Gran Turismo is a franchise that has spanned generations and has established itself in the video game world. Always further, always more beautiful, “always more”, Kazunori Yamauchi and his team want to bring players a car, playful and entertaining collection. It has been several years since the aficionados of the license await only one thing, the arrival of a seventh numbered episode. On March 4, players around the world will be able to get their hands on Gran Turismo 7 (on PS4 and PS5), we had the opportunity to attend a presentation of the game that did not leave us indifferent.
Pure and hard simulation!
Unsurprisingly, and from what was shown to us, the visual part is really pleasing to the eye. The developers have taken special care in the design of the cars. Whether it’s their body or their physique, the rendering is impressive. The routes are varied and very well done, and change depending on the weather. Because yes, the hours pass during a challenge, the colors in the image switch depending on the time of day. Small particularity of the PS5 edition, two graphic modes will be available, namely frame rateoffering 60 frames per second, and Ray Tracingreducing the frame rate, but bringing new effects to cars. A small comparison was presented to us and, honestly, we didn’t see any big visual differences, the reflections were almost identical, for once, we think to favor fluidity; especially for a racing game.
Even though we didn’t have a controller in our hands, the promises made regarding the gameplay have enough to make you salivate. And for good reason, a car will react in a different way depending on various factorssuch as the weather or the time of day that play on the surface of the road. Atmospheric temperatures therefore affect tire grip and engine power. The goal is to bring, through a production, driving close to reality to the players. Pure and hard simulation! Moreover, there is a whole part customization of your machine. Here too, the modifications will have an influence on the driving and the accelerations. We are very curious to discover that with a pad.
Furthermore, the DualSense will be in the spotlight. Thus, and thanks to the vibrations, the palms will be able to feel the sliding of the tires, the power of the engine, the transmission… And what about haptic feedback? They are not left behind. The triggers will be more or less heavy depending on the vehicle and will lock depending on our way of driving (brakes that stop, slamming of the accelerator, etc.). Once again, the objective is to bring a bit of realism into the palm of our hands.
Kazunori Yamauchi is a lover of this universe and also wishes to share historical moments with the community, which would be interested in this particular world. Beyond the races and the missions to be carried out (Time-Trial, Drift Trialetc.), a whole section will be devoted to automotive magic. Historical documents will be included, it will be possible to collect cars (more than 400 anyway) and show them to those around you; know that a photo corner is included, the developers have even created adequate software to modify your captures.
To appreciate each car, a brand new mode has appeared: Music Rally. The goal is not to rush at full speed, but to enjoy a more relaxed driving, to feel every vibration of the steering wheel, while listening to music from old episodes of Gran Turismo. It also allows you to understand how to manipulate one of your babies and to appreciate the circuits of this seventh episode, while being totally relaxed. Another point, quickly, each machine has its own sounds, which intensify according to the environment since they are reflected on the walls, the barriers, the fences, the trees, etc. In other words, hearing, touch and sight will be used to charm the player.
First of all, this presentation of Gran Turismo 7 knew how to mark our small spirit. The goldsmith’s work done on this new opus has impressed us. Necessarily, Polyphony Digital is committed to bringing players one of the best car simulations ever made. And sincerely, they are on track to sell us dreams in a few weeks. So you will understand, we are in a hurry to put the key in the ignition to finally give you our final impressions of this very enticing new experience.
You can pre-order Gran Turismo 7 on Amazon.