But finally, after months of delays, Gran Turismo 5 has hit the shelves, and the reviews have been….. questionable.
The general view is pretty positive, with many reviews awarding eights or nines, although there are a couple of lower scores, and even more reservations floating around.
Eurogamer led the way, with a solid review scoring the racing simulator a respectable 9, reporting that “it’s an off-kilter vision of the future, a cumbersome game with odd priorities, certainly. But it’s equally a game that heads off in unexpected and exciting directions, makes a few notable improvements, and overflows with love.”
CVG awarded Sony’s flagship motoring game a sturdy 8/10, noting that while it had ‘improved in the most important area – how the cars feel’, the franchise is in serious need of a full overhaul if it wants to compete with this generation’s racing titles.
“Too much of GT5 relies on past glories, building on the success of the series without shaking free of the design quirks that are holding the series back.
IGN offer the most easily definable summary of the franchise’s major problem, commenting that “Gran Turismo 5 is a 10/10 simulator wrapped up in a 5/10 game”.
While it’s realistic to admit that the endless delays would have had some effect on the reviews, we can’t help but feel that this is one ride that Sony desperately needs to pimp if it wants fans coming back for another yet another spin.