Gran Turismo 4: The Real Driving Simulator for PlayStation 2

GF Rating

9

Excellent

Every Car Enthusiast's Dream come True

posted by Iambanana (WEST MONROE, LA) Jun 24, 2006

Member since Apr 2005

3 out of 3 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

With over 700 cars, you definitely will not want for variety in this game. It's got everything from the first car ever invented to modern favorites, from the 17 horsepower Citroen 2CV to monstrous Le Mans cars that can top 250 miles per hour. There's no shortage of tracks to race these cars on, either, with a large variety of circuits from all over the world to race on. If you love cars, this game is an absolute no-brainer.

Unfortunately, it has its problems, as any game does. First and foremost, the AI is ATROCIOUS. When equipped with a similar car, they can't compete with a human opponent at all. They just follow their lines and hardly deviate at all. In fact, sometimes they go off the track and into the dirt for no apparent reason. Unfortunately, unless you know someone else who loves this game as much as you, you're stuck with AI, because online play is nonexistent.

Fortunately, the driving is good enough to where just tearing around a track and tweaking your killer setup is enough to satisfy. With this many cars, it'll take you months to find and race them all, so I'd recommend this to any car lover. The only other game that comes close on a home system is Forza Motorsports (Which is another good game to check out if you have an Xbox, but it doesn't come close to the variety of Gran Turismo 4.) What what would complete the experience most of all would be better AI and some of the groundbreaking Marques missing from this game, such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Really Has Improved

posted by Nameless (SAN JOSE, CA) May 8, 2006

Member since Apr 2005

10 out of 11 gamers (91%) found this review helpful

Gran Turismo 4 is a pretty amazing game. There's over 600 cars and trucks. They added two new features to the game. The first is the used car dealers. The second new feature is the photo viewer. You can take pictures of your cars and make a slide show or you can print them out. The graphics are good up close but get jaggy far away, but when you start racing you don't even notice it. The game play is the same it's always been, very realistic. This is one of the longest games I have ever played. So if you renting it be aware that you are going to have it for a long time if you want to finish it. The game has defiantly improved from the last one. Also some of the competitions take over an hour to beat, but luckily you can stop in the middle of the competition now to save and come back to it later. This game is definitely a driving simulator.

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GF Rating

7

Good

It's A Love It or Hate It Thing

posted by NRGundlah (SHINGLE SPRINGS, CA) May 26, 2006

Member since Apr 2005

4 out of 5 gamers (80%) found this review helpful

Visual: Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Every single car is a perfect representation of its real-life counterpart down to the molecules in the door handle. And thought this is a PS2 title, the system's ages does not show at all. Just watching the opening movie will make your jaw drop with the flawlessness that is manifested on the screen. You can tell that the developers put a whole lot of effort in to making what you're looking at a dead-on videogame version of every real world locale, car and any other imaginable detail. Though it is still a shame that the cars take absolutely zero damage no matter what you do. And though they are perfect, there isn't anything flashy about these polygons.

Audio: What you would expect. Engines, tire squeals, bleeps and bloops in the menus, nothing too exciting, just really well done. And the music selection is pretty extensive, though there isn't a whole lot of stuff the average Joe has heard of.

Mechanics: The camera will not give you any problems at all, and it even gives you some beautiful shots during the replay that you can admire. The controls are standard racing fare. Gas. Brake. Reverse. Turn. But they are very difficult to master, and until you learn all the intricacies of the game's extremely realilistic physics system, expect to careen off the road because you aren't hard enough on the brakes.

Gameplay: As with any Gran Turismo title, this is purely for the car enthusiasts. Races aren't too fast, and the game overall still retains its brutal real world difficulty. The beginning of the game forces you to slog through dozens of races to build up the money to really get the game going, but once you're through, it's pretty enjoyable, it just takes a lot of patience. The game isn't Need For Speed or Burnout. There aren't turbo pads or weapons. But if you expect this series to do any of that, you're looking in the wrong place.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Good but...

posted by Krisss (HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL) May 11, 2006

Member since May 2005

4 out of 5 gamers (80%) found this review helpful

This is a pretty good game but they should make the beginning races a little more money. i mean who wants to do the same race over and over again until they can buy a good awesome car. But this game has amazing graphics, especially on the endurance races. The realism is a little too mouch though. Sharp turns and corners are pretty hard to overcome. The cars look very real. Except that they still dont have damage in this game. so its not all that real. you crash into a car u should atleast get a dent that will cost u some money, which then would make u a better racer because u would try to make turns better. I would guarentee this game to whoever liked gran turismo 3, which also was amazing, infact the first game i had was gran turismo 3. so overall i would rate this game an 8. this game is amazing with a steering wheel controller and pedals. then u really experience the realism of this amazing game that they really worked hard on.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Best one yet.

posted by Damondlt (NEWFOUNDLAND, PA) Apr 24, 2006

Member since Jan 2006

3 out of 4 gamers (75%) found this review helpful

Best racing game on the market. Graphics are great, tracks and cars are realistic. game can be played in High Definition. But with the changing cars it can only get better. The only thing i would like to see is more real life expences,racing engines don't last for every. maybe so damage when you hit a wall. Just to make it more exciting.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Good game with time

posted by Spartacus (GENESEO, IL) Apr 15, 2006

Member since Dec 2004

1 out of 4 gamers (25%) found this review helpful

This game is good, very good, if you break its mile thick skin. Once you get past the incredibly long beginning stages and get some cash its fun. You should not rent this game, you need to buy it to even make a dent in it and I am saying this as a fan. Its a good game

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GF Rating

2

Really Bad

THIS GAME IS ANNOYING :(

posted by CSSROCKS7 (MONTGOMERY VILLAGE, MD) May 22, 2006

Member since Dec 2005

2 out of 16 gamers (12%) found this review helpful

This game takes way 2 long to beat. i havent even beat it yet. besides that it is boring and some of the driving physics are dumb. burnouts are possible(except in this game)and so is drifting(this is a racing game right?). there are way to many races(ive counted at least one hundred races)the endurance races are especially annoying. gt3 was a far better game. with gt4 there seems to be no end to it :(
p.s. also a damage modeler would be nice

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GF Rating

7

Good

its ok.....

posted by dabeast47 (SOUTH LYON, MI) Jul 9, 2011

Member since Jul 2011

i played it.. it was ok somethings werent good but other things didnt make sense but it was ok

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Once Again...Smooth Game!

posted by Ryujisama17 (SACRAMENTO, CA) Jun 22, 2011

Member since Jun 2011

THE ONLY GAME FOR PS2 IN HIGH-DEFINITION!!!!!!!!
Once Again Like Before,Perfect. the soothing music,cars and tracks are all there....and Unbelievable,get comfortable playing it in REAL 1080p HD! if you have the component cords. also recommend this if you have surround sound or surround settings to maximize the Dolby Digital experience. there are some printer options but unfortunately its only for pictures of your car. the extra part is a REAL WORKING SIMULATED WHEEL! turns all the way around as you were in a real car. check it out.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

good game

posted by 768 (GLENDALE, AZ) Jun 14, 2011

Member since Jun 2011

thier are a lot of cars and real graphics but if you dont get the car you are good with it will be hard.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

first ever PS2 game I owned, and still a classic

posted by CchMcGuirk (CHICAGO, IL) Sep 28, 2010

Member since Sep 2010

Much as I am excited Gran Turismo 5 is about to come out for PS3, there still is so much stuff to do in this game that it's almost overwhelming. Some of the challenges push it(and are more excessive than I can pull off), but there's no question that this game is still great to this day. I got Gran Turismo 3 later on, and I felt as if this game spoiled me so much that I barely pick up GT3, as much as I do enjoy also playing it occasionally.

I think just about anyone can find at least one thing in this game they like, even if it's just the fun coffee breaks that are within each level of driving license tests(i.e. B License, International A License, etc.). Long live one of the best PS2 games ever!

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

maybe a bit too much

posted by Kore124 (EASTPOINT, FL) Oct 27, 2009

Member since Mar 2009

i personally enjoyed this game. but there were some things that i didnt like

the car selection is unrivaled by any other game on the system. and the graphics are amazing (to be almost 4 years old at this point). the game is very realistic feeling.

while the game has such a great lineup of cars i wonder if some were really necessary. i mean really. who needs a choice of like 10 different honda civics or 15 different subaru imprezas (4 of which happen to look exactly the same.)

the only other thing i didn't like were the endurance races. personally, Im not staying up for 24 hours to beat a race. that was a big part of the game. and i gave up.

i had this game for a month and only got 30% of the way in. it seems more of a game to buy rather than rent.

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GF Rating

3

Bad

"New" GT, Same Old Problems

posted by AnimeGamer (EUGENE, OR) Aug 11, 2009

Member since Apr 2006

Not only am I a racing game fanatic, I am also very much into cars but for some reason the Gran Turismo series has always managed to make me fall asleep everytime I play them. This most recent full iteration of the series (circa 2009) features all of the bells and whistles you would expect, and aside from all the massive hype surrounding it, I have some major questions for Sony`s flagship franchise: firstly why am I not allowed to repaint my cars? Why can`t I repaint used cars? This is ridiculous. In every other racing game I can choose my car in any flavor, and for a fee, paint it again just for fun. C`mon Polyphony, really? Still? Secondly, why does this game hate drifting so much? Just the slightest bit of wheelspin will create plumes of tire-smoke and slow you down to 30 Mph right away! Polyphony THIS IS NOT FUN! What if I actually want to drift my Mustang, just a little? Please? I hate not being able to modify the outer of my car, STILL! Only generic looking wings are open to you and THATS IT. What is the point of "rewarding" me with cars that I cannot even drive? After winning a space-age looking Toyota prototype I naturally tried to race it, only to be told "this is a special car and cannot be raced here". Here, there, or anywhere it seemed. I could look at the beast but not drive it? What was the reason I`m playing this game for?? Also, what`s happened to the little "i"nformation button beneath each car, so I could click and read about each and every model car in the game? This mini car encyclopedia was fun brain food for gearheads like me! Polyphony has also cut out alot of the fun and quirky Japanese-only cars from earlier games, and replaced them with 200 more Skyline`s and RX-7`s that all end up looking the same after a short while. Not to mention the same complaint heard worldwide- still no car damage. We had car damage in the first Forza on Xbox, just cut out some of those redundant Skyline`s to make room for damage models Sony! Enjoy Ridge Racer more.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

easier than you think

posted by cooool (SEVERN, MD) Jul 23, 2009

Member since Mar 2008

this is a awesome game and it can be easy.heres a few hints to make this review helpful.

use b-spec mode in endurance races whitch is like auto pilot mode and you dont drive.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
go to special race mode,do the second one down and sell the prize car for $350,000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
beat the touring car champion ship in the european section and sell
that prize car for about $750,000.

thank you.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Auesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted by kinggames9 (ASHBURN, VA) May 25, 2009

Member since Apr 2008

I Have had this game for about 2 1/2 years and I LOVE it. It is my favorite game on the PS2! Rent this if you like racing games.

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

horrible!!!!!!!

posted by ballboy45 (CUMMING, GA) Jan 28, 2009

Member since Dec 2008

theres is not alot of stuff to do and it got really boring

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

One of the best!

posted by DarthStank (DES MOINES, IA) Jun 19, 2008

Member since Jun 2008

I really love this game but I have to say I would have given up on it early on except for two things - I own a steering wheel & I bought a memory card off eBay that had a save file with everything unlocked. It is truly a simulator, it is not easy to play - especially at first. I could never control the car at all with a standard controller, but the steering wheel helps a lot. Equiping your car with "Super Sticky" tires helps too if you are on the right kind of track. And I could tell early on that it would take a very long time to unlock all the best qualities of the game so buying the memory save was 100% worth it. The graphics are beautiful! While it is cool that it had so many cars, many of them are pretty average little cars that you probably wouldn't want to race in anyway. Your car never sustains any damage but the focus of this game is racing not crashing up cars so I don't think it really hurts the game. I wish you could race more than 50 laps in a race in Arcade Mode but there are some long endurance races in career mode (once you have them unlocked). Worth buying.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Gran Turismo

posted by videogame2 (CHINO, CA) Apr 30, 2008

Member since Mar 2008

Gran Turismo is the best racing game ever!!!you actually feel like your driving.And it has the best cars choose from: Ford,Nissan,Toyota,BMW,Ch- rysler,and more!!!Rent this game!!!!you'll love it!

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

750 cars, 750 times the awsomeness!

posted by david08 (BOERNE, TX) Mar 13, 2008

Member since Oct 2007

this game is way better than grand turismo 3! the game has cars made in 1900, to today's hottest concepts. i love it! it has OVER 750 cars from 20 horsepower, to 1000 horsepower!

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

grand not gran

posted by chris95 (CINCINNATI, OH) Feb 6, 2008

Member since Jan 2008

this game is #1. it has the best graphics out of any raceing game i have played. rent it or by it.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Better, But Many of the Same GT Frustrations

posted by andrewka (ROCKVILLE, MD) Jan 22, 2008

Member since Nov 2007

there is such an obscene amount of things to do in this game it's really obnoxious. this game, for example, has several 24 hour races for you to do. there is a mode where you can make this faster, but even doing that can take several hours and a good chunk of your day. sometimes i wonder what the folks at polyphony digital are thinking. i think there is a lot of content just for contents sake in this game.

everything on this game is enhanced and better in GT4, and there are so many cars and so many tracks that it makes you really satisfied. the fact that they have the nurburgring on it is a nice touch. and the fact that you can drive an everyday car, or even your own car on it, is outstanding.

it is all very synthetic though. the game is just too nice and polished. you don't get that raw, visceral feeling with other racing games. this game claims to be a driving simulator yet there is no damage modeling to speak of, tires are much more grippy than in real life, and the AI is so unbelievably robotic the AI cars you race against don't even realize you're there.

i love the fact that there are so many cars in the lineup, but there is not enough incentive to ever drive many of the cars. and one major frustration of the game is that you spend a certain amount of money to upgrade your car and you only end up racing it once to win prize money that is only a fraction the money spent for the car and the necessary upgrades. it's hit or miss whether or not you get a prize car worth keeping or selling, but many of the times it ends up being a car similar to the one you bought to complete the race, if not the exact one itself. in other words, they are often useless in helping you complete the game (unless you sell it).

I don't know if it's just me, but I can't get the game to save my sort settings, and while the 1080i output is a nice touch, it doesn't save that information when I start up the game.

Acceptable, for now...

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

<3333333

posted by kingcobra (MOORPARK, CA) Nov 24, 2007

Member since Nov 2007

Where do I begin? Gran tusismo 3 was the reason I bought my PS2, and this game solidified my choice. I recently bought an Xbox 360 and I will still hold this game above Forza 2. Stunning detail, amazing physics, and photorealistic reflections. Buy it, build up some credits, and you will understand what I mean. This game melts my heart.

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GF Rating

7

Good

Slick

posted by Demonic4ce (LANCASTER, CA) Jul 22, 2007

Member since Jan 2007

Those of you who love racing games will very much enjoy Gran Turismo 4, since it is realistic. The slick features of the cars and sounds of engines shifting gears and zooming down the street will leave you racing all day. Unless you feel like spending a vast amount of time playing the game and perfecting your driving skills, you won't really be able to complete 100% of the game. Gran Turismo is realistic and challenging, with hundreds of cars and real race tracks such as the laguna seca, and original tracks as well that you can race on with a friend or more than one person on a lan race. If there was one thing i'd like to change about this game though to make it more realistic, i would probably change what happens when you crash, maybe we could have a little dents now and then???

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GF Rating

7

Good

Ehhh it's ok...

posted by marcus12 (CANTON, IL) Mar 12, 2007

Member since Dec 2006

This game is not as much for hard core racers then people that just wanna have a smooth ride with a wide varity of beautiful cars. As I said I would recomend this game NOT for hard core gamers. But if you would like to try it it's your money. But for the smooth people its a great long fun game! Enjoy!

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

sweet game

posted by funfunfun (Richland, WA) Feb 1, 2007

Member since Dec 2006

game has excellent graphics responses every thing the cars are very good to. there are 650 cars total. ranging from world renown cars to cars you never new exited.

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Gran Turismo 4: The Real Driving Simulator for PlayStation 2 Reviews by Gamers

GF Rating

Number of Players

ESRB

Buy