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Gran Turismo

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Gran Turismo
74
7.2 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 72 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 50 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Polyphony Digital

Genre(s): Racing, Driving

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: October 1, 2009

Summary

Gran Turismo makes its highly anticipated debut exclusively on the PSP system, introducing the most ultra-realistic racing experience ever on a handheld. Buckle up as you prove your driving skills on 35 tracks and trade and share over 800 cars. Slick Visuals --Runs on a new graphics engine designed for the PSP system that delivers visuals at a crisp 60 frames per second. Depth and Variety -- Collect over 800 licensed vehicles from international automakers. Expand Your Collection -- Trade and share cars with friends to expand your collection via Ad Hoc wireless. Hit the Road -- Race on 35 licensed and fictional tracks, with 60 track layouts total. Compete in time trials, races, or drift mode challenges. Test Your Driving Skills -- Complete over 100 challenges to hone your driving skills and learn new cornering, braking and other driving techniques. Bragging Rights -- Prove your driving skills in four-player races using Ad Hoc mode. [SCEA]

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

96

Cheat Code Central

However, Polyphony Digital has not only delivered on their promise to make a great portable Gran Turismo, they have created the best portable racer this generation.

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90

VideoGamer

Make no mistake, this is Gran Turismo as you remember it but on a handheld, and done in a way that betters what I imagined was possible.

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90

Cynamite

2004, back when Gran Turismo PSP was announced, is a long time ago. Gran Turismo PSP delivers, but it doesn't fulfill our enormous expectations.

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90

Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

The driving sim of choice for the true racing aficionado on the go. [Dec 2009, p.72]

90

Gameplanet

Gran Turismo for the PlayStation Portable is a faithful reproduction of the original PSX game that achieved so much success in the 90's. Although missing online functionality, it's still the best racer you'll find for the platform.

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89

GamingXP

Even if you haven’t played one of the Gran Turismo games, you definitely should buy this one! Awesome!

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89

Vandal Online

The idea of Polyphony is clear: to offer something different to Gran Turismo 5 for the players to jump between both versions to complete the garage, making each experience a bit different.

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86

Impulsegamer

At the end of the day, Gran Turismo on the PSP could be considered Gran Turismo light in some aspects, however if you're looking at a racing simulation with real-world cars and decent gameplay, than this is one title you should investigate.

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86

PSFocus

A great adaptation of the console version. At least 800 cars, more than 40 tracks and great graphics. It’s kind of sad the career mode isn’t in this game, but the challenges and the quick race options are a nice replacement.

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85

Play UK

The best four-wheeled satisfaction you'll ever get from a handheld. [Issue#184, p.64]

83

Gaming Age

With incredible visuals and a literal ton of vehicles and courses, Gran Turismo PSP is definitely an amazing accomplishment for a portable title.

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81

GameFocus

We can certainly ask ourselves why the game took so long to develop if it was going to lack the essence of what made other Gran Turismos appealing to play. Sure the graphics are great and there’s a bunch of cars to unlock but if there’s no structure to keep me going back to the game, the willingness to play often will simply go away. Regardless of this, Gran Turismo remains an interesting game to check out…even though it’s not worth the five year wait.

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80

GameSpy

The game clearly leans backward rather than forward in some respects, but it bears repeating: What it does in the tiny PSP world, it does well.

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80

Boomtown

The lack of structure here is a bit disappointing but hardly a deal breaker. There is a wealth of content on offer and Gran Turismo is a very well crafted game which is definitely worth the price.

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80

Digital Chumps

It’s not the Gran Turismo you’re used to, but it’s well tuned for on-the-go gaming.

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80

Games Radar (in-house)

Gran Turismo on PSP is not quite as slick as its PS2 or PS3 brothers and the lack of a career mode is surprising. It's clumsy at times and the quality varies immensely, but it's still a class act.

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80

Pocket Gamer UK

It's you and your machine versus the circuit. In this respect, Gran Turismo PSP doesn't stall, effortlessly powering to the front of the handheld field in a manner that is likely to leave many a petrolhead breathless.

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80

Play.tm

Whether you get the most out of GT on the PSP will ultimately depend upon how much you enjoyed the rest of the instalments in the series. If you're not already a fan of the slavishly exhaustive self-confessed Real Driving Simulator, then this will do nothing to change your mind.

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80

TheSixthAxis

Easily the PSP’s finest tuned racer so far with loads to do if you’re happy without the career mode. Online would have bolstered the score a notch, though.

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80

Total Video Games

But there's no point in denying that Kazunori-san and Polyphony Digital have succeeded in bringing the GT experience faithfully to the PSP without having to condense or cut out anything that made the series what it is.

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80

ZTGameDomain

All the years waiting have certainly paid off in presentation and gameplay, but a lack of certain standard features is likely to disappoint some. Still if you love the series, don't mind losing some of the core aspects and are in need of a great sim racer for your PSP you will be hard pressed to find a better offering.

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80

Playstation Official Magazine UK

Effortlessly one of the finest driving titles on PSP. [Nov 2009, p.118]

80

Thunderbolt

The lack of any classic game mode will likely deflate many a player’s determination to persevere over an extended time period, which means this is one for the purists. Even in light of all all its shortcomings it’s all so easy to fall in love again.

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80

Gamers' Temple

Gran Turismo does a good job of bringing the core GT experience to the PSP, but racing fans are sure to be disappointed by the fact that the races are limited to four cars.

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79

Games Master UK

Great looks, impressive handling, good tracks and cars. But where's the career mode? [Dec 2009, p.64]

78

InsideGamer.nl

Gran Turismo is for the real car- and racefans. If you drive round after round, to add that one Lamborghini to your garage or beat the time of yourself and others, this is probably the game to get. On the technical side Gran Turismo PSP is a real eyecatcher and it is a job well done by Polyphony. But as a game GT just misses too much, racing to max 3 cars at a time is very disappointing and there is no big career mode as well. It just feels as a stripped down version of what it should be.

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78

Gamer 2.0

While it may be a bit later than PSP owners in 2005 expected, what we did end up with is a pretty good portable version of Gran Turismo that doesn’t have everything we’d expect out of a portable iteration of this series.

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77

AtomicGamer

I really don't understand why so much effort went into making Gran Turismo such a fantastic racer while you're behind the wheel, but so little went into extending that experience when you're not.

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77

GameTrailers

Gran Turismo is a rewarding driving game with plenty of courses to master and vehicles to acquire. However, it's held back by a lack of key features and frustrating limitations that will aggravate car collectors most of all. After such a long wait, GT fans deserve better.

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76

PSM3 Magazine UK

Portable perfection on the track, but uncharacteristically formless away from it. [Nov 2009, p.76]

75

Playstation Universe

Gran Turismo is a fine racing simulator and offers car fans an enormous amount of killer vehicles to collect. Ultimately, the game is marred by the lack of a career mode and online play.

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75

Everyeye.it

Perfect for Quick Play. But without career mode GT seems a little pale.

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75

GamesNation

The poor AI and the ever absent damage system have spoiled our first GT experience on the PSP. Gran Turismo PSP is nevertheless a good product, enriched by tons of vehicle, tracks and tuning details all four-wheel enthusiasts will enjoy.

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75

PALGN

Sure, it's nice to see Gran Turismo eventually materialise and it plays great, but it would have been even nicer for it to have come fully fledged.

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75

PSX Extreme

What bothers me is the lack of the fundamentals, the very basic and general things that have made Gran Turismo such a superb game. Yes, the physics are great, yes there's a ton of cars and tracks, and yes, despite all of these drawbacks the game is still quite a bit of fun. But this is a game that could've been perfect.

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75

GameSpot

This GT5 appetizer is a very good driving game in its own right, especially if you have friends to enjoy it with.

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75

Worth Playing

Altogether, Gran Turismo for the PSP is a solid game, and it's exceptionally well presented on the PSP. Unfortunately, I felt that the lack of a career progression really hindered my experience.

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75

1UP

GTPSP is not a bad game by any means; it's a great fit for the PSP and offers a genuine Gran Turismo racing experience on the go, but it's constantly hindered by its boggling lack of structure. More than anything, GTPSP lacks a sense of direction.

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73

SpazioGames

A game we'd recommend to anyone who wants to have the freedom to collect all eight hundred cars present and to guide them on the many paths available while you are traveling by train or waiting for the bus stop.

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71

3DJuegos

Gran Turismo is a good game. Driving mechanics are great, but its visuals and game modes are not what we expected.

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70

Game Informer

It’s easy to feel like you’re a kid in the candy store with GT’s open format, but this edition of the franchise has none of the sweet, satisfying racing that has been its hallmark.

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70

GameDaily

The presentation is the best we've seen yet for a PSP racing game, and the controls are surprisingly manageable. Still, the missing online compatibility and extremely limited car store leave this entry feeling above average when it should've been superb.

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70

Level7.nu

With the transition to the portable format, Gran Turismo PSP has managed to bring most of the selling points of it's stationary console siblings. The presentation is great, controls are solid and the content well crafted. But the omission of a true career mode is baffling. Being limited to single races only is a strange shortcoming given the many years that have passed since Gran Turismo PSP was originally announced. Though limited in scope, the actual driving experience is superb and easily one of the best on the PSP.

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70

WonderwallWeb

If it wasn't for the lack of options this game would be a must buy, though GT PSP is still a great racer which you should at least consider.

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70

Eurogamer

Coupled with archaic AI and the isolating absence of PlayStation Network support, this makes for a game that feels unfocused and regressive, despite its considerable technical and mechanical accomplishments.

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70

Meristation

Gran Turismo hits shelves at the same time that PSP Go does. At first, anyone would assume that it's one of the most important games for the handheld, but its visuals and the number of cars available are not what we expected. If we take into account the whole series thus far, we don't understand why they decided to don't add the Career mode to the mix, and just four cars racing at the same time doesn't seem enough.

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70

D+PAD Magazine

The iconic series has always been first and foremost about the driving, and Polyphony Digital has managed to encapsulate that perfectly. It’s just a shame that some of the more endearing bells and whistles have had to be removed.

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70

Eurogamer Portugal

Gran Turismo failed primarily on providing a good gaming experience on single-player mode, since we are confined only to events rather than the races themselves, something that gets worse given the fact that we can’t really choose which car to buy.

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70

RealGamer

Whilst fans of previous series entries will doubtless drag plenty of enjoyment from having such a revered title in portable form, players less influenced by rose tinted memories of GT’s past may find it harder to forgive the limitations of the game structure and the similarly limited reasons to progress.

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70

Gaming Target

For all the years of development and jokes about Gran Turismo PSP being vaporware, the finished product is just fine in the gameplay department, but lacking almost everywhere else.

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70

AceGamez

Gran Turismo PSP is Polyphony's Pokémon and, as such, one that's more for the Jay Lenos amongst us rather than the James Hunts.

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70

Kikizo

It’s a graceful, carefully contained experience, heavy on finesse and features but oddly short on competitive spirit.

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70

LEVEL (Czech Republic)

There is no other option if you take driving simulation seriously on the PSP console. Pity Gran Turismo lacks the internet multiplayer option and single-player campaign deserves better structure. [Oct 2009]

70

games(TM)

The unfocused nature of the single-player feels cursory in comparison to the depth of its predecessors, making this a notable but certainly not extraordinary racer. [Dec 2009, p.98]

70

Gamer Limit

Gran Turismo is fun to take out for a test drive, but for the long haul it lacks the depth that players have come to expect.

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68

IGN

While the driving mechanics are great, if somewhat dated, the numerous presentation issues (like the complete lack of a career mode) really keep this from being what it could, and should, have been.

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68

Multiplayer.it

Gran Turismo on PSP is a disappointment even for the most hardcore fan of the Polyphony's franchise; the huge selection of cars and tracks can't compensate the lack of content and the crazy game design choices.

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67

Computer and Video Games

Superb car handling is the only redeeming factor for GT PSP. It feels great to drive. But that driving needed to be packaged with an actual racing game and that game isn't here.

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65

NZGamer

I wanted more. I expected more.

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65

TotalPlayStation

I'm sorry, but this isn't Gran Turismo -- it isn't even a good clone of a GT game. It's some kind of weird, neutered offspring that lacks all of the attraction yet tries to boast all of the basic numbers.

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60

Gamestyle

The graphics and handling can't be faulted, and the game is one of the best looking titles on the PSP, but strangely, Gran Turismo PSP just feels rushed; a half-hearted attempt at perfection.

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60

Extreme Gamer

Gran Turismo for the Playstation Portable is a rare case. In one hand you have an extremely well made and polished game engine with spectacular graphics, and in the other you have absolutely nothing to do.

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60

Gamer.nl

Simulating a realistic driving experience is something Polyphony Digital has mastered. The tragic part of this game is the lack of cars and tracks. The bad AI and low number of participants in a race bring the experience down. The biggest problem is the lack of focus thanks to the completely detached races: Gran Turismo PSP would have greatly benefited from a career mode. Only the biggest GT-fan will spend hours expanding his car collection thanks to its long-windedness.

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60

Gamervision

Gran Turismo was most definitely not worth the wait. It’s a good looking game that plays well, but the lack of game modes, the poor car acquisition system, and the absence of more online features completely deflate the experience.

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60

Modojo

The presentation is the best we've seen yet for a PSP racing game, and the controls are surprisingly manageable. Still, the missing online compatibility and extremely limited car store leave this entry feeling above average when it should've been superb.

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60

BigPond GameArena

Our problem is where Polyphony Digital has focused their content here. 800 cars and 35+ tracks(which can be played in reverse) is super generous and no small feat to cram into a PSP. We'd trade half of them for a career mode – even if it was a cut-down version of past GT games – so we'd feel like picking the game up for a quick race was actually progressing something more than our track and car count.

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60

Teletext GameCentral

Hugely disappointing portable debut that replicates the basic look of Gran Tursimo but rips out its heart.

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60

GamePro

Even an endless list of cars can't compensate for Gran Turismo's shortcomings.

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60

Eurogamer Italy

Fans waited for Grant Turismo more than they had to do, and the final result is not worth as much as the other chapters of the franchise. Everything is scaled down considering the nature of the project and the fact that we're talking about the handeld version of the game but a few choices of the team have been disappointing. It is an average game but not able to sustain the hype, what we were expecting and what has been promised.

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58

Game Revolution

It's a great racing game and fits in well with the Gran Turismo family in terms of audio-video presentation. But the lack of an actual career mode and the broken storefront only act as a counter-weight to how much you'll actually want to play, other than building up a car nut's dream collection like a Pokémon master does his own. It won't hold your attention for long, though, if you are after an increasingly challenging game to slowly plow through, and that's its biggest flaw.

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55

Kombo

In the end, there is a lot of dazzle but no substance. Don't let the impressive car numbers fool you, if you have been waiting for this GT, you'll be whole-heartedly disappointed at this wasted effort of a AAA franchise.

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42

GameShark

Gran Turismo PSP falls short of delivering a full experience. Polyphony Digital did an amazing job on the technical side of this game, but the glaring omission of a real career and the lack of car upgrades sinks what could have been a great title.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.2 (out of 10) based on 50 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Randy C gave it a7:
this is a review for GRAND TOURISMO for the PSP GO PROS: excellent graphics the best I have seen out of all the race games...The most realistic handling...The best multi-player game as long as you have friends to play CONS :the one thing that ticks me off about GT is the fact that there is no career mode CONCLUSION: I really like the game and I truly believe that anybody who considers themselves as a racing icon must own this game the replays are unmatched...The graphics are a 10 in a 7 world...they just didn't add much replay ability to the game which is really sad considering they made it for a portable system

Steve K gave it a6:
I wanted to love it. I tried to love it. But it just came out as a poor cousin of the GT family. Sure, the graphics are great and it has the polish of a GT game, but it's missing something. It's not the lack of a career mode or customisation as such, it would have worked as a fun arcade game rather than a simulation, but there just doesn't seem any point to it. Buying cars makes no difference other than that you have yet another car. All AI players are in cars selected from those comparable in power to your own so there's nothing to be gained by having a higher power car or a specific make/model needed to enter a particular race. There's no point in choosing a harder compound tyre over soft as there's no tyre wear for it to make a difference. You can drive down the pit lane but all that seems to happen is you drive on auto under speed limiter without stopping and come out the other end. Surely the pits are there for a reason? Glaring issues like this mean it just feels .. incomplete. It's almost like they realised GT5 wasn't going to ship before Christmas so someone dusted off the half finished proof of concept demo that had been abandoned and spent a couple of months giving it a new coat of paint before shoving it out into daylight with very little warning as if to say 'Look what we were making instead'. The only saving grace in my opinion is the adhoc network play. Suddenly playing it does become fun compared to the tedious procession in single player. You still don't need to have stocked your garage with cars as Party Shuffle mode gives you random cars of comparable power. I think out of all the GT games so far, it offers the simplest and best social multiplayer experience for a group of friends. GT3s firewire based networking worked fine, but was a hassle and required buying proprietary equipment to use. GT4 only worked (officially) on a LAN and we found even that was pretty flaky. GT5P works well but you can only play against random Internet folk and not just challenge your friends to a race. Without multiplayer, I'd probably rate this a 3-4 as while it looks pretty but gets dull and tedious fairly quickly with no real incentives to keep playing. But the multiplayer does make the game more fun. Sadly it doesn't appear to support gameshare so you do all need a copy.

Adam K gave it a10:
Gran Turismo for PSP is a totally new game, one that is solely about the driving. No rush to finish the game, buy your favourite cars and go racing or drifting. With the limited purchase from 5 manufactures you experience cars you would have missed before. Passing the license tests does provide some new features but if you don't want, don't do it. The game never has you race anything you don't want to. It's brilliant, at first I was disappointed when I read what people described as a lack lustre game, but it is so much more fun without what one reviewer called the grind of career mode( he meant it positively). The game gives you total freedom with amazing cars, that's how it should always have been.

James D gave it a7:
Gran Turismo on the PSP is a slick package with relatively impressive visuals and a lot of content in terms of tracks and cars. However,with no career mode, no long lasting game modes and numerous problems with car collection makes it a solid if relatively unimpressive sim experience.

sam m gave it a9:
some critics seem to forget, what pocket gaming is all about. It doesnt need a carreer. because you don´t want to spent so much time in a pocket game. its a quik on the go game and does what its need to be doing. delivering a quik driving experiens on the go!!! If you want a carreer get a console. Why do critics always compare handheld game´s with console game´s. Sorry for the bad english. I´m dutch.

Roni Size gave it a6:
It's a watered-down version of GT4's 'Arcade Mode' (without the ability to choose your competition). It looks pretty nice (aside for the seam tearing and pixel flickering) and controls fairly well (TOCA on the PSP controls better), but not having any type of a career mode is just blasphemy - that's the essence of a Gran Turismo game! It seems like PD only had three people working on this and rushed them to push it out to retail.

CosmicBandito69 gave it a9:
Sure it doesn't have career mode, but it races like a dream. I never got far in career mode anyways in GT4. It was too hard driving those crummy slow cars. I like the automatically adjusting difficulty level. Trust me, turn off all of the driving enhancements (except maybe traction control) and it feels fantastic. There is tons of stuff to do, don't listen to the haters. I'll play GT5 for career mode. Most of the time you are trying to squeeze in a "quick" race or two or ten. How many people are going to invest hundreds of hours for a career mode on a portable?

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