Gran Turismo 4 Set for March

Oft-delayed racer to hit soon - with extra cars.

If walking out to your single-car garage in the mornings is enough to bring you to tears, you'll be glad to hear that Sony's Gran Turismo 4 is finally, after months of delays, on its way.

The latest instalment in the popular driving simulation series, which this time features over 700 cars and 52 tracks, will arrive in Europe in the beginning of March. As a bonus, the European version of the game will include 10 extra cars - ranging from a modified Volkswagen Golf IV to the Le Mans-edition Peugeot 905.

According to Kazunori Yamauchi, project leader at developer Polyphony Digital, the game is "more than a sequel but, in fact, a redefinition of what a video game can be".

Aside from the obvious upgrades to the regular portions of the game, the real improvements come in the forms of new modes that allow you to step back from the racing. Foremost among these are B-Spec and Photo Modes.

The former mode puts you as a team boss, directing how computer-controlled cars drive in races. And apart from attending to team strategy, you also control the in-game cameras, coaxing the best footage out of races run in real-time or faster. It's what Yamauchi calls "the Gran Turismo you can enjoy while drinking a cup of coffee".

Photo Mode, as the name suggests, allows you to photograph the finely recreated cars in 15 exotic locales around the world. In a wonderful piece of game-meets-reality these pictures - taken with a high-spec virtual camera - can then be saved and printed out.

Gran Turismo 4 for PlayStation 2 will be in stores across Europe on 9 March.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games