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5 reasons why you need Gran Turismo Sport
One of the most exciting racing games of the year is here – this is why you should be playing it.
Gran Turismo Sport is finally here and it's been worth waiting for. Four years after the release of Gran Turismo 6, the seventh instalment of the realistic racing series brings more detail, more cars and an all-new Sports Mode that will make online races more competitive than ever before.
Here are five great reasons why you should get your hands on it right away and gain a headstart on your rivals.
1. Sports Mode results in more competitive races
Online races should be closer than ever
© Sony/Polyphony Digital
Polyphony Digital have introduced a new Sport mode to replace A-Spec. In Sport mode, drivers of a similar skill level compete against each other online, a new Advanced Matchmaking System ensuring a more even playing field than before.
Driver Class represents your overall speed and performances when competing in a race, while Sportsmanship Points are awarded to keep track of your behaviour during a race and your on-track manners. So, if you drive aggressively, you will be matched with other drivers who have a similar driving style.
Driver Class ratings are calculated on how well you do in qualifying, your race performance and the average rating of your fellow competitors. Driving off track, hitting the wall and crashing into other cars will decrease your rating and you’ll lose Sportsmanship Points, whereas competing in a long race on a tricky racetrack in a hard-to-handle car will increase your rating.
The new mode creates a level playing field for players in what is set to be a big year for competitive racing games.
2. It looks and feels more realistic
You can create some amazing photos in Scapes mode
© Sony/Polyphony
The handling model for GT Sport feels very familiar if you’ve played previous incarnations of Gran Turismo. When driving the GT4s in particular, the sheer amount of grip you get from the cars means that you can really attack the corners when racing.
However, it’s not just the car handling which demonstrates the realism within the game. The new photo mode, known as Scapes, enables you to create some jaw-dropping photos of your cars. The feature gives you the ability to place a car in a variety of settings in which you can mess with the light angles to create different shadows, and even fiddle with the shutter speed of the camera to create that perfect shot. It’s extremely hard to tell whether some of the photos taken are real or fake!
3. The visuals are incredible
The level of detail in the interiors is amazing
© Sony/Polyphony Digital
Dubbed “The Real Driving Simulator,” Gran Turismo has always been a game that boasts impeccable detail on both the cars and the tracks.
Here, the tracks have all been scanned with pinpoint accuracy to give players the best visual experience when playing. Everything from the writing on the Nordschleife to the curvature of the bodywork on the cars makes the game look so close to the real thing.
The amount of detail in each of the 140 cars in the game is second-to-none. They all have near-flawless interiors, giving players that feeling that they’re actually sitting inside the car.
The game’s VR compatibility also adds a new level of detail which players wouldn’t have been able to see in previous editions of the game. Little things like the stitching in the seats to the shape of the speedometer all add up to make one of the best-looking games out there.
4. You can drive some incredible cars
There are some great cars in GT Sport
© Sony/Polyphony Digital
GT Sport doesn't have as many cars as some of its rivals, but the range of vehicles is impressive. The 140 cars from a plethora of manufacturers cover anything from small city cars to prototype beasts that take on the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The cars are divided into Group N, which consist of your everyday road cars, all the way up to Group X, which contains innovative concept cars from some of the most iconic car manufacturers in the world.
GT Sport gives you the opportunity to drive some of the most incredible cars from the comfort of your home. Cars in the Vision GT section are vehicles that only exist in the game and haven’t even hit the production lines.
5. You could be the next champion
GT Sport is a game for winners
© Sony
There has been a huge emphasis on Sport Mode and how it creates a fair environment for competitive racing. There will be two championships in the game which have been sanctioned by motorsport’s governing body, the FIA. We’ve already seen the F1 Esports Series become successful in just a few months and racing as an esport is expected to grow with GT Sport.
With these championships and the new Sport Mode, we're looking forward to seeing how Gran Turismo can grow as an esport, but that's for the future. Right now, it's simply one of the best games in the racing series – a must-buy for any motorsport fan.
