https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_92tTqIo-O0
Today marks the day European Gran Turismo fans gain access to the GT Sport closed beta. The track selection has been cycled in preparation for the influx of new players, bringing two of the recently-announced tracks into the mix, and we’ve taken a tour of both.
Up first (and up top) is Dragon Trail Raceway. Our man Jordan has taken what many deem the dominant N300 car — the Evo X — around Polyphony’s new fantasy circuit for a very quick lap (with a switch to a Subaru for the replay). The Seaside layout mixes high speeds with a handful of substantial braking zones, offering up plenty of passing opportunities both into and out of corners.
One section that’s bound to separate the truly fast racers from the pack is the bus-stop series of corners in the final sector. Thanks to its location beside the water, the section bears a slight resemblance to Monaco, if that track were scaled up by about 150%. For long-time GT fans, it also feels reminiscent of the difficult mid-point of the original Special Stage Route 11.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylQmX5vrN3g
Next up is the second oval to be featured in Gran Turismo Sport: Blue Moon Bay. This irregularly shaped track plays like a more heavily banked version of Pocono Raceway, with a tight first corner that’s bound to take some getting used to after the round-and-round of Northern Isle Speedway. Forget what you’ve learned in normal circuit racing, you’ll want to stay up high on the outside here!
The second corner requires no lift at all, while the Alfa 4C Gr.3 — running with the appropriate oval-based Balance of Performance (BoP) — does need to shed a few mph for the final corner. Since there’s not a single stretch of un-banked tarmac, players will have to hold their wheels (or DS4 analog sticks) ever so slightly to the right between the turns.
We look forward to hearing how the tracks are received when today’s online races kick off in a few hours. Stay tuned to GTPlanet for more news on GT Sport.
See more articles on GT Sport Tracks and GT Sport Video.
