September 5, 2007 - Gran Turismo is a staple of the automotive genre of video gaming. Since its very first entry nearly ten years ago, the Gran Turismo franchise has been appreciated for its depth of gameplay and its uniquely engaging driving experience. And with its fifth entry fast approaching its 2008 release, Gran Turismo 5 shows no signs of slowing the franchise down. In fact, this entry looks to turn up the heat on the franchise considerably.

Knowing the history of the Gran Turismo franchise, one learns to expect certain things. Like cars. Lots and lots of cars. And Gran Turismo 5 does not disappoint in this arena. Setting the bar incredibly high at a whopping 700 different models, there's bound to be a car for everyone in this game. And it's not just vintage and modern cars either, Gran Turismo 5 has cars from the forgotten decades of the 1980s and 1990s as well as all the old and new favorites. And in the mix with all these cars, there's a Gran Turismo first-Gran Turismo 5 will be the first in its series to feature Ferraris.

Another first for the Gran Turismo series this time around will be its foray into the world of online play. It seems with the advent of the next-gen experience, online play looks to be more of a requirement then a feature. And Gran Turismo takes its new foray into the online world and runs with it. Online play will support up to 12 people and will include full voice chat capabilities as well as integration with Sony's Home service.

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One new feature of Gran Turismo 5 that has many people very excited is the new in-car viewpoints. And it won't just be a windshield view either. You'll be able to see the steering wheel, rearview mirror, and side mirror. And your mirrors will be fully adjustable, so the experience will definitely give players that realistic racing feel.

And even though all these new features add up to a pretty loaded new Gran Turismo experience, there's one thing that's been consistent with each new entry in the Gran Turismo series: amazing graphics. Ever since its first entry all those years ago, the Gran Turismo series had been associated with some of the very best graphical content for their respective time periods. And Gran Turismo 5 more than outperforms in this arena. One of the few games to join the elite ranks of 1080p HD presentation, Gran Turismo 5 looks amazingly smooth and sleek. Cars are incredibly detailed, and tracks shine with the type of meticulous graphics you knew the PlayStation 3 was capable of.

Another feature that is receiving an upgrade is the control scheme. There will be two distinct ways to control the game: normal and professional. As you may have guessed, normal mode is for the casual automotive gamer, and professional is for those who crave more intricate controls. The professional mode also takes into account many additional factors beyond control including environmental conditions and vehicular physics.

And for those of you who just can't wait to see some of these new features in action, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will be available for download from the PlayStation Network sometime this fall. In addition, to the downloadable version, there will also be a Blu-Ray version shipped to stores. The Blu-Ray version will have a few extra features, but will also have a higher pricetag.

Gran Turismo 5 looks like yet another awesome entry in a series known for its continual surpassing of its own standards. With a great look and excellent new features, it's all but assured that Gran Turismo 5 will be the vehicular game to get when it releases early next year, exclusively for the PlayStation 3!

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Freelance Writer

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