Let's Play: Gran Turismo 4: Prologue

By Darren Waters

The Gran Turismo series of racing games is quite simply one of the most important developments in video game history.

The first title on the PlayStation One re-defined the racing genre and set new standards in realism for computer games.

The ambitions for the fourth in the series are huge - with creator Kazunori Yamauchi publicly stating GT4 is the first step towards a genuine "world simulator".

GRAN TURISMO 4: PROLOGUE Format: PS2 Price: £19.99 Publisher: Sony Genre: Driving simulation

Cars, tracks, physics, environments, handling, sound, speed - all are being developed to within a percentile difference from reality.

It's no wonder that the release of the game has now been put back to November 2004.

So what is Prologue? It is simply a demo of the full game - a sort of, foretaste of what is to come.

As such, it is only really for the dedicated GT fans.

The games offers a limited number of cars on a limited number of tracks.

But what a foretaste: GT4 as a demo is better than almost all other racing games in terms of visuals and handling.

The New York and Grand Canyon tracks are so richly detailed it is hard to believe they are being produced by PlayStation 2 - the old man of the next generation consoles.

There are two modes - arcade and school - which offer either free-form driving or a series of mini challenges.

In school mode, which is the real core of the game, there are 40 different challenges, ranging from simple things like braking distances to drifting around dirt-track hairpin bends.

VERDICT Graphics: 95% Playability: 80% Sound: 80% Lastability: 60% Overall: 90%

It's exacting, demanding stuff that will probably frustrate many gamers. But for those who have force feedback steering wheels at home it will be the most exciting development in video games for two years.

The hardcore petrol head will complete the game quickly while the casual gamer will probably be bewildered by the level of difficulty of getting cars around even bends.

As such, Prologue may be a slight disappointment for fans of the series and part-time gamers alike.

The game is not exactly fun - it's more of a calling, or vocation for the hardcore.

But as a taste of GT4 itself, it is impressive. Very impressive.