WARNING: The following post is full of rambling and extensive detail. Keep track of your sanity levels in order to survive reading this....
So, the recent interview with Kaz (on the news feed) suggests that GT7 will push the boundaries of graphics, AI and physics to the next level. Physics and graphics were kind of obvious statements, but it's nice to hear that AI will receive improvements. The damage is said to be a feature that will be improved as well, which I honestly wasn't expecting, but again it's great to hear.
I suppose when you consider GT6 is being run by technology that dates back to 2008, we can safely assume that GT7 will be a fresh start for the series on next gen.
So... let's list the things that Kaz is promising for GT7 so far....
Enhanced graphics: in other words, none of the obvious and
annoying graphical bugs from GT6. GT7 should be the best looking game on the PS4, just like GT5 was on the PS3 (in my opinion).
Improved sound: In theory, the
majority of the vehicles will receive sound overhauls with recordings of actual engine sounds.... The
Audi Sport Quattro S1 Rally Car '86 especially needs this treatment!!!!
Increased AI Intelligence: Kaz has now promised the AI will be better in GT7.
It better stay this way.
More Realistic Physics: The driving physics in GT6 are the best we've seen in the series so far. I honestly wouldn't mind if it was unchanged for GT7. But, if there's room for improvement (which is apparently the case) PD are unlikely to hesitate. We could definitely do with
better car rolling physics. They're pretty shocking in GT6. When cars roll over multiple times, it's supposed to be dramatic... right?
Better Damage: I'm not sure what Kaz thinks 'improved damage' is in a GT game, but we can be hopeful that
cosmetic and mechanical damage will receive tweaks to increase immersion. Let's hope such a feature makes the
single player too!
Extended Photo Mode Options: We should have the ability to be
more creative with Photo Mode/Photo Travel than we ever have before in the series with GT7. Fingers crossed we will get a
larger selection of more interesting locations for GT7. GT6's photo travel was simply disappointing.
An Even Bigger selection of cars: The fact that
standard cars are staying, and that
more premium cars are planned, we can safely assume that GT7 will only expand on it's already huge selection of cars. So, us GT fans are unlikely to be disappointed, unlike what happened with Forza 5
. But seriously, with more cars,
consistency should be bettered as well. I doubt GT7 will be 100% consistent (with many cars lacking interiors), but
upping the number of premiums will slowly but surely phase the 'standard' cars out. GT7's standard cars should receive some
exterior upgrades, so they look satisfactory for the PS4, even if they lack interiors.
PS2 quality cars will not be acceptable on the PS4!
Now let's consider the things that haven't been talked about much by Kaz regarding GT7.
More Tracks: Obviously, the track selection will be addressed in GT7. The question is, which tracks will make the list, and which ones will go? Hopefully,
none of the tracks currently in GT6 will disappear. Just like the car selection, GT7's track list should expand, not narrow down. I recall GT4 having the most number of tracks in the series to this day. My hope is GT7
will surpass this, and give us more tracks we could ever dream of. Personally, I would like to see more original tracks from past GT games (such as
Seattle and
Midfield Raceway) along with
brand new ones, more real life tracks, and a full scale return of classic
rally courses from GT4. I was disappointed at the lack of any new rally courses in GT6.
Customization: I think the main demand regarding customization is a
livery editor. I can see why. Livery editors for racing games have proven to be very addictive and interesting features, allowing us to
personalize our cars, or
recreate cars from movies or famous racing teams. I hope a livery editor is put into GT7. Though I doubt all cars will be compatible, it will give those that are are great personal touch, that will send the online community
wild in creativity. Aside from a livery editor, I'm sure we'd all like to see
more cosmetic and performance customization options. I doubt GT7 will compare well to other games in the customization department, but
every little helps. A few things I'd like to see include
engine swaps, window tinting, custom steering wheels and the return of horns (because everyone loved them in GT5
) Lastly, PD should
get rid of paint chips! In GT7 I should be able to buy every available paint in the game, without painstakingly collecting them.
Career mode: Nothing has been said about an improved career mode experience. I know GT7 is nowhere near release, but even now, this concerns me a little.
GT6's career mode was not only short, but I thought its change in structure was a backwards step. Lets go back to GT2. That game had
tons of events and great variety. GT6 does not. PD should recap on the events they came up with for
GT2, 3 and 4, and use these as primary inspiration when piecing together each individual event for GT7. With the PS4, PD could easily make a career mode that
matches/surpasses the length and variety of GT4's. Have the career mode split into categories for different Motorsport disciplines. From a
Beginners category, to Endurance, Karting, NASCAR and Rally categories. In addition,
licence tests should be made separate to the career mode events, like they were in GT games of old. Licence tests should consist of
way more exams, and should be
more challenging than they were in GT6. There should be a
licence test for each category in the career mode. So if I wanted to compete in NASCAR events for instance, I would not only have to save up money to buy my own NASCAR, I would also have to complete the NASCAR licence test.
I would make more points, but I think that's enough for this post. If you survived reading this,
congratulations! If you just scrolled directly to the bottom, I can understand why....