Simulation games are often niche titles at best with very few of them reaching critical success on a massive scale. Think titles like Microsoft’s Flight Simulator or the Farming Simulator line of games. And don’t get us started on the maddeningly expensive train sim games out there.
Like we said, it’s a niche area and it is rare that titles made with extreme attention to detail and simulation make it into the mainstream of gaming…that is, unless you’re Gran Turismo. Back when Sony’s PlayStation was wowing the world with its graphics and utter dominance of the industry, the company didn’t rest on its laurels and, instead, sought to make a name for itself as a top-tier game studio on the same level as Nintendo and Sega.
Setting out to make the definitive racing title, Sony eschewed the traditional arcade-style format and even bypassed the somewhat RPG-inspired incremental improvement model used by titles like Need for Speed. Instead, Sony chose to go hard in the simulation area and their efforts paid off in a game that is heavy on the sim elements but still feels like an arcade game. In other words, it is accessible and addictive as well as compelling but it is not a quick pick-up-and-play title. Gran Turismo draws you into its world and holds you there, placing you into a purgatory of tweaking specs and shaving milliseconds off of your lap time.
The race doesn’t end at the finish line – it’s just the beginning. For many console gamers – especially fans of racing titles – there had never been a title with this much depth and content to it. And did we mention it was beautiful as well?
Developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Gran Turismo featured graphics that really pushed the PSX’s hardware. It was
