Gran Turismo 2

• Release Date: December 17, 1999
• Genre: Racing
• Style: Sports Car Racing
• Similar Games: Gran Turismo (PlayStation), Need for Speed: High Stakes (PlayStation), R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 (PlayStation), Sports Car GT (PlayStation), Gran Turismo 3 A-spec (PlayStation 2)

Game Description

Gran Turismo took the PlayStation to new graphical standards. It also advanced the racing genre with its inclusion of full Arcade and Simulation modes. Along with the two modes of play, players also found themselves with an abundance of cars (new and used), tracks and car settings. Gran Turismo 2 takes everything in the original and adds to it with more cars, more tracks, more car manufacturers and even rally racing. Replays can be saved to a memory card and unlike the original, viewed from camera angles selected by the user.

Arcade mode has players racing each track on a variety of difficulty settings. Winning on each setting will release new cars and tracks. Every car featured in the complete game will not be found in this mode, but instead only a select group. However, this time around players are now allowed to use the cars that have been purchased and modified in Simulation mode. This mode has another connection to Arcade mode as well: obtaining licenses will unlock tracks in Arcade mode. Time Trial, Ghost Car, Replay Theater and Rally modes are also included in Arcade mode, however rally mode exists only as a time trial here. In order to race against opponents on rally tracks, players will have to purchase a rally car in Simulation mode.



After trying out the Arcade mode, users can pop the second disc into their PlayStation and try out Simulation mode. Simulation mode starts players off with a set number of credits (Gran Turismo's money system) with which to purchase a car and car parts. There are a few new cars that can be purchased with the starting credits, but the majority of cars that fall in this price range are used. After choosing a car and/or upgrading it, players cannot necessarily enter a race. First they will have to obtain at least one of the six licenses (only five are available from the beginning). Players of the original Gran Turismo can avoid the license tests if they have a memory card containing their saved data from the original game. Gran Turismo 2 can read the data from the first game and automatically award you the licenses that were obtained.

License tests typically place players on a stretch of track and give them a goal that must be met. Goals include such challenges as coming to a complete stop in a designated area before the time limit expires, and completing a full lap of a track within a time limit. Demonstrations of each license test have been included for those drivers who have difficulty passing the tests. Each individual license allows players to enter particular races. The highest license level will in turn open up the races with the largest credit prizes. Plus, as a bonus, if a player earns gold standing in all of the tests of a single license, a special car will be awarded.

*Gran Turismo 2} features over 400 cars. Many of the cars are simply different models of the same type of car but there is still a large variety due to the inclusion of more than 35 car manufacturers. Also, while taking the cars for a spin users will be treated to music by such artists as Garbage, Foo Fighters, Soul Coughing, The Cardigans and Beck.

Roots & Influences

Gran Turismo is the primary influence on its sequel. While the original broke new ground on the PlayStation, Gran Turismo 2's gameplay, graphics, and interface remain almost identical to the original. More licensing has been obtained though, as more car manufacturers are included as are 11 songs by well-known artists.

Review: Overall

Gran Turismo blew me away and quickly became one of my favorite games of all time. I couldn't believe the level of realism, number of cars and impressive graphics. Therefore, my hopes were quite high for the sequel as I could not wait to see what Polyphony Digital had up their sleeve. Unfortunately, once I got my hands on Gran Turismo 2, and after witnessing the awesome introduction, I quickly discovered that they didn't have much. Perhaps that is too harsh as this is definitely a great game, but it is so similar to the original that I can't help but be slightly disappointed. If you want to know how this game plays, all you really need to do is read a review of Gran Turismo. There are some new features and I will discuss them, but at its heart Gran Turismo 2 is Gran Turismo with more cars and more tracks.

Let me start with Arcade mode. One thing I loved about Gran Turismo was that the Arcade mode and Simulation mode were like two separate games. The Arcade mode, despite the lack of depth when compared to the Simulation mode, held its own as I found it to be more enjoyable than full versions of some other racing titles. However, in Gran Turismo 2 the developers have linked both modes together, and in my opinion this hurts the game. All tying the two modes together does is take away from an Arcade experience. Playing an Arcade mode is supposed to mean that a level of realism is removed, but here users should not need to worry about driving to perfection. Unfortunately, in order to release many of the tracks in this mode you will first need to go to Simulation mode and get your driver's licenses.

Another feature is the ability to use cars that have been purchased and modified in Simulation mode. Some players will definitely find this to be a plus, but I believe this is another feature that detracts from the Arcade mode. The challenge in Arcade mode comes from having a limited selection of cars with which to defeat the computer. That challenge is eliminated when you can go into Simulation mode and find the car you need to win an Arcade mode race.

Yet another new feature to Arcade mode (as well as Simulation mode) is rally racing. First of all, don't view rally racing as a full mode of play, it is just a little extra thrown in for some added replay value. In Arcade mode, rally racing is nothing more than time trials that players perform on their own with no competition. While Simulation mode does contain full races, you won't be getting to them any time soon if you wish to use an actual rally car, that is (regular cars can be modified to race off-road). Rally cars are listed as special editions for each manufacturer that includes them. Basically, this means that they will cost you at least 500,000 credits -- a number of credits that will take more than a few wins to reach.

Also, the only off-road conditions to be experienced are dirt and mud as there are no tracks with snow or ice. Oddly enough, I found it easier to control a car on dirt than on pavement. The controls are fine and react greatly during both rally and road races, but a level of realism was left out of the rally racing. One other new feature to the series that can be turned on is car damage. The damage greatly impacts your ability to control a car but unfortunately, I couldn't find any cosmetic damage.

Simulation mode is what this game is built around and is where the game shines the most. There are so many cars that choosing which one to buy next is probably the biggest challenge you will face. However, your first car will most likely be a Japanese car because they are the only manufacturers that sell used cars. Gran Turismo 2's list of cars is impressive and most users probably won't even have the chance to try out 90 percent of the cars in the game. More special editions have been included as well as concept cars that are not available for purchase. In order to complete every race you will have to purchase at least one car from each region of the world as most races have restrictions. Some races might require you to have an American car; some might require a specific license; and some may require you to have a car with limited power.

So many more races exist in this sequel, therefore completing the whole game is going to take a very long time. Individual manufacturers have their own races for specific car models too. An added plus is that players will have statistics tracked for them. You can check out your winning percentage, your average place finish, and even the percentage of the game that is complete. A wheel shop has been added as well where players can purchase rims, and while they do not impact your car's performance, they do look cool.

Graphically, Gran Turismo 2 does not look much different from Gran Turismo. Gran Turismo set new graphical standards for the PlayStation but it does not appear as if the developers wanted to do the same with the sequel. Perhaps they reached the system's limits or their own. In any case, tracks do include more background details such as more advertisements, trees, grandstands, and just about everything else. They do come at a price though, as pop-up does occur somewhat frequently and seams can be seen in some of the backgrounds. None of the glitches impact gameplay but they are noticeable. Cars look perfect on the menu screens while a little grainy and blocky during gameplay. Still, for the PlayStation they are nicely done. Replays are still fun to watch and can be viewed from a number of camera angles. One minor complaint is that the text is still too small on car descriptions.

The sound department was upgraded the most in the way of music. Engines and squealing tires are still top-notch but it is the music that will grab your attention. Some of my favorite artists are included: Garbage, Foo Fighters and Beck; so I was certainly pleased. If you are not a fan of alternative and hard rock music then you may be turned off, but you can always opt to turn the music off. One problem with the music is that only 11 songs were included. This may seem like plenty, but due to the length of the game you will be hearing the same songs over and over again.

From my review you might think the game has many flaws but it really doesn't. The main problem is that all of the new additions advance the original Gran Turismo by very little. More cars and tracks add a ton of replay value but that is about it. Gran Turismo 2 feels more like an expansion pack than a new game.

For gamers who never played the original, this game is a must have as it will introduce them to one of the best PlayStation game series and definitely the best racing series on the system. Fans of the original, like myself, will also love this game and get a great deal of gameplay out of it. I only wish something new and exciting could have been added. Gran Turismo 2 is an impressive game, just not an impressive sequel.

Review: Enjoyment

The number of cars steals the show. Players should be able to find plenty of cars they enjoy driving... One of the best racing games -- if not the best -- on the PlayStation.

Review: Graphics

They are exceptional for the PlayStation but they do not look a lot different from Gran Turismo. There are a few glitches here and there but they can be overlooked, as they do not impact gameplay. The introduction sequence is very slick and worth watching every time you load the game (it can only be found on the Arcade disc, however).

Review: Sound

The game has realistic sound effects and music by a number of top musical artists.

Review: Replay Value

A multitude of tracks and car settings will keep the game from getting old. All of the cars and races will also keep gamers coming back for more.

Review: Documentation

There are two large manuals, one a user manual and the other a reference manual. Over 100 pages of information yet they didn't include a list of cars! It would have been very useful if they listed the cars and car prices as well as told users which manufacturers have used cars and which ones sell rally cars.

Production Credits

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)