Gran Turismo 4 'Prologue'

[Valkyrie Nut]

Yesterday I bought Gran Turismo 4 'Prologue' - European Signature Edition. I played a bit of it and thought I'd give a little review on it

Essentially the purpose of Prologue is to prepare you for the full game, which in my opinion is a good idea since the new physics are much more realistic than in GT3. I consider myself to be a bit of a GT "veteran" having owned all previous GT titles and I'm finding handing the cars harder than before so I don't know how a "newbie" would find it. Anyway, on to the game features itself:

The main mode for the game is "Driving School" This consists of 25 lessons of basic race driving techniques. Each lesson is introduced with a demo and audio runthrough to give you info on the lesson objective and how to pass. If you successfully pass, you move onto the next lesson and win the car used for the lesson that you've passed.

The lesson vary into 4 gradients of difficulty - Green, Orange, Blue and Red. The green are very straight forward, so of course reds are challenging. Also, there are 3 "coffee breaks" after each third of the course where you can compete in a fun challenge, although knocking over traffic cones isn't too much fun in my opinion

The true fun comes with what no GT game is without; Arcade Mode. There are 5 tracks that will appear in the full game, including New York and the Grand Canyon. Car AI still isn't very good but tougher to pass than the GT3 AI. New to the arcade mode races is a penalty system which slows you down to 50 km/h for 10 seconds if you hit a barrier or another car too hard, if that happens at the wrong point, you'll ending up losing the race so wreckless driving is now out of the question. Overall it gives a good taster of what the full games races will be like

Now comes what the game is about, the cars. Quite simply, they've never looked better. All cars are beautifully rendered and almost look like the real thing in the replays and due to the new physics, all the cars more or less handle like their real-life counterparts

Now, after that is my only gripe. The game is simply too short. I've complested the basic course in about and hour and a half. A new purple difficulty section is unlockable after the basics are passed but I doubt that'll take too long to complete

Final Opinion: GT4 Prologue is a good game and does what's its supposed to do well. There's also a bonus "making of GT4" dvd with the game that I've yet to watch but I reckon it'll be good. Unfortunately to the low gamespan stops it from being great

Score: 7/10

Edited May 29, 2004 by Valkyrie Nut

[KingNor]

New to the arcade mode races is a penalty systems which slows you down to 50 km/h for 10 seconds if you hit a barrier or another car too hard, if that happens at the wrong point, you'll ending up losing the race so wreckless driving is now out of the question.

FINALLY.

nothing is more frustraiting that mastering a corse, car, corners, settings, only to race friends who ride the barriers and T-bone me and then claim i don't know how to play right.

i'm happy with this addition. question though, can it be turned off?

Edited May 29, 2004 by KingNor

[Solscud007]

Ah I have that too. My friend brought it back from Japan for me in January. I didnt play it much until recently my GF bought my the GT Driving Force Pro. It is so awesome. Plus you can switch out the Wheel.

[Vostok 7]

Yeah, I bought the special edition Ceramic White PS2 from Japan that came with GT4:P and it's an awesome game. I'm maybe 3-4 races through the purple section. Can't wait to beat it and get all the cars.

Vostok 7

[Valkyrie Nut]

New to the arcade mode races is a penalty systems which slows you down to 50 km/h for 10 seconds if you hit a barrier or another car too hard, if that happens at the wrong point, you'll ending up losing the race so wreckless driving is now out of the question.

FINALLY.

nothing is more frustraiting that mastering a corse, car, corners, settings, only to race friends who ride the barriers and T-bone me and then claim i don't know how to play right.

i'm happy with this addition. question though, can it be turned off?

No it can't be turned off. In my opinion even if it could, the game is better off with it on

Solscud and Vostok: You guys have the japanese version huh? I wonder what the differences between the 2 versions are? Does it come the the extra dvd as well?

Edited May 29, 2004 by Valkyrie Nut

[KingNor]

New to the arcade mode races is a penalty systems which slows you down to 50 km/h for 10 seconds if you hit a barrier or another car too hard, if that happens at the wrong point, you'll ending up losing the race so wreckless driving is now out of the question.

FINALLY.

nothing is more frustraiting that mastering a corse, car, corners, settings, only to race friends who ride the barriers and T-bone me and then claim i don't know how to play right.

i'm happy with this addition. question though, can it be turned off?

No it can't be turned off. In my opinion even if it could, the game is better off with it on

Solscud and Vostok: You guys have the japanese version huh? I wonder what the differences between the 2 versions are? Does it come the the extra dvd as well?

im happy with it on, thanks for the info

[Winkle]

This is priced as a full game?

I'll probably end up waiting until the full GT4 comes out and buy that instead. This almost sounds like a lengthened demo.

[Solscud007]

Wha!!! DVD no!!!! No I didnt get a DVD. Maybe its the end movie when you beat the game half way thru?

Oh Vostock even though you have an Auto WRX I think you will enjoy this. My best friend (who has a WRX and I helped modify from Audio to suspension) gave me his Shift knob. Boo yah!!!!

[Vostok 7]

Wha!!! DVD no!!!! No I didnt get a DVD. Maybe its the end movie when you beat the game half way thru?

Oh Vostock even though you have an Auto WRX I think you will enjoy this. My best friend (who has a WRX and I helped modify from Audio to suspension) gave me his Shift knob. Boo yah!!!!

lol that's awesome!!

And what's wrong with an auto WRX y0

Vostok 7

[yellowlightman]

And what's wrong with an auto WRX y0

Technically I think the auto WRXs are faster in the quarter mile than the manuals, but I don't remember the exact numbers.

That said, anyone using the WRX as a drag car should be kicked in the nuts. Go take that thing out to a rally-cross or club rally.

[Solscud007]

And what's wrong with an auto WRX y0     

Technically I think the auto WRXs are faster in the quarter mile than the manuals, but I don't remember the exact numbers.

That said, anyone using the WRX as a drag car should be kicked in the nuts. Go take that thing out to a rally-cross or club rally.

But you didnt say anything about my cool leathery knob, hehe

[Solscud007]

Oh want a free Toyota GT4 demo (well it says DVD and the person that told me about this didnt say what was on it cause he didnt get it yet)

Go to www.toyota.com and put your mouse over vehicles, for the drop down menu go to brochures>request a brochure, fill out all the info and make sure you request a brochure for a Toyota Prius, the other car doesn't matter. You will now have a GT4 DVD in the mail to you

[Valkyrie Nut]

Wha!!! DVD no!!!! No I didnt get a DVD. Maybe its the end movie when you beat the game half way thru?

Nope, not that. The version that's been released here in europe comes with a dvd that has art, videos and other stuff related to the making to GT4

Winkle: It's half the price of a full title like GT Concept was. Cost me £25, well £10 because I was part exchanging a game

Edited May 30, 2004 by Valkyrie Nut

[Valkyrie Nut]

Stupid double post...

Edited May 30, 2004 by Valkyrie Nut

[yellowlightman]

Oh want a free Toyota GT4 demo (well it says DVD and the person that told me about this didnt say what was on it cause he didnt get it yet)

Go to www.toyota.com and put your mouse over vehicles, for the drop down menu go to brochures>request a brochure, fill out all the info and make sure you request a brochure for a Toyota Prius, the other car doesn't matter. You will now have a GT4 DVD in the mail to you

You sure that works?

I work at a Toyota dealership, and we get those brochure requests all the time and I'm usually the one that has to send them out ( ) but I haven't seen any GT4 demos, or else I would have already grabbed a stack.

[Solscud007]

Oh want a free Toyota GT4 demo (well it says DVD and the person that told me about this didnt say what was on it cause he didnt get it yet)

Go to www.toyota.com and put your mouse over vehicles, for the drop down menu go to brochures>request a brochure, fill out all the info and make sure you request a brochure for a Toyota Prius, the other car doesn't matter. You will now have a GT4 DVD in the mail to you

You sure that works?

I work at a Toyota dealership, and we get those brochure requests all the time and I'm usually the one that has to send them out ( ) but I haven't seen any GT4 demos, or else I would have already grabbed a stack.

hmm I dunno cause when i tried it I get a message.

Your request was submitted successfully. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you.

ITEMS ORDERED STATUS

2004 Prius Brochure Valid to Fulfill

2004 MR2 Spyder Brochure Valid to Fulfill

Gran Tourismo 4 DVD Valid to Fulfill

2004 Prius Accessory Brochure Valid to Fulfill

Gran Tourismo 4 DVD Suppressed Duplicate Rule

College Graduate Rebate Flyer Valid to Fulfill

[Jawjaw]

nothing is more frustraiting that mastering a corse, car, corners, settings, only to race friends who ride the barriers and T-bone me and then claim i don't know how to play right.

That's the only way to have fun in a racing game! It's no fun if you drive clean the whole time.

[KingNor]

nothing is more frustraiting that mastering a corse, car, corners, settings, only to race friends who ride the barriers and T-bone me and then claim i don't know how to play right.

That's the only way to have fun in a racing game! It's no fun if you drive clean the whole time.

personally, in GT, it is. it's so rewarding to take a corner, feathering the break or gas, loose as little speed as possible and come out the other side with at just the right angle and speed to use all the track to my advantage.

much, MUCH more rewarding that rearending my midnight club friends who all pick vipers and xj220s and spin out at every corner, then complain the game is sucky.

[Valkyrie Nut]

personally, in GT, it is. it's so rewarding to take a corner, feathering the break or gas, loose as little speed as possible and come out the other side with at just the right angle and speed to use all the track to my advantage.

much, MUCH more rewarding that rearending my midnight club friends who all pick vipers and xj220s and spin out at every corner, then complain the game is sucky.

I agree with you on that, racing smoothly is so much better than skidding and bouncing off barriers, as is beating friends who think having a fast is all they need to win, which definately wouldn't work on the New York track

[Solscud007]

Here is a pic fo the New Toyota Demo Disc

You can drive the Prius and the new MTRC Motor Triathalon Race Car. It has active ride height adjustments and I think an active CG monitor and electronic AWD.

[Solscud007]

here is a video clip. You can see teh MTRC driving on pavement and then dirt. See it rise up?

MOV00313.MPG

[Commander McBride]

How did you get the shift knob to attach to the Driving Force Pro? Does it just attach like it would to a real car? Because, if it does, I can't wait to get my DFP, I'll put a nice Razo on it!

[Solscud007]

no the lower half of the stock shift knob globe is one piece with the shaft. so you have to sacrifice it and cut it off. then you need to do some customizing. I used an automotice stud (it is a like a siamese twin bolt) threads at either end but no head. I found one that has machined threads on one end and wood screw threads on the other end. Then I got a wood screw adapter (it is like a helical coil, or a nut with threads out and in) the outside was wood screw pitch and the inside matched the machined threads. (this is because the inner shaft of the shift knob diammeter is larger than the inner diammeter of the shift knob shaft. If that doesnt make sense pm me and i can clear that up more.

[Andy Roberts]

Damn, I wish the usdm prius came with the game. My mother decided to get a new car end of last year, so she got a prius. I bet it gets incredible gas milage ingame, considering what i've heard about the game, what with the need for new parts.

Edited June 9, 2004 by Andy Roberts

[Valkyrie Nut]

Damn, I wish the usdm prius came with the game. My mother decided to get a new car end of last year, so she got a prius. I bet it gets incredible gas milage ingame, considering what i've heard about the game, what with the need for new parts.

It is in Prologue isn't it? One of the Purple level tests is a fuel efficiency lesson where you have to drive a hybrid car around the course within 2 min while using as little fuel as possible. If I remember correctly the hybrid is a Prius, unless the euro version has different cars. Is the Maclaren F1 LM in the jp version?