Gran Turismo Sport

Gran Turismo Sport is yet another entry into the revered racing franchise, where petrolheads usually revel in the refined detail of the cars and intricacies of the drive. There's something different about this offering, however. The game dedicates itself to online racing - a bit of a jump from its typical association with single-player racing.

The jump to an online game is most likely a reaction to the popularity of multiplayer gaming in recent years. While there's nothing wrong with that in principle - the Gran Turismo series has traditionally been marketed to the more elite racing gamers. To make the game succeed, they will need to make this accessible for a general audience. Have they done that here?

Stripped Down and Ready to Drive

Any fan of the Gran Turismo franchise will notice the significant difference in its titling - it doesn't have a number. The game is simply added with sport at the end of its brand. This signals a sort of homage to the idea that the game will take its core mechanics in a new, more accessible direction. Or at least it will try to.

Gran Turismo Sport doesn't omit its single-player mode entirely - presenting the classic features of the franchise. The beautiful visuals and one of the most holistic driving experiences around. Albeit a bit less urgent than other offerings, it's still undeniable that the game still serves as one of the best racers out there.

But now we get to the core focus of the game - online. Yes, we can say that the developers have succeeded in stripping down the details to bring an entertaining driving experience to everyone. It's the 'everyone' part of that statement when challenges seem to arise for the game, though. It almost seems to forget that online gamers adopt an approach of 'by any means necessary.

Players will exploit mechanics to win by methods probably unfounded to traditional Gran Turismo players. It's not about getting every intricacy of the drive right. It's about ramming your opposing player off the road to get ahead of the race. The mechanics try to apply rules to penalize such actions - but more often than not, the experience is frustrating. Eventually, you'll just have to align with the crowd and turn the luxury racer into a demolition derby,

It's a Free-For-All

It's hard to say what the developers expected when bringing such an elite racing experience into the online fray. The core focus of multiplayer is the only thing that detracts from the overall outcome. Mainly because of how the game is played. Gran Turismo is a solid racer but allows neurotic, competitive players into the fray. It's like giving a diamond-encrusted bone to a dog and expecting them to take care of it.

Pros:

• Still one of the best driving experiences on the market
• Visuals are gorgeous, and car handling is great
• Large selection of tracks and cars to keep things interesting

Cons:

• Heavy online focus limits the single-player modes
• Players will exploit mechanics differently in racing competitions
• Farfetched from the racing experience Gran Turismo fans are used to