The Six Mainline Gran Turismo Games, Ranked Worst to Best
- Thread starter GTPNewsWire
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1. GT5
2. GT3
3. GT4
4. GT1
5. GT6
6. GT2
Rose tinted glasses off, GT5 still stands as the best in the GT series. It had everything: dynamic weather, dynamic day and night cycle, huge list of tracks and cars, course maker, cool challenges, a lengthy career mode, B spec, online lobbies, multiple racing disciplines and beautiful graphics.
2. GT3
3. GT4
4. GT1
5. GT6
6. GT2
Rose tinted glasses off, GT5 still stands as the best in the GT series. It had everything: dynamic weather, dynamic day and night cycle, huge list of tracks and cars, course maker, cool challenges, a lengthy career mode, B spec, online lobbies, multiple racing disciplines and beautiful graphics.
- 500
- Salonica
I have owned only GT Sport, GT4 and GT2. So I can only comment on those. And my ranking would be the same order.
Gold: GT Sport
Pros: Best handling, graphics, sounds. Sport mode is a move in the right direction. Scapes. Interlagos comes to GT!
Cons: Few cars, tracks, career events
Silver: GT4
Pros: Best racing car game for the PS2, and one of the prettiest overall. Expansive car/track list and career. Photo mode. Nürburgring comes to GT!
Cons: Dated
Bronze: GT2
Pros: Big step up from GT1 in terms of content. The definitive PS1 Gran Turismo. Laguna Seca debutes as the first real world circuit in GT! I played it after playing GT4 and still had fun with it.
Cons: Dated
Gold: GT Sport
Pros: Best handling, graphics, sounds. Sport mode is a move in the right direction. Scapes. Interlagos comes to GT!
Cons: Few cars, tracks, career events
Silver: GT4
Pros: Best racing car game for the PS2, and one of the prettiest overall. Expansive car/track list and career. Photo mode. Nürburgring comes to GT!
Cons: Dated
Bronze: GT2
Pros: Big step up from GT1 in terms of content. The definitive PS1 Gran Turismo. Laguna Seca debutes as the first real world circuit in GT! I played it after playing GT4 and still had fun with it.
Cons: Dated
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- 50,839
- Australia
- SpacedustDaddy
1. GT2/3/4
2. GT
3. GT5/6
The early Gran Turismos had features that were dropped in later games. Qualifying against AI. Why drop that in the later games? Later games have more cars. It would be a treat to try and set a qualifying time to where any one player would end up. However, the AI wasn't as competitive as early games. Shame.
Skid pan. Who does that in a game? Why not take advantage of the later game graphics and physics and large car count, with such a feature?
Drag strip. Another useful feature not introduced to later games.
AI. For whatever reason, it was downgraded in later games. Nowhere near as challenging as the PS1/2 era games.
The actual CarPG achievement/reward of virtual car ownship, early GTs clearly defined this.
GT5/6 felt like write-offs to me. Better graphics, high car counts, online mode, track creator, 16 cars on track. I fell asleep, with controller dropping from my hands, more times than I can remember.
2. GT
3. GT5/6
The early Gran Turismos had features that were dropped in later games. Qualifying against AI. Why drop that in the later games? Later games have more cars. It would be a treat to try and set a qualifying time to where any one player would end up. However, the AI wasn't as competitive as early games. Shame.
Skid pan. Who does that in a game? Why not take advantage of the later game graphics and physics and large car count, with such a feature?
Drag strip. Another useful feature not introduced to later games.
AI. For whatever reason, it was downgraded in later games. Nowhere near as challenging as the PS1/2 era games.
The actual CarPG achievement/reward of virtual car ownship, early GTs clearly defined this.
GT5/6 felt like write-offs to me. Better graphics, high car counts, online mode, track creator, 16 cars on track. I fell asleep, with controller dropping from my hands, more times than I can remember.
- 2
- United States
This was a good list, I had GT 4 ahead of GT3 ASpec for me, but honestly... both of those are behind Gt Sport imo.
Both of those games are incredible, fun games of a different era, but neither of them have had the replay ability that GTS has had. GTS is nowhere near the most complete GT ever made, but by FAR the one I've put the most time into and enjoyed the most because online racing is just so much better and less predictable.
Hopefully GT7 is a cross between GT4 & GTS
- 16,094
- Melbourne
- ScottPuss20
- CheetahsMeow
This ranking was based purely off my experience at the time, and boy has it aged poorly. When I originally played GT5 between 2010 and 2013, I didn't really like it. When GT6 came out in 2013, it addressed many of the concerns that I had with GT5 at the time, hence why I put it third on this list. After playing GT5 again, I realised that it was more refined and better to play through compared to GT6. There's a lot more to do and all the main features were implemented from day 1, unlike GT6. I can't believe it took me 10 years to properly appreciate this game. GT6 feels and looks cheap compared to GT5. In terms of presentation, it's the best of any GT game - more so than GT4. That's why it goes up to number 3 on my list.
Also, GT Sport sits between GT5 and GT6 on the list, so the updated ranking is:
GT4
GT3
GT5
GT Sport
GT6
- 4,538
- Australia
1 GT2
2 GT1
3 GT4
4 GT5
5 GT3
2 GT1
3 GT4
4 GT5
5 GT3
For me I think it is the following
- overall depth of game - one make races, missions, b-spec, photo mode, etc
- nurburgring, leman, el capitan and other new courses to the GT series that I thoroughly enjoyed
- overall presentation / navigation in GT village
- 1080i video - which still looks good to me through an component to HDMI converter
- 50,839
- Australia
- SpacedustDaddy
GT4:
with the all wheels fit every car option
Tuned car event at Apricot Hill
9(?)Hours at Motegi using my white '04 Accord Euro R, slammed to the ground, -5° camber up front, BBS basket weave(they were like a diamond black with chrome lip), headlights on and the sunset conditions. One of my favs.
Practicing at the Nord, with AI cars driving around the circuit.
with the all wheels fit every car option
Tuned car event at Apricot Hill
9(?)Hours at Motegi using my white '04 Accord Euro R, slammed to the ground, -5° camber up front, BBS basket weave(they were like a diamond black with chrome lip), headlights on and the sunset conditions. One of my favs.
Practicing at the Nord, with AI cars driving around the circuit.
Petroperu
(Banned)
- 360
- Peru
1. GT3 (my first GT game, I was wowed at its graphics and spent countless hours in career mode)
2. GT5 (my most anticipated game from that gen. I think it had more to do with the hype than the game itself, as it was very flawed)
3. GT2 (a worthy successor to the first game. That is why I put this game third. Improved a lot on the first game but still couldn't hold a candle to the PS2 game)
4. GT1 (the game that started it all. Amazing game but improved in many ways. That's why it stays at a respectable 4th position)
5. GT4 (the reason why this game sits near the bottom is because so many things were promised but not delivered, like online. Still this game had a ton of cars and tracks but its biggest flaw was its really dumb AI. Made the game unplayable)
6. GT6 (Couldn't be bothered with this game tbh. By the time it came out, I was already thinking about getting a PS4. It should have gotten a PS4 rerelease as well. This game came way too late during the PS3 generation)
2. GT5 (my most anticipated game from that gen. I think it had more to do with the hype than the game itself, as it was very flawed)
3. GT2 (a worthy successor to the first game. That is why I put this game third. Improved a lot on the first game but still couldn't hold a candle to the PS2 game)
4. GT1 (the game that started it all. Amazing game but improved in many ways. That's why it stays at a respectable 4th position)
5. GT4 (the reason why this game sits near the bottom is because so many things were promised but not delivered, like online. Still this game had a ton of cars and tracks but its biggest flaw was its really dumb AI. Made the game unplayable)
6. GT6 (Couldn't be bothered with this game tbh. By the time it came out, I was already thinking about getting a PS4. It should have gotten a PS4 rerelease as well. This game came way too late during the PS3 generation)
- 4,867
- Kentucky
- barrett5
- BarrettMopar
Worst to best for me including GT Sport.
7. GT Sport-
The best graphics, sound and physics of any GT to date do not save it from the main part of the game being still so flawed to this day. After nearly three years this racing simulator considers bump drafting on an oval bad, yet divebombing good, it simply is not fun to play way more commonly than any Gran Turismo should ever be.
6. GT6-
Quick Matches were the highlight of this game to me, but the servers were far to inconsistent to get anywhere close to the full enjoyment, and that goes for all other online modes as well. Having the largest car list and the ability to use community created tracks when the servers were still up made for quite unique single races, but the campaign mode felt virtually identical to GT5, the only change being a negative in no long endurance racing. GT6 was an excellent game when doing unique things, but between the iffy online servers and rehashed offline campaign, fun replayability is fairly rare, especially now with no servers.
5. GT1-
Probably about as good of a starting point as possible for the series given the era it was released, but the graphics, physics, and small amount of cars and tracks don't hold up very well. I don't think that these factors make for an overall negative experience though as long as what is there is fun, and it is. There is nothing to me that is completely boring and or annoying plus there is still fun to be had even now with so many successors.
4. GT2-
GT1 but with a bit better graphics and physics (though still outdated). The car and track list is great plus I really like the layout of the menus.
3. GT3-
I understand why this was the best selling GT of all time and is still arguably the best ever. For the time it had unreal graphics and was seen as the closest thing to real life there was. So much so in fact, the day GT3 released in the US my dad traded an old, rusted station wagon to his friend for a new PS2, memory card, controller, and GT3. The station wagon lasted about two weeks before it was too expensive to be worth fixing while the PS2 lasted about six years and GT3 still works today. Given that soon after I started playing GT3 as my introduction to the series, I guess that was a good trade.
Though all things considered I think GT3 has the biggest case of nostalgic bias of the series. People flocked to this game in particular for the next gen graphics and physics, neither are exactly what would be considered so now. To me cars, tracks, and features are the most timeless parts of a racing game. I don't care much about graphics and as long as the driving physics are fun, I am happy. While the game itself offers mostly flawless fun, what is offered in total is not enough to warrant GT3 being the best to me because of the smaller amount of cars, tracks, and features, though it is still a great and legendary game.
2. GT5-
GT5 had everything, a massive amount of cars and tracks, physics that still hold in my opinion, a unique and lengthy campaign mode, Bspec characters that could progress through campaign mode, HD graphics that still make the premium cars look decent, fun and varied optional challenge, a course creator that still works, a large player base to message and trade cars with, and online servers that could actually handle all of this. Also Jenkins. Granted, everything it had was not executed the best, though to me nothing was executed overall poorly despite what many people say (when I can I may do an in depth video on that). GT5 is one of the greatest racing games of all time to me.
1. GT4-
GT4 has most things, and what it does have was implemented in a nearly perfect manner. The best original music of any game paired with so many icons cars, tracks and events makes for the greatest racing game of all time. Overall it is the community that makes GT Sport worth playing whatsoever, GT6 having the occasional unforgettable moment, and GT5 having nearly countless worthwhile moments, but that doesn't make the games themselves better, because playing with the community is sadly temporary. When solely competing against yourself and the AI never gets old, that is unmatched.
As a somewhat awkward, lower wealth class kid that grew up in a small town, I didn't interact much with others in the real world and I didn't have good enough internet at the time to interact virtually as well. That traded in PS2 was one of my main forms of entertainment and GT4 was the number one game I played. From what I remember, I enjoyed every minute of it and had no regrets.
As a somewhat awkward, lower wealth class adult that is still in that small town, I don't interact much with others in the real world now also because of coronavirus. My internet is now below average which is usable so I do interact virtually some, but due to the only Gran Turismo still with online being the worst one, I seem to be socially distancing virtually now too. So ultimately I went full circle and started to enjoy every minute of GT4 (that isn't license tests) again. Now I don't have to remember the past good times and while playing I can briefly forget the current bad times.
I still most certainly have no regrets.
7. GT Sport-
The best graphics, sound and physics of any GT to date do not save it from the main part of the game being still so flawed to this day. After nearly three years this racing simulator considers bump drafting on an oval bad, yet divebombing good, it simply is not fun to play way more commonly than any Gran Turismo should ever be.
6. GT6-
Quick Matches were the highlight of this game to me, but the servers were far to inconsistent to get anywhere close to the full enjoyment, and that goes for all other online modes as well. Having the largest car list and the ability to use community created tracks when the servers were still up made for quite unique single races, but the campaign mode felt virtually identical to GT5, the only change being a negative in no long endurance racing. GT6 was an excellent game when doing unique things, but between the iffy online servers and rehashed offline campaign, fun replayability is fairly rare, especially now with no servers.
5. GT1-
Probably about as good of a starting point as possible for the series given the era it was released, but the graphics, physics, and small amount of cars and tracks don't hold up very well. I don't think that these factors make for an overall negative experience though as long as what is there is fun, and it is. There is nothing to me that is completely boring and or annoying plus there is still fun to be had even now with so many successors.
4. GT2-
GT1 but with a bit better graphics and physics (though still outdated). The car and track list is great plus I really like the layout of the menus.
3. GT3-
I understand why this was the best selling GT of all time and is still arguably the best ever. For the time it had unreal graphics and was seen as the closest thing to real life there was. So much so in fact, the day GT3 released in the US my dad traded an old, rusted station wagon to his friend for a new PS2, memory card, controller, and GT3. The station wagon lasted about two weeks before it was too expensive to be worth fixing while the PS2 lasted about six years and GT3 still works today. Given that soon after I started playing GT3 as my introduction to the series, I guess that was a good trade.
Though all things considered I think GT3 has the biggest case of nostalgic bias of the series. People flocked to this game in particular for the next gen graphics and physics, neither are exactly what would be considered so now. To me cars, tracks, and features are the most timeless parts of a racing game. I don't care much about graphics and as long as the driving physics are fun, I am happy. While the game itself offers mostly flawless fun, what is offered in total is not enough to warrant GT3 being the best to me because of the smaller amount of cars, tracks, and features, though it is still a great and legendary game.
2. GT5-
GT5 had everything, a massive amount of cars and tracks, physics that still hold in my opinion, a unique and lengthy campaign mode, Bspec characters that could progress through campaign mode, HD graphics that still make the premium cars look decent, fun and varied optional challenge, a course creator that still works, a large player base to message and trade cars with, and online servers that could actually handle all of this. Also Jenkins. Granted, everything it had was not executed the best, though to me nothing was executed overall poorly despite what many people say (when I can I may do an in depth video on that). GT5 is one of the greatest racing games of all time to me.
1. GT4-
GT4 has most things, and what it does have was implemented in a nearly perfect manner. The best original music of any game paired with so many icons cars, tracks and events makes for the greatest racing game of all time. Overall it is the community that makes GT Sport worth playing whatsoever, GT6 having the occasional unforgettable moment, and GT5 having nearly countless worthwhile moments, but that doesn't make the games themselves better, because playing with the community is sadly temporary. When solely competing against yourself and the AI never gets old, that is unmatched.
As a somewhat awkward, lower wealth class kid that grew up in a small town, I didn't interact much with others in the real world and I didn't have good enough internet at the time to interact virtually as well. That traded in PS2 was one of my main forms of entertainment and GT4 was the number one game I played. From what I remember, I enjoyed every minute of it and had no regrets.
As a somewhat awkward, lower wealth class adult that is still in that small town, I don't interact much with others in the real world now also because of coronavirus. My internet is now below average which is usable so I do interact virtually some, but due to the only Gran Turismo still with online being the worst one, I seem to be socially distancing virtually now too. So ultimately I went full circle and started to enjoy every minute of GT4 (that isn't license tests) again. Now I don't have to remember the past good times and while playing I can briefly forget the current bad times.
I still most certainly have no regrets.
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