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For the last ten years, Gran Turismo has proven to be one of Sony’s mainstay titles. In a market dominated by arcade-style racers with over the top physics and damage, the Gran Turismo games have been the bastion of style and realism. Finally hitting the PS3, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue isn’t the ultimate racing game, but its close enough to whet your appetite for the main attraction.

Get in Your Car and Drive

By Gran Turismo standards, Prologue is pretty lightweight. There are only around 70 cars, where the other games sported hundreds. Likewise, there are only six tracks, including variations like reverse laps. Compared to other racing games on the market, Prologue still offers up a healthy amount of variety—just not enough to make the game feel like anything more than the teaser for the full version of Gran Turismo 5.

For the same $40, you get a choice of downloading the game directly from the PlayStation online store, or buying the retail Blu-ray disc. Aside from an interesting making-of video only available on the disc, both versions are identical. There are three racing classes (A, B, and C). Starting with C, you’ll rush through about around ten events each, for a total of over 30 events. It’s not a huge single player game, but the races are usually geared toward specific styles of cars and racing, which you must master to move through the game. Some races are even for specific models, so you’ll have to earn enough credits to buy all the necessary cars before you can advance.

The game starts new drivers off with 35,000 credits, which is barely enough to buy a basic car such as a Mini Cooper, Ford Focus, Mazda Rx-8, or other, similar low-end models. There are plenty of exotics to be had as your cash flow increases, but fans of the series will likely lament the omission of certain cars and brands. There are no Porches and Lamborghinis, for instance, and many model types like Honda, Mercedes, and Mazda are lacking variety. Also missing is any kind of damage model—meaning your cars stay pristine no matter how badly you wreck. There are also no options to customize the cars in your garage.

1080 Perfect

Still, the cars included are an eclectic bunch, and virtually every style of driving is represented in the models. And what models they are! Prologue isn’t only the best the series has ever looked, but easily one of the best looking games on the market. The tracks are picture perfect and down to every last detail, they are precise representations of their real-world counterparts. The cars go beyond that level of detail to be works of art. Along with those beauties, the game offers the most photo-realistic renditions of racing available. Sony and Polyphony have finally managed to crank out smooth 1080p HD graphics with minimal tearing and pop-up, and the sensation of speed is amazing.

The audio is equally as impressive, and the 7.1 surround mix is exceptional. The engine noises are realistic, and the minimal use of the game’s solid soundtrack enhances the racing experience.

While presentation has always been a key part of Gran Turismo’s success, the central focus has always been on the art of racing. Here Prologue truly comes into its own. Despite being only a teaser for the full game, the gameplay is so realistic and so polished that Prologue feels like a worthy contender for the best racer out there. Whether you pony up for a good steering wheel or use the controller, finesse, skill, and persistence are the keys to successfully navigating through the game.

Online Gridlock

The rumble effects are excellent, and the Sixaxis controller’s finely tuned. Pressure sensitive controls are put to great use in Prologue. Because the game uses the controls so well, and since each car model is painstakingly tweaked to handle as it does in reality, merely mastering one car is no guarantee that you’ll ace through the courses with another car.

Rounding out the Prologue experience is the 16-player multiplayer. While it’s great to see Gran Turismo go online, and the fact that your online winnings go into your main single player coffer is a smart idea, this is definitely the weakest part of the game. Latency issues are glaring, with competitor cars frequently jumping around. Even worse is the complete lack of control over matches.

For whatever reason, the online game has a set list of race types that, ironically enough, don’t allow the use of all cars. Further, the game has no option to create a custom race, or even to directly host a game. Basically, players have to take part in random races. You can’t join in a game with only your friends. Racing online is still fun, but it’s hard to imagine how the developer thought the lack of options would be acceptable to players.

Prologue to a Winner

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue earns plenty of kudos for elevating the series to the new platform. Despite offering only a fraction of what the final game should have in store, it’s is definitely a great racing game. For fans of the sport and especially for purist drivers, the Gran Turismo name is synonymous with realism. Thankfully, Prologue is easily the most beautiful and engaging racer on the PS3. The lack of tracks and obvious multiplayer problems drag it down a notch. For gamers who found the earlier Gran Turismo games difficult to play, this version won’t change your mind—even with the options to lessen the simulation elements, Prologue will never be an arcade racer. Overall, Prologue is an excellent introduction to what awaits.

Review by: Jason D'Aprile