Gran Turismo 4: Prologue

This could easily be seen as an amoral cash-in on fans' expectations. Is it worth taking for a spin?

	Version PS2	Developer Polyphony Digital	Publisher SCEE	Genre Driving

By Alex Wollenschlaeger

The release of Kazunori Yamauchi's Gran Turismo for PlayStation in 1997 was a landmark event. In an instant, driving games were much better - and flat-footed developers the world over would spend the next seven years playing catch-up. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec for PlayStation 2 brought the series into the next generation, but many were disappointed by the disappearance of several franchise mainstays, most notably the extensive array of cars available. News of Gran Turismo 4's return to the series' roots allayed those fears though, leaving racing fans to salivate for 3 long years in anticipation.

To say that this is an audience primed to be impressed would be an understatement, so it wasn't surprising when Sony decided to release an appetizer in the form of Gran Turismo 4: Prologue. Already released in Japan in late 2003, the game is finally seeing a European release, while the fate of a possible North American version is still unlikely. GT4 Prologue certainly helps fill the gap before the game's release, but it should be seen as nothing more than a portent of things to come.

"School mode" forms the heart of GT4 Prologue, which will either be good or bad depending on how you felt about earning licenses in earlier GTs. Familiar acceleration, braking and cornering challenges are accompanied by chase sequences and several rally mode tutorials. Each test is introduced (by a woman who sounds astoundingly like Vicky Butler-Henderson of TV channel Five's Fifth Gear show) through an in-game engine rendered cut scene, after which you're thrown straight into the mix. There are 41 tests in total--and five "Coffee breaks" involving cones--that range considerably in difficulty. Getting all golds will keep gear-heads happy for quite a while, but the rest of us content with silvers and bronzes shouldn't face too much trouble in reaching the closing cinema sequence. Besting each of the challenges nets you a new car, meaning that your garage swells at an exciting pace.

Once you've earned your stable in the School mode, all that's left is to take them out for a run in the remaining Arcade mode. You can race on any of the five tracks with your choice of car. You'll be pitted against up to five computer-controlled opponents driving the same type of vehicle as you. There's no multiplayer mode, so you'll have to take on these clustered ranks if you want any sort of competition. But the AI is so poor--even on Pro, which is anything but--that there's not much to be found. The real thrill is trying to better your own lap records.

Since there has never been damage modeling in the series, one popular driving strategy has been to use cars, railings, etc., as guiding barriers round tight bends. No more. For GT4 Prologue, Polyphony has brought in a 10-second penalty for those times when you try to take advantage of the system--through you can avoid tight corners completely if there's a suitable short cut. For the most part the penalities are awarded fairly, but there are occasions where you'll be cursing the TV as you see your opponents ease away from you.

The cars handle similarly to earlier instalments and there's a good sense of weight to them, a feature lacking in the majority of racing titles. Things are not perfect yet, though. Handling of some cars begs for better consistency and more attention, like the rally cars that sweep across the gravely courses in broad strokes.

Spec-wise, GTPrologue might not compare to the full version, but there's still a fair bit on offer. Fifty cars can be unlocked (there will be over 500 in the final game), ranging from the low-end Micra and bestickered Impreza rally car to the beastly McLaren F1. Vehicle models are impeccable as always, each nuance caught by the loving attention lavished upon them by the dedicated developers. Each car comes replete with realistic engine sounds that serve as more than just an auditory add-on. After a few laps with each car you'll be able to drive by ear, forgoing the need for an onscreen rev meter.

All this automotive adoration demands good locations, but the five tracks are of varying quality. New York is the highlight, with exquisitely detailed recreation (you can even see the various billboards around Time Square) of the screaming straights and demanding 90° corners. There is still some pop-up evident in several of the levels. It's not to the point of distraction, but it is there. The Grand Canyon rally stage and snaking city streets of Citta di Aria are excellently designed, but the three exciting courses only make the traditional tracks--both located in Japan--seem boring.

The best compliment that can be paid to Gran Turismo 4: Prologue is that it succeeds in its design goal: playing this game eases you back into the Gran Turismo world for what is almost certainly destined to be a gargantuan hit. There's not nearly as much depth as you would want, but then that's what the full game is for. And when this teaser comes in at a bargain price there can't be too many complaints.