In the game’s “A-Spec” mode, players play as a professional racer by earning licenses and racing their way up the ranks in tracks throughout the world. Each track has its own starting position (also the ending position), and the only way to reach your goal (winning) is to race through the entire track. In “B-Spec” mode, players take on the role of a team director and must turn their racers (AI) into a world class racing champion. B-spec mode is all about strategy, as players must do the right thing and change their strategies accordingly during races. It’s all about observing and strategy rather than getting behind the wheel.
In a typical round in A-spec mode, it is very similar to an actual race. Players start either already running or at rest and race a predetermined number of laps around the track. The player usually starts in the middle and decisions that the player has to make include whether or not to follow the “guide” lines that help “newbie’s” as well as when to overtake another racer. Most tracks have only 1 road, so it is impossible for the player to take any shortcuts or drive off the track. In races that have the track splitting up, one is blocked up to prevent the player from going the wrong way. The only other possibility is for the player to be going backwards, in which there will be a do not enter sign that continuously flashes.
In a typical round in B-spec mode, the player watches the entire race. The main decision that the player must make throughout is what the driver should do. Available commands include pace up, pace down, maintain pace, and overtake. Players must make the proper decisions and plan their strategies accordingly in order to lead the team to victory. In this mode, in addition to showing information about the car (speed/tire condition etc.), it also shows information about the driver (strength/mental strength).
These are some of the information types in the game:
Money: Called ‘credit’ in the game; it is used to purchase cars and services. Services in the game range from almost “pointless” (50 Cr. Car washes) to racing modifications.
Vehicles: Kept in the garage; represents cars that the player owns in the game. Some of them are available for purchase from dealerships (new/used/online) while some are delivered to the player as a reward for winning a certain race or completing a certain event. Once purchased or won, the player is free to use the car in career mode for any race (provided it meets race requirements).
Licenses: Designed to test players on their driving abilities (similar to getting a real drivers license). There are ‘tests’ that the player must complete in order to get the license. Licenses are required in order to participate in certain events and to buy certain cars. The licenses in order (from lowest to highest) are: B, A, IC, IB, IA, and S. Each license has 3 subtypes which are bronze, silver, and gold.
Trophies: Given out for achieving something ‘significant’ in the game. Used mostly for “showing off” to friends / other gamers and does not give the player any special advantages in the game. There are some hidden trophies in the game for players to “find unexpectedly”. For example, there is a trophy awarded for damaging a car to the point where a part falls off.
Looking at the GUI of the game, the menus have been designed to be simple and elegant. Each item usually has its own “block” / icon along with some text telling the player what that option does. In some cases, options are grouped together so they are easy to find/access. For example, in career mode, actions that require the user to be online and signed into the PlayStation Network are put in one column while offline is placed beside it. The in game HUD has also been designed so that it feels similar to other racing games / maintains the HUD placements in previous GT games. (Example: Speedometer is near the bottom, lap and map info is at the top left, time is in the middle, etc.)
The main input device is the PS3 controller. Again, the controls have been mapped to maintain that traditional GT feel and the mappings are usually used in most other similar racing games (x to accelerate, square to brake, D-pad or analog stick to steer, etc.). The mapping works well since anyone who has played a racing game will be able to easily figure out the controls without having to go through the instructions. In the game’s B-spec mode, the only controls involved are using the d-pad to select action and x to confirm. Again, this works well since it is exactly the same as how the player would select items in other menus. A second option the player has is to use a steering wheel as the input device. The biggest difference here would be allowing the player to steer the car rather than use the d-pad/analog stick to steer. Also, depending on model, it may also come with pedals, which would then completely replace the traditional controller and provide the player with a more life like driving experience.
In terms of audio / sound, the game has done a great job since there are a variety of music styles. When in the menus, the jazz music fits in with the simplicity/elegance theme. When racing, a rock song usually plays and is intended to get the player moving. Car sounds / sound effects are similar to ones in real life in order to maintain the high level of realism. Cars sound almost the same as they do in real life and crashes (depending on with what object/speed/etc.) will sound incredibly real. Overall, it contributes to the whole realistic experience of the game.
Some of the special features included that make the game more enjoyable include: online multiplayer, course maker for making custom tracks, ability to drive/upgrade NASCAR, rally, kart, and drift vehicles, 3D compatibility, and use of PlayStation Eye for head movement tracking. These features help push the game that extra mile and set some high standards for future racing games.
Compared to a similar game such as PGR4, GT5 is more realistic but at one point it does have a repetitive feeling for the average gamer. PGR4 on the other hand seems to be more “fun” and is targeted more towards the average gamer rather than car enthusiasts. The different weather effects in the game do have a certain level of realism and awarding ‘kudos’ for stylish driving provides a bit of a spin compared to the “traditional” way of rewarding money for winning races all the time. GT5 seems to geared towards car enthusiasts / diehard fans of the series while PGR4 seems to target the previously mentioned group as well as more casual gamers.
The high degree of realism was the most essential part of the game. From the first GT game up until GT5, the game’s high degree of realism has traditionally been what separated GT from other racing titles.
Non-essential features that could be left out without sacrificing game play include:
PlayStation Eye: The head tracking feature only works in career mode with interior view and its only purpose is to allow the player to move their head to the side and get a view of the side windows.
Karts: Although to drive around and makes the game a bit more enjoyable, it would’ve been nice if Polyphony Digital left it out and instead added a few more cars.
One non-essential feature that should still be kept in the game is the 3D compatibility. Although it’s making use of the most recent technology, playing the game in 3D does not make the game any better or worse. 3D TV’s are still new in today’s market and not many people are willing to buy one since there isn’t as a wide variety of 3D content available.
One feature that should definitely be improved on is the damage done to cars during crashes. Although likely to be computationally expensive and drag down the whole gaming experience, it is the one feature that seems to be “missing” from the series. GT2 featured a damage system although it was not visual. GT5 features visual damages as well as physical and the downside to this is that the car must sustain quite a bit of damage before the player can see some real damage.
The instructions manual provided with the game contains all the standard information that gives the player warnings/basics on the PS3 and the controller. It also explains the controls and provides a brief description of each mode available in the game (A-spec, B-spec, license, photo, etc.). There is a small learning curve and the documentation is there to help new players quickly get up to speed since a lot of the modes/features/controls can easily be figured out in game.
AI racers in the game are a bit of a surprise. They are “smarter” since they will make mistakes, race each other, react accordingly to the player or any crashes. They are at the appropriate difficulty levels since each level will provide players with the right amount of challenge. For example, in easy difficulty they are easier to overtake and aren’t as aggressive while in hard difficulty the player will have a hard time overtaking a majority of the racers while having to deal with the aggressiveness of some racers that may be behind the player.
There are no “new” rules as this is a racing game. Cars behave as they would in the real world; meaning the player won’t be able to fly or drive at some super crazy impossible to reach speed. Starting position is determined by the game, with all rules of a race applying (first past the finish line wins, second and third also get silver and bronze trophies, everyone else after that looses).
Looking at the culture of the game, it features cars from around the world. Although a lot of car manufacturers are featured in the game, not all of the cars manufactured are available. Also, the game also features tracks from around the world.
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