Gran Turismo 7: how Polyphony handles the power of PS5 - technical analysis

Gran Turismo 7

Ultimately, Gran Turismo is truly back. Leaving behind the interesting but ultimately flawed GT Sport, the new chapter in the Polyphony Digital series marks perhaps the most complete Gran Turismo experience since the days of PlayStation 2. At the center of the scene is a vast single component. player, reminiscent of the old days. Gran Turismo 7 is true to its roots, but at the same time it feels fresh and gives us the first taste of what this developer can achieve by leveraging the hardware of the PlayStation 5. We are still at the dawn of the new generation, so we asked ourselves: How far has Polyphony managed to go beyond what GT Sport showed on PlayStation 4 Pro?

Undoubtedly, Gran Turismo as a complete package has reached its zenith in the PlayStation 2 generation. With the move to HD on PS3, we felt that Polyphony Digital had some difficulty in transitioning the series to this new era, and while the games that followed were all of a good standard, the typical purity and joy of the originals was lost. On a technological basis, some argue that the studio pushed too hard, quickly reaching the limits of the PS3 hardware. The near-flawless performance of the PS2 wasn't quite as solid on the PS3, while the menu systems were complex and cumbersome.

Polyphony has reorganized and pushed hard on PlayStation 4, rebuilding its technology and focusing on perfecting the actual driving, multiplayer and graphics, but this has come at a cost: the traditional experience of Gran Turismo has been reduced. With Gran Turismo 7, however, one gets the sense that everything has finally coagulated into what feels like a perfect blend of Sport's outstanding driving model and the content and sense of progression that the series was once famous for.

---

Gran Turismo 7: Tips and tricks to get you started

Gran Turismo 7 is finally here for PS4 and PS5, and it’s not messing around. Polyphony Digital has set up a realistic driving model that may scare you at first, especially if you thought this would be a driving game where you can relax behind the wheel. Forza Horizon this isn’t.

Whether you have trouble with the driving model in Gran Turismo 7 or want to make your experience as enjoyable as possible, we are here to give you tips and tricks with everything you should know before starting to play. Fasten your seat belts and pop on a helmet, we’re going straight to top gear.

As you start playing, Gran Turismo 7 only offers you one single visual aid to learn the tracks, that is a marker at the point where you should “land” with your car at the beginning and at the end of a turn. By tweaking the settings, however, you will also find other settings that will help you in learning the tracks – specifically, their braking points, as you can see in the screenshot above.

It’s important you turn on these aids at first since they won’t even reduce the amount of credits you receive at the end of a race.

GT7 has three difficulty levels. Now, we don’t usually push hard modes but, in this case, we’ll have to make an exception: the higher difficulty is the best way to enjoy the game. At this difficulty level, you will see more confident opponents, resisting your overtaking efforts and counter-overtaking you at any given chance.

By doing so, you’ll earn some of the most exciting head-to-head racing in recent years.

At least in your first playthrough, it doesn’t really matter to win GT Café events – up to the third place, it’ll be fine, as you’ll still take home the reward car you had been promised. But there’s something more: by driving clean, without hitting your opponents on the track or starting to cut recklessly at any turn, you’ll have much more fun and even more chances to get closer to the head of the race. Also, note that the last lap or two will see the cars in the front slowing down, in order to give you a chance to win the race, or at least to try. 

Polyphony Digital wants you to play following a proper driving etiquette, both offline and online, and it’s satisfying to play as the developer intended.

Once you are at the Tuning Shop, the strongest temptation will always be to dramatically increase the speed of your car – we’ve all been there. However, keep in mind that your car will become more and more tough to handle as you increase the PP meter. In GT7, it’s very important that you keep an eye on the “ratio” between the speed a car can reach and the speed that a car can afford without becoming unhandleable – once you go through it, you will often struggle even to steer in the tighter turns.

When we talk about Gran Turismo 7 as a more traditional iteration, we’re not joking at all. In fact, the used cars dealer is back on the market, and players can buy cars at discounted prices here compared to Brand Central. But it’s not just about saving money: the dealership also includes some very rare vehicles, which you will only be able to access in this way.

So check your used cars every day, as the shop owner will update the list of available vehicles on a regular basis and you might miss your dream gem if you forget to do so.

Speaking of returns again, GT7 reintroduces driving licenses, rewarding you with fun challenges and access to new tournaments as you complete them. The first thing you will need to do, both to get a grasp of the driving model and make some progress in your campaign, is ticking off the driving licenses at least up to National A.

This is because National A is the maximum license you’ll need to complete the GT Café events. Licenses are very fast and will take you just a few minutes, so our suggestion is playing them right away, completing the GT Café tasks, and then getting back to them once you’re done with the rest of the game.

Tuning cars is a real pleasure. As you purchase and install new parts, you’ll be able to see the PP counter go up and up and up… and this might make you forget about the credits disappearing from your wallets. Keep in mind two factors while at the Tuning Shop: credits you have in your wallet, of course, and the car you are trying to pimp.

Make sure that car is of primary importance to you, that you particularly like it or it’s necessary to access an event. Above all, though, ensure you’re going to use it for more than one race, in order to recover the money you invested.

In all likelihood, once you start GT Café you’ll end up playing only the events and challenges provided by this mode. However, it’s good to note that Missions are the most varied events, with challenges including drifting and cones to knock down, and offer very rare cars that you might not otherwise have (or would prove very costly).

Make sure you play them from time to time. If you’re not able to hold back at the Tuning Shop, Missions will also help you to put together some extra cash.

Written by Paolo Sirio on behalf of GLHF.