Gran Turismo 5: 1 Year Later, It’s Still Getting Better

November 24^th, 2010 was the day the long awaited and much anticipated Gran Turismo 5 finally hit the shelves. November 25th, 2010 was the day that GT fans cried a collective “WTF”! The general consensus amongst GT fans the next day is that it felt a bit unfinished and it was lacking features that many of us were hoping to get. Simply put, it just wasn’t the second coming of Christ we were expecting. However, GT creator Kazunori Yamauchi described Gran Turismo 5 as a dynamic game – one that is constantly being updated and hopefully improved with bug fixes and new content. Over a year after the game’s launch, it has received 14 free updates, including a major overhaul dubbed “2.0”, and about 20 new cars and two new tracks through DLC with much, much more DLC on its way. This is only the beginning of what’s to come.

Here is a quick recap of how one of the most anticipated games in recent memory has changed for the better and why you should be interested in it again. By this time next year, Gran Turismo 5 will be as awesome as it was supposed to be at launch. Even just 1 year later it’s become much more attractive.

Right at the game’s launch, players immediately began to criticize it for feeling unfinished and being very disappointing. Soon after, GT creator Kazunori Yamauchi revealed in an interview that he and his team, Polyphony Digital, wanted another 2 years with the game before they launched it. It was easy to see why. In other interviews, he also revealed exactly what he meant when he said GT5 would be a dynamic game and soon the first free updates quickly rolled out to help make the game exactly how Yamauchi intended it to be at its launch.

In addition to basic bug fixes, the first few updates brought more online features, including a “Seasonal Events” menu that gave racers access to time trail and drifting competitions with prizes for winners and more races to compete in with specific vehicles. A new used car dealership was also added to offer the most desirable used cars so you wouldn’t need to wait weeks to stumble upon a cheap racecar. Those interested in the B-spec races, where you act as the crew chief barking orders at your driver from behind the pit wall, the ability to race and earn credits in remote races without even needing to turn on the PS3. Other updates brought features such as the ability to upgrade your car’s performance at the track, rather than being forced to go all the way back to the main menu’s parts shop. Another much loved update brought on the ability to finish a championship race (one with multiple races for one top prize) in more than one sitting and the ability to pause endurance races and resume the next time you turned the PS3 on. Great news for endurance racing fans, bad news for the poor guys that just sat at their PS3s for 24 hours.

And then, “GT5 2.0” came out (which I talked about in more detail here) to give the game a much-needed overhaul. Major bug fixes and a several new features you should enjoy, like the ability to control weather patterns and time changes at some tracks, consecutive login bonuses, and full support for Logitech G25 and G27 wheels. The latest update, called 2.02 and available as of three days ago, brings the ability to rebuild your engine and refresh your car’s body with a new coupon system that saves cash. Since PD is in the holiday spirit, they give you some free samples. Possibly the most exciting part of the latest 2.02 update is the new 3^rd-person camera, which now shakes and turns with the car to add some drama and a more authentic feeling. Improved racing sound effects, mainly just more wind noise in the cockpit view, made the cut as well. So far every single update has fixed many of the issues GT fans have been griping about since last November, so it seems our voices have been heard. Yamauchi says often that he actually listens to GT5 players when deciding what to add to the game, and he sure as hell isn’t finished yet.

Polyphony Digital says you can expect new downloadable content every two months, and a brand new set, featuring the VW Scirocco R, Golf R, MINI Cooper S, and Nissan GT-R Black Series, is already available. This shows GT fans that Polyphony Digital is capable of adding at least three non-Japanese cars and that they know what a 2011 and 2012 model-year car looks like. The Toyota GT 86 (above, left) is also available as a free gift for everyone who downloads the latest update (you have no choice anyway), so you can be among the first to drive the car. People who purchased the first batch of DLC multiple times, like me (accidentally ), get a free bonus in the form of the gorgeous Toyota FT 86 Concept II (above, right). Oh, and they give you a special go-kart too.

You still here? Bottom line is that Gran Turismo 5 has gone through some major changes in just a year, and they still aren’t finished. It’s safe to say that by this time next year, GT5 will be as awesome as it was intended, and maybe more – you just need to be a little patient. To everyone who has already given up, it might just be safe to dust off your PS3 and jump in once more. Chances are you won’t be [as] disappointed with everything GT5 now has to offer and what is still coming soon.

Suddenly the wait for Gran Turismo 6 doesn’t seem so bad. Or maybe it does and I failed to convince anyone. Let me know in the comments

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