PLAYING Gran Turismo 5 Prologue should not be a new experience, especially if you've downloaded the Gran Turismo HD Concept preview from the PlayStation Network store, as it introduced a new, high definition look for racing games.
cheatsheet - Chinese yes, stunts no
THE version sold online and in stores comes only with Mandarin dialogue. The American version will be released in April.
Game play is identical, although impatient non-Chinese speaking gamers might want to learn a few words, such as Yes, No and Begin, to kick start their Prologue journey.
This is not an arcade game. Individual stunts like ricocheting off walls won't work easily here. The best way to win is to train on the race tracks with the appropriate vehicles.
Reassign the controller buttons. The default buttons did not work for me.
Superbly detailed in its modelling of real-life cars ranging from Toyota and Mitsubishi, highlights for Prologue include all the Ferrari vehicles since the franchise started in 1997, as well as several driving wheel peripherals from Logitech, thereby upping the skills needed to master this game.
Choose from 37 cars to race across 10 circuits and experience the realistic physics that fans have grown to love. Prologue is a cross between the intense Forza 2 and the arcade-styled Need For Speed series.
Game play wise, it does not differ greatly with that of previous incarnations but this time, there is also an online element to woo players.
There are now 12 online maps to play, ranging from track races to time trials. Like the game itself, each event has its own limitations, from inability to enter a course as you don't own a car of that series, to time penalties if you take a shortcut.
One thing you really need before starting is patience. Loading times for online races take very long and it can be frustrating when you wait, only to discover that since there are not enough racers, the event is cancelled and you have to start over again.
Depending on the connection speed for the 16 racers in each map, it is possible to see some stragglers popping in and out of the track, as the game tries to determine their position. This makes online racing very different from solo play, as you may try to avoid a car only to find it has swerved away without you knowing in the next, delayed, instant.
Despite its less than stellar online presence, Prologue's selling point is its fun and affordable delivery, which should satisfy the speed demons in us all.
» Rating: 8/10
» $59.99 via PlayStation Network or $66 (Disc)
» Racing
» PlayStation 3
By Sherwin Loh, a freelance writer
This story was first published in Digital Life, The Straits Times on Feb 26, 2008.
