GTPlanet Community Spotlight: Is Gran Turismo Sport a Step in the Right Direction?

With spring drawing near, talks of the upcoming Gran Turismo Sport beta are going to become commonplace and for good reason. Gran Turismo Sport is an opportunity to steer the franchise in a new direction; to reinvent and reassert it is as one of the key players in this niche genre, and what better way to do just that than with an offshoot title.

It’s an opportunity to take more risks; to test what works and what doesn’t; what adds to the experience and what detracts from it, opportunities that would otherwise warrant erring on the side of caution with a traditional Gran Turismo title. Gran Turismo Sport can be a means to an end in much of the same way Forza Horizon serves as the “free-spirited” sibling to Forza Motorsport. It could either be more focus-oriented or simply serve as a template that eventually evolves into the open-world GT game we’ve all been clamoring for.

GT Sport will definitely be one of the highlights this spring and even more so after its full release later this year, but until then you can’t help but ask yourself if this is a step in the right direction. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

GTPlanet Picture of the Week

This week’s featured image is all about one mean-looking Volvo, the 1975 242 to be exact. Coming to us courtesy of rik19, the Volvo is more than capable of tearing up the streets of Ventura Bay in Need for Speed.

If you like what you’re seeing and have a suggestion for next week’s featured image, start a conversation with me, entitle it “GTPlanet Picture of the Week” and fill it to your heart’s content with suggestions and they’ll be featured in upcoming Community Spotlight articles. NOTE: You cannot elect your own work.

GTPlanet Gallery of the Week

This week’s featured gallery is a community effort all in the vein of showing off the exciting and dangerous thrill that is rallying, featured in all its glory in Sébastien Loeb Rally EVO.

Whether it be capturing a high-flying car, a spectacular slide that may or may not result in a fantastic barrel roll, or capturing your purpose-built machine sullied with the elements, there’s a little bit of something for everyone here.

You can find the thread put together by doblocruiser right here if you want to have a look at the absolute insanity that’s going on, or contribute to the insanity yourself. There are a lot of great pieces in the thread, including what’s shown above which fooled me into thinking it was real before I had a closer look. Leading with that, I wouldn’t advise committing to a favorite until you’ve gone through the entire gallery.

If you like what you’re seeing and have a suggestion for next week’s featured gallery, start a conversation with me, entitle it “GTPlanet Gallery of the Week” and fill it to your heart’s content with suggestions and they’ll be featured in upcoming Community Spotlight articles. NOTE: You cannot elect your own gallery.

GTPlanet Thread of the Week – 84auto: Things That Go Fast

This week’s feature was an easy decision. An entire thread about cars would come as a surprise to no one, but combine automotive photography with a bit of personalized artwork and you have J-PaP’s 84auto.

Cars may be the central focus at the moment but expanding to bikes and other things that go fast are on the table. All of the artwork has been drawn using Adobe Illustrator, and to great effect. The thread is still in its relative infancy, created on the 2nd of November in 2015, and there’s plenty to ogle at including a gallery of assorted rides from Motorclassica 2015.

Stop by J-PaP’s thread and give 84auto some love!

If you like what you’re seeing and have a suggestion for next week’s featured thread, start a conversation with me, entitle it “GTPlanet Thread of the Week” and fill it to your heart’s content with suggestions and they’ll be featured in upcoming Community Spotlight articles. NOTE: You cannot elect your own thread.

Kamui Kobayashi Gets Full-Time Seat for WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans

Confirmed by Toyota Gazoo Racing, former F1 racer Kamui Kobayashi has been promoted to a full-time racing seat in the FIA World Endurance Championships and the 24 Hours of Le Mans and will be replacing the retired Alex Wurz. He will be racing alongside partners Stephane Sarrazin and Mike Conway in the new TS050 Hybrid.

The new racer adorns a white, red and black livery following the adoption of Toyota Gazoo Racing in May of last year.

“I’m really excited to be an LMP1 race driver and I would like to thank TOYOTA for this opportunity. I tested the TS040 HYBRID a few times and it was a seriously impressive car; the power of the hybrid system in particular was amazing. Now I can’t wait to see what the new car feels like; I am sure it will be a big step forward and put us back in the fight at the front.

Racing in LMP1 will be a new experience for me and I am looking forward to it a lot. There will be plenty to learn but I know my team-mates will support me and I am sure I can be competitive right from the start. Now my focus is on preparing properly for the new season and being absolutely ready for Silverstone.”

Assetto Corsa: PlayStation 4 First-Look [Alpha Build]

This past Wednesday, GTPlanet user Torgo of PlayStation Nation gave console-goers a first-look at Assetto Corsa with an alpha build for the PlayStation 4. Limited to only 3 cars, 2 tracks and racing in only Quick Races or Hot Laps there wasn’t a lot that could be shown, but as someone with the original release of the game on PC there are some notable differences.

• The improved UI
• The web-style launcher is no more, instead opting for a direct transition to gameplay
• The Ferrari FXX K is brand new and not currently available in the PC release
• The visual fidelity is of course less than what’s possible on the PC but still looks fantastic
• Menu music

The biggest difference is of course the menu music as I can’t recall that ever being outlined in any of the previous talks of the upcoming console release. The standard UI for the game is head and shoulders above what’s currently being used, and while there’s the advantage of being able to modify the UI using the ‘Python’ interface and creating apps, the point stands that the standard UI that will debut on consoles is without a doubt better.

Assetto Corsa is set to release on both the Xbox One and PlayStation this coming April and will include all content currently released on the PC.

GTPlanet Vehicle of the Week

GTPlanet Tune of the Week

This week’s featured tune, recommended to us by Lionheart2113 is aimed at mashing the throttle and hoping for the best. Not something you’d want to hear or read when driving the likes of the CTR “Yellowbird”, a car known for being rambunctious when simply looking at it.

The tune, courtesy of Motor City Hami, places energetic rear-wheel driven car into the 550PP bracket and is noticeably different than the otherwise normal vehicle; painted in Panther-Black Metallic, this 539 horsepower temperamental  ride goes by the name “Black Bird.”

If you fancy yourself brave enough to take on the challenge, stop by Motor City Tunes, flap those angry wings and calm this bird down as fast as you can.

Exactly like the Picture and Vehicle of the Week features, if you have any suggestions for next week’s featured tune, start a conversation with me, entitle it “GTPlanet Tune of the Week” and they’ll be featured in upcoming Community Spotlight articles. NOTE: You cannot elect your own gallery.

The Last Lap

While it wasn’t included there will be a new Member of the Week crowned as soon as this week’s inductee answers the call; next week is already accounted for so there’s nothing to worry about there.

Need For Speed. It’s an interesting dynamic, the relationship between it and I. I hate it sometimes because like Most Wanted before it, it comes across as confused, like it doesn’t know if it wants to be an arcade racer or a ‘simcade’ racer. I bring this up because I can’t count the number of times I’ve grossly understeered going into a corner, or the front end washing away for reasons that don’t make sense, or the complete lack of steering responsiveness—even when the slider for said responsiveness is moved as far left as the game will allow.

Then there’s the odd occasion where the car won’t respond to any steering input whatsoever and I end up plowing straight into a fence, barricade, or worse yet, a truck. Perhaps the problem is me; perhaps I can’t get along with this apparent ‘signature style’ that Need For Speed has embraced as of late. I don’t feel fast in any arcade racing game anymore, have I been spoiled by sim racers? It stands to reason that I have because I approach the corners with the mindset of “slow in, fast out” when more often than not it’s actually “fast in, fast out by way of drifting.”

Then there’s the love dynamic. The customization is fantastic, the livery editor is equally fantastic with the individual area mapping putting Forza to shame outright, and the Frostbite engine once again lends itself to recreating one of the most photo-realistic visual experiences to date. The selection of cars fits the bill, albeit some more than others but fitting all the same. Last but certainly not least, it feels like a Need For Speed game, perhaps the best since 2010’s Hot Pursuit.

Then there’s the cutscenes and the fist bumping. Jesus Christ.

I didn’t forget about American Truck Simulator, in fact I spent a good amount of time trucking around in my Peterbilt 389—a mod made available the day of its release much to my surprise— after resurrecting my G27. ATS will have its time in the Spotlight next week and I have a little something in mind to set it apart from what I’ve previously done.

Until then, keep racing!

Trucks.

See more articles on GTPlanet Community Spotlight and GTPlanet Member of the Week.