Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec

Electronic Gaming Monthly

This game has taken over my entire life. [Sept 2001, p.142]

GamerWeb Sony

It's been a long time since I've given such high scores across the board to any game; then again, it's been a long time since any game I've reviewed so richly deserved it!

Cincinnati Enquirer

The sound effects and music in the game are as inspiring as the graphics. The engine motors and tire screeches are incredibly lifelike, and the soundtrack is top notch.

Eurogamer

The feeling of jubilation once you have Gold awards for every area of every test is immeasurable.

Cinescape

From the little details on the cars up to the driving physics, everything is dead on. I know a little bit about racing concepts (speed limits? What are those?), and the game executes them with near perfection.

AceGamez

It's so much more than just a racing game, It's gaming at its very finest and regardless of your usual tastes no PS2 owner should be without Gran Turismo 3 as the jewel in their collection.

Adrenaline Vault

Remember to start on the outside of the turn, cut to the inside and then tromp on the accelerator when you're past the half way; that should keep your speed as high as possible on the your way to the nearest retailer. Trust me, the traffic ticket would be worth it.

GamePro

GT3’s razor-sharp handling means you’re always battling your opponents, not the controls. The force feedback and analog responsiveness are particularly impressive.

DarkStation

Superby detailed licensed cars, stunning visual effects, multiple modes and top draw sountrack makes this one a winner.

PSX Nation

I cannot say that I have ever played a driving game that has challenged me and given me more feelings of reward for my hard-earned efforts than "Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec."

Total Video Games

Everything we wanted; the graphics are so realistic it’s actually quite scary. The sound effects and background music push your adrenaline to the max, and you’ll find yourself in shock after playing this game.

GMR Magazine

Core gameplay is unchanged, but the graphics get a complete overhaul - which makes GT3 the best-playing/looking sim on the market. [Feb 2003, p.92]

Cheat Code Central

Everything a racing game should be. It's tough, challenging and ultimately educational.

GamePower

The PS2 accentuates developer Polyphony Digital's extraordinary handling of lighting and textures -- sun rays sift through a tunnel of trees, exhaust fumes spew into the air, and cars glisten like the sweat on La Femme Nikita's brow.

Core Magazine

But for all its other qualities, the one element that elevates Gran Turismo 3 to instant classic status is the incredibly addictive career mode.

Maxim Online

You’ll finally answer some of life’s most burning questions, like how your Suburu Impreza station wagon would fare against a 2002 Dodge Viper on a racetrack.

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Not the revolutionary title many had hoped, this is nonetheless as complete and professional a racer as you could wish for.

Computer and Video Games

Better handling, more races and brain-melting visuals make it the showpiece title PlayStation 2's been waiting for.

Gaming Illustrated

A true next generation product that must be seen to be believed. Also, let me warn you, this game will chew up your social life and spit it out... you have been warned :)

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

PSM Magazine

PSX Extreme

YOU MUST GET GT3! Your life depends on it!

GameZone

Incredible eye candy combined with awesome game play and complete physical realism make this game stand out above the rest. It was well worth the wait.

IGN

GT3 offers the finest racing, the best cars and the highest-quality automotive audio-visual feast available on any gaming system anywhere, and as far as I'm concerned, it's an absolutely essential purchase for anyone who loves cars and racing.

Electric Playground

It's games like Gran Turismo 3 that make me proud to be doing this for a living!

XGP Gaming

GT3 simply is one of the best looking racers to date on any system. In fact, it's one of the best looking games available for the PS2, even being two years past its initial release date.

Armchair Empire

Better physics, smarter opponents, and a huge leap in its visual presentation make GT3 a racer well worth playing.

GameShark

People fear the reality in modern videogame violence, but the way GT3 has changed my everyday driving style is much more frightening.

BBC Sport

Quite simply the best racing game ever created - and with supreme playability it's going to be a long time before it is overtaken.

TotalPlayStation

A masterpiece.

Firing Squad

I can't remember the last time I've ever had this much fun playing any game, from any genre, on any system. If the gameplay wasn't already enough to convince me, the graphics in Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec are also top-notch and the presentation is superb.

Game Power Australia

One of the most impressive tiles to see release ever, and despite aspects of unrealistic handling in some vehicles; the game is near perfect.

Happy Puppy

Having to get excited about what GT3 can do for the PlayStation2 gamer is like having to get excited for Christmas--it's a done deal. What's even better is that GT3 is best played with a cold beer open and sitting on the table next to you.

Gaming Maxx

In between the amazing and the boring is the meat of GT3, where you are offered the purest racing simulation available anywhere.

GameSpot

Its endless tuning options and many racing events will keep you engrossed in the game for many months, and it's accessible enough to be enjoyed by anyone who's the least bit interested in driving an exotic car.

GameSpy

Every fan of racing will find something to love in GT3, and purists will find a veritable Mecca of cars, tracks, and realism.

Gamezilla!

One word of caution though; this game will suck away hours of your life.

Absolute Playstation

The gameplay is rock solid and the graphical upgrade makes everything feel fresh and new.

Gaming Age

GT3 doesn't disappoint. The AI could be better, but everything else kicks too much ass to worry about it.

TotalGames.net

The lack of any kind of weather (wet roads isn't a weather condition, merely a clever effect), the frame-skipping problems (it just shouldn't exist!), and the lack of car damage (erm… this is a simulation, right?) drags the score down from the high nineties. Still, this game is without a doubt the best racer on any platform.

Game Informer

Hot Games

It is a racing game – a good but flawed one, a technically masterful piece of work that still has not gotten the gameplay of racing against other drivers quite right. In some ways, it’s actually a step backwards from GT2.

All Game Guide

Once you get past the incredible visuals, you realize that this is just a prettier version of "Gran Turismo 2," which is in no way a bad thing.

Thunderbolt

Literally, there are well over 200 hours of gameplay in the Simulation Mode, even for a skilled player just to beat the game.

PALGN

Something else that could have people reaching for the eject button is the sheer number of races and license tests required to complete the game. Loading up the Race menu to be greeted with seemingly hundreds of races, including massively long endurance races, is extremely daunting at times.

Yahoo! Games

While it has its flaws, is by far the best console racer on the planet, and betters its predecessors in nearly every respect.

GameCritics

At some point, refinement becomes self-defeating as gamers grow tired of overused concepts. Unfortunately, GT3 simply does not offer anything new or unique. Where will the creative minds of developers take simulators in the future? Despite its strengths, GT3 leaves that question unanswered.

GamePen

The AI, for one thing, needs some work. The computer drive cars don’t have any personality meaning that they follow a specific path and just bump their way around. It’s like watching the guys in the movie "Swingers" driving, but at a higher speed and a little more violent.

Sports Gaming Network

The game is far from perfect due to questionable AI and some issues with physics. The liberties taken with the physics keeps the game from being the true simulation most gamers think it is.

Game Revolution

While GT2 features over 500 cars, GT3 contains only a fraction of that number. In fact, the original Gran Turismo holds more cars (166) than the advertised 150+ cars of GT3. Enthusiasts will be sorely disappointed, but trust me, 150+ cars is still pretty hefty. Also missing is the used car lot.

Into Liquid Sky

While it is easily one of the most comprehensive and visually solid racing games to date, I found the fact that it's basically a repackaged "Gran Turismo 2" a little hard to swallow. If you can look past that, this is the game for you.

Game Chronicles

You can see and do just about everything this game has to offer without ever coming close to finishing it. Only the most diligent racers will have the patience to muddle their way through the entire simulation mode.

NTSC-uk

The lack of car damage available is a big disappointment.

G4 TV

GT3's soundtrack is a mixed bag. Some of it is boring-yet-harmless original music that is surprisingly jazzy. The list of licensed songs is the real disappointment.

Gamestyle

By far the most crafted and exceptional driving game around, but something or even anything new wouldn't go amiss.