to the interior modelling and visual elements I could accept this, but the fact that you trade off other aspects such as ability to change rims, damage, etc. is just a slap in the face to the consumer.
The gloss of the premium cars is nice, but I'm sorry, I don't care if the HVAC and Stereo buttons are perfectly modeled because the only time you can see that is in photo mode. When I'm racing I would much prefer to have a decent level of modelling so that all cars could have an interior view.
Possibly the worst aspect of the difference is that Standard cars are not available in the new car dealerships. So really I don't have access to 1,000 cars. I may never even find the cars I want because I don't have time to diddle around for hours trying to see if they will magically appear. What a completely ridiculous idea by PD. I just can't believe it.
- Things no one really wants:
I feel like PD lost control when they started adding things like Nascar (why add this when there are already actual Nascar games that support an actual Nascar season?), 3D support, head-tracking, B-Spec, GT-TV, etc. Some of these are nice to have, but really they add nothing to GT5 and appeal probably to 0.1% of the people who will buy this game.
- Graphics:
At times the game is stunning, at others I can't believe it's a PS3 title. The jagginess at the start of every race on the shadows and cars (even premium) is brutal. I mean, it's the first thing you see every single race. I really don't think the in-game visuals are substantially better than Forza 3. At least not to the naked eye while playing. Maybe replays, or polished PD press videos, but in game it's a wash as far as I'm concerned.
- Damge:
In a world with Forza 3, PD's attempt at damage is just laughable. Enough said. I know Forza 3 isn't perfect, but it's amazing for what it is. In GT5 you can win every race in the game by picking a slightly faster car and outbraking everyone into turn one and shunting them aside. Hardly a realistic approach to a driving sim in my mind.
I actually get disappointed now when I hit a wall and come to the realization that I can still win the race easily because nothing happened to the car. Damage should apply to every car, impact both visual and mechnical aspects and be present from race 1. I won't even bother playing online without a real damage feature.
- Customization/Modification:
Brutal. Simply brutal. In a world where the Forza series exists PD's efforts in this area are just laughable. You can even take away the 'unrealistic' engine and driveline swaps from Forza, and the basic engine, chassis, suspension, aero mods are so much better than GT5 that I feel like I'm playing Ivan Stewart's Super Off Road or Top Gear 2. No braking upgrade? Tires and brakes are the first two things you need to do in real-life to get any performance on track.
Having a half-assed modification interface takes away from everyone's claims that this game gives a more realistic driving experience. And wasn't it time to ditch the new car oil change for bonus hp? What the hell is that all about? Also the lack of any PI on the cars pre/post mod make it much harder than Forza to pick evenly matched cars for races.
- Lack of Livery Editor & Auction House:
I know many claim they don't care about these, but with so few actual race series in GT5 I can't see what's going to keep me playing this game for a fraction of the time I've put into Forza 2/3. It created a great community aspect and made photo-mode way more personalized. I loved dabbling and creating my own liveries, or if I just felt like getting a famous livery for one of my cars I could pop into the auction house and get it.
This feature is the most innovative addition to console racing sims I can think of since GT1. Comparing the absurd manner in which you can paint cars/wheels in GT5 I am embarrassed for PD for coming to market without even addressing this area at all.
- Lack of Racing Series:
I'm not very far into the game at all, but I'm definitely wary of the short A-Spec career mode. I likely won't touch B-Spec, so the content in this game is lacking for me. I'm still not near complete in Forza 3, yet I've probably compelted more racing series than GT5 even has. Amateur should basically not even be considered because it's not enjoyable and the cars you use/win suck for the most part. In Forza I loved all of the regional spec series, the rivalry races, the mix between factory spec races and races with mods allowed.
- Lack of official G25/G27 support:
PD has ignored the hardcore sim fans by inexplicably leaving these wheels out. How hard would it really have been to include them? I can't imagine much work would be required to modify the profile of any of the other Logitech wheels. Sure my G25 works, but I can't stand to use the H-gate and clutch because unless you manage to execute a perfect shift (meaning you are fully off the gas and clutch) the car gets stuck in neutral all the time. I suspect PD is just trying to drive sales of their co-branded Logitech wheels.
You dont get the point , all of you dont get the point. The point is you have to experience it yourself than be influence by reviews. i have played a lot of games which reviewers considered to be bad and yet i actually enjoyed it. Some games i just realize that it got a bad review after playing it. It even shocks me that a game that i enjoyed a lot actually got a bad score.
I can't believe I'm even replying to this nonsense but anyway..
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