Remember that game that Sony has been advertising since 2006? Do you know that new technology that most of us can’t afford? Well, both were on hand at the PlayStation booth. How is the marriage? Read on to find out.
Not only did Sony bring out Gran Turismo 5 connected to a Bravia 3DTV, but they also had a full racing bucket to play it with. You know, the whole seat plus pedals plus steering wheel setup. Score, right? You got that right! Once through the slow moving line, I finally got my chance to see if a couple fables turn out to be as great as they say.
The first thing I realized when throwing on the 3D active glasses is how dark the room got. I was immediately turned off by this. Just look at a pair of the newfangled 3D spectacles and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Once the pre-race screens loaded, the picture did look better, but was still darker than it was when I was observing from in line.
I’ve played every main iteration of Gran Turismo and felt that this version was “meh”. This phrase may be a bit overused, but GT5 feels like more of the same. The graphics look great, but not mind blowing. The sound was good, but don’t reflect a game that’s been worked on for around 5 years. Driving simulators have been losing their luster in respect to mass consumption, and the fifth complete PlayStation version may share the same fate as others. If you’re not already a driving simulator fan, it is unlikely that GT5 will change that.
On to the 3D
Simple and plain, 3D had no effect in how I played the game and only little in the general experience. The depth effects weren’t dramatic enough to “wow” me, and once my eyes settled, I didn’t even notice it anymore. I actually had to consciously think about the fact that the game was in 3D to be able to see it again. I understand the novelty value of the extra dimension, but am far from being able to recommend dropping the cash to anyone…even those with plenty of spare cash.
You may be questioning my opinion because I only played one game, but this is the game that has been a flagship for the entire PlayStation line and should be nothing less than spectacular, especially since a full game of the series has yet to come out during the current generation of consoles. If there is any game that has no room for error, it is Gran Turismo 5; and it did nothing to sell me on 3D gaming…or even a PlayStation 3 for that matter.
