I'm going to list 5 things that I enjoyed about the game, and 5 things that could have been improved on.
Ok, so let's start with 5 things that I was pleased about.
1. The number of cars in races was increased. It was about time that the 6-car race became extinct. From Gran Turismo to Gran Turismo 4, all we knew was races that consist of 6 cars. Now, finally we get to participate in 10 and even 12 car races. Much improved.
2. Desired car brand licensing. Again, Yamauchi listened to the fans and gave us numerous new companies including Ferrari and Bugatti. Though it's disappointing to see that RUF still replaces Porsche.
3. Graphics. If it's one thing that Gran Turismo 5 succeeds at, it's graphics. The game looks great.
4. Types of races. It's good to see more types of races being acknowledged, rather than just a standard lap race. There are challenges where the player has to overtake all the other cars in 1 lap, and also time trial challenges.
5. The tracks. It's great to see tracks like Monza and the Nurburgring being added. Most players will never drive those tracks in real life, so it's nice to get as close to that as possible. Although some tracks that players have been asking for, for a long time; still haven't returned. *cough*RedRockValley*Cough*
5 things that could have been improved.
1. B-Spec Mode. It was introduced in Gran Turismo 4 as a way of giving the player a break during Endurance races, whereby the computer would drive for you. In Gran Turismo 5, A-Spec mode (where the player drives) and B-Spec mode are entirely seperate. B-Spec mode becomes its own entity, quite like a Football Manager game; instead the player's role is more like a team boss. The problem this causes is that the player can no longer use B-Spec in A-Spec mode endurances races. Can you imagine completing the 24 Hour Endurance race without it? Yes you can take breaks but, any way you look at it; you've got to complete those 24 hours all by yourself.
2. Damage. I mentioned how good the graphics are, but the same can't be said for the new addition of damage. It's hard to shift one pixel, let alone cause any major damage. Newton stated that 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction', well not on Gran Turismo 5... No matter the force of the shunt, the damage received does not represent the severity of the accident.
3. Racing series. Nascar is a disappointment - especially at Daytona. Formula 1 is a disappointment as the only licensed F1 team is Ferrari. The rest of the field is made up of stock Formula Gran Turismos.
4. Too many laps! On Gran Turismo, the longest race was 60 laps of Grand Valley. Now we have races that last 24 hours... I get bored before it's anywhere near finished.
5. The A.I. This is the cherry on the shit sundae. The A.I. simply isn't good enough. The biggest challenges on the game are probably time trials. I want a challenging race, with good A.I., like on Gran Turismo 1. This is what happens in an average race in GT5. The player overtakes the other cars on the first lap... and stays there for the rest of the race.
(Extra) 6. Prize cars and cars at the dealership should be kept seperate! Remember what the prize car was on GT2, for getting all Gold on Special License? The '99 Toyota GT-One TS020. That was the only way to unlock that car. I remember spending hours working on my times, just to try and get it. Finally, I was able to reap the rewards and drive that car. Now, either the license prize cars can often be won or bought elsewhere; or they're not worth winning at all. On GT4, one of the prize cars was the Ford Model-T. Just simply not worth the effort... Also, many times; a prize car won on a lengthy championship or race can be bought or won elsewhere. It's soul destroying when you've just completed a championship that's taken a fair amount of time; and winning a car that you've already bought.
