Gran Turismo HD

By Tom Bramwell Published 31 May, 2006

A few quick thoughts. Admittedly slow to the grid.

For Gran Turismo's many fans, the game's realisation on PlayStation 3 can't come quickly enough. The build up to the last two GT games (A-Spec and 4, mind - if we counted all the stopgaps we'd probably stall) has seen all manner of impressive visual chicanery in every sense, with demo reels that were always in-game but always overshot the finished article by a good few thousand pixels. The problem was resolution, as much as anything, and there's no question that Gran Turismo on PS3 will embrace its 1920x1080 progressive scan resolution as warmly as anything.

Even by simply appropriating GT4's assets in higher resolution, Gran Turismo HD - not just shown off at E3 but apparently constructed specifically for the purpose of showing off at E3 - gave us a taste of what Kazunori Yamauchi and his Polyphony Digital development team have in mind, and while few would claim it blew the competition away, few would contest the claim that PS3 was the ideal platform for all the sexy showcases Kaz 'n co. have spent the last decade teasing us with. Only this time, it's for real.

Purring along at 60 frames per second, Gran Turismo HD swept those immensely impressive old-days aerial shots of the Grand Canyon background into real-time, and in the process demonstrated that Polyphony was already in pole position in some senses - but perhaps without the hardware behind the screen to match the hardware on it. That rally track also spoke of much livelier trackside detail than we've seen even in next-gen racers like PGR3. A feast of flashbulbs, the Grand Canyon had large volumes of PS2-style spectators milling around, shuffling off-track just as the race got to them and a good range of crowd movement, including folks simply wandering back and forth between corners, to add a bit of variety. It is just the backdrop to the race, but the simple steps taken here bade well and put PGR3's well-intentioned but ultimately lifeless spectators to shame.

'Gran Turismo HD' Screenshot 1

For once, it's fair to say the shots don't quite match the spectacle. Grand Canyon was very impressive.

On the track, the resolution immediately brought the best out of the source material - with Nurburgring's Nordschleife probably matching PGR3's directly comparable efforts, while Circuit de la Sarthe and Tokyo R246 gave us a taste of more traditional race environments, with far more detail going into the track and the trackside than we're used to.

In a sense though, the use of older material also undermined the symbolism of the frame rate and resolution. While tales of Bizarre's struggle to realise true 720p resolutions at an acceptable frame rate were rife around the time of Xbox 360's launch, GT HD's lower-resolution car models barely compare in close-up, all handsome reflections and sleek bodywork but low on depth, while the track is undoubtedly detailed but ultimately still quite barren and looking a bit sterile. The open-wheel racers, to note one point, won't lock wheels the way that similar cars do in Codemasters' TOCA Race Driver 3, betraying a cushioning effect that kept the cars - still devoid of damage modelling, as is tradition - at a firm arm's length from each other at all times.

As a tech demo, which is surely all it was, GT HD demonstrated as much marketing as technical savvy. Accepting praise was easy, while any criticism was easily offset by a simple shrug - it's just a demo after all. And there's a sense that if this is just small steps for Polyphony, the larger ones taken by Gran Turismo next-gen could be anything. We'd love to see proper pie-in-the-sky features, like deformable gravel traps in line with the persistent terrain of MotorStorm and SEGA Rally next-gen, and it's not hard to imagine this stuff is being debated back home in Japan. Along with, you know, imaginative ideas.

'Gran Turismo HD' Screenshot 2

All present and correct then. As were our rubbish lap-times.

For now though, GT HD is a very traditional showcase - complete with rigidly unimaginative computer-controlled opposition and handling and controls thoroughly consistent with its direct predecessor. Indeed, the biggest change beyond graphics was felt - or not - with the loss of rumble, which was definitely peculiar after so much vibration in past GTs.

Although that is, of course, to rather ignore the addition of motorbikes into the mix. With Tourist Trophy, its first stab at crotch-rockets, firmly (and appropriately) under its belt, bikes were seen lining up alongside the cars at E3, and although the camera was quick to cut away in the event of a spill it'll still be enough to whet some appetites. It'd certainly justify some new licence tests - and we all know how popular those are down Polyphony way.

In the end it was hard to take anything all that substantive away from GT HD, as you're probably realising. It's naive to expect it to simply disappear - we'd be thoroughly unsurprised if it showed up pre-installed on PlayStation 3 hard disks or something like that - and it's similarly naive to take cues about how Gran Turismo next-gen will look and perform based on how this largely GT4-era range of visuals ran on vastly superior hardware. For all its casual, shoulders-back approach to the demo - particularly during the conference - Sony can be relatively pleased with what Polyphony managed, but the real proof of Gran Turismo's next-gen vision will be in what the real game does to reinvent itself - and that's something we probably won't know a great deal about until Tokyo Game Show at the earliest. Ultimately, how that relates to this will be more telling than how this demo went down with the E3 cynics.

Gran Turismo HD is considered a prototype, but in a statement chucked out during E3 creator Kazunori Yamauchi said, "The wait for the next generation of Gran Turismo, post launch of PS3, may not be as long as you think." All eyes on TGS then, or perhaps even Leipzig's Game Convention.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (67) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • BLACKSHEEP #1 6 years ago

    Just enough time to save for that monster 1080p screen then ;)

  • weaselrat #2 6 years ago

    This is not going to be that ground breaking in terms of graphics but as long as it plays half as good as the others it should be fine.

  • phAge #3 6 years ago

    ^^^^ YES! \o/

  • JediMasterMalik #4 6 years ago

    Thank god they didn't make the mistake of calling GTHD the next GT. \o/

    At least some journo's are on the ball. :)

    Edit - though the pics are still grouped together. :(
    Edited by 1 at 31/05/06 @ 11:43

  • space_ace #5 6 years ago

    meh

  • Balסּr #6 6 years ago

    They have a helluva way to go before this game is decent; and I'm not talking about the piss-poor visuals. Decent AI - scratch that - any AI at all will do, damage modelling, online play and pretty much all the reasons that make Forza the superior sim to play.

    They should ditch the 1080p, too. No one will be able to utilise that anytime soon, they will be better off spending the resources on giving their renderer a more next gen update, because as it stands GTHD is looking decidedly poor to be a 'real next gen' game.

  • jonchoo #7 6 years ago

    So next generation graphic is an old engine output to Hi-res. Why didn't they just show pong in HD?

  • Vin #8 6 years ago

    Good LORD. This game couldn't be more boring if it TRIED.

  • drumbaby #9 6 years ago

    "Why didn't they just show pong in HD? "

    Rockstar got there first. ;)

  • KillerMonkey #10 6 years ago

    Needs more in-car views.

  • #11 6 years ago

    Don't know if this is old news but here goes.

    Looks like CryEngine 2 is destined for PS3.

    [url]http://www.crytek.de/inside_crytek/item.php?id=42& s=jobs&pID=4[/url]

  • El_MUERkO #12 6 years ago

    I'd rather 1080p TOCA2 than 1080p GT4, Gran Turismo is at its best when no other cars are on the circuit cause when they arrive the game starts to unravel, the sense of realism is spoiled by useless AI and dire physics.

    Way back when Polyphony stated there was no damage model in GT cause the car companies wouldnt licence to people who were going to crash them. Well now with a dozen other games doing everything from crashing them to blowing them up to creaming pedestrians with them it just doesnt ring true.

    They're going for simulation, well thats what I want and dammit if I roll my imprezza on a rally stage I want the wheels to fly off and the onlookers to run in fear as the car flips violently into a tree.

  • Valver #13 6 years ago

    re: the simple steps taken here bade well and put PGR3's well-intentioned but ultimately lifeless spectators to shame.

    Err, all PGR3s spectators are 3D models rather than cardboard cutouts, and they move about and take photos - and if you hit the barrier near them they all back away going "woah"! Hardly lifeless.

  • BartonFink #14 6 years ago

    Maybe they should think of finishing the last game first before moving on to this.

    I wonder what the chances of a) seeing this any time in the next two years b) getting a full game this time c) a bit of AI would be an idea d) some damage modeling, are?

    It is rather shiny though.

  • gizmo #15 6 years ago

    Tech demos are Sooooooooooooo different to actual games, the physics, AI, input and processing all take up so much processor power.

    It'll be the normal Sony overpromise, under deliver.

  • Twinfalls #16 6 years ago

    HOORAY I CAN PLAY A TEN YEAR OLD GAME THAT'S EXACTLY THE SAME ONLY IN HI-REZ AND I GET TO PAY 10,000 DOLLARS ON TECH FOR THE PRIVILEGE

  • brokenkey #17 6 years ago

    All I want do know is...does it have Real Time Gear Change for Massive Acceleration?

  • Wrestlevania #18 6 years ago

    Mixing bikes with sportscars would be fantastic, especially if this carries across all racing disciplines - road, track, rally, etc. - perhaps with different routes through each course depending on what kind of vehicle you're using. For example, when rallying cars and bikes together, the main track (for the cars) might circumvent a hill in the middle of the course, whilst 'crossers would be able to charge up and over the thing on a dirt track.

    It has the potential to be really exciting, so I hope Sony and Polyphony are able to realise this (assuming mixed car/bike racing is the plan). If they do, GT-HD will be enough to give the PS3 serious cotention for that most covetted shelf in my TV cabinet.

  • Beano #19 6 years ago

    Why "First Impressions" of a tech demo ?

    Gran Turismo HD is ONLY a (playable) tech demo made for E3 and not an actual game...

  • TripSkyway #20 6 years ago

    The videos I saw looked great, GT4 was a great looking game, and this looked understandably sharper. I imagine when they make a real game it will look stunning.

  • Skooch #21 6 years ago

    "Indeed, the biggest change beyond graphics was felt - or not - with the loss of rumble, which was definitely peculiar after so much vibration in past GTs"

    Interesting....

  • richardiox #22 6 years ago

    "So next generation graphic is an old engine output to Hi-res. Why didn't they just show pong in HD? "

    Well, I thought that the Jap version of GT4 outputted in 720p @ 60fps anyway? So for now at least, all the extra horsepower of the PS3 is just taking it up to 1080p which most of us wont ever get a chance to use anyway.

  • bad #23 6 years ago

    It'll be interesting to see what it looks like when it's actually running on a PS3, rather than a PC.
    Edited by 3 at 31/05/06 @ 12:45

  • Xephon70 #24 6 years ago

    "Ultimately, how that relates to this will be more telling than how this demo went down with the E3 cynics."

    Wow, where are we going to find some E3 cynics? :p

  • armyourfists #25 6 years ago

    I must admit that the addition of bikes does have me interested.

  • king_skins #26 6 years ago

    It is just the backdrop to the race, but the simple steps taken here bade well and put PGR3's well-intentioned but ultimately lifeless spectators to shame.

    Eurogamer, you did notice that most of the crowd in the Grand Canyon track was actually card board cutouts?

  • glaeken #27 6 years ago

    @Hansi320

    So CryEngine 2 is destined for PS3? All that site says is that CryTek develop games for PC and next gen consoles. Nothing specific to the PS3 or the 360.

    They have already said that they have no plans for Crisis, the game based on CryEngine 2, to appear on any console at this stage. Though normally such things are followed a month or so later by an anouncement of the exact oposite.

    Anyway if they do take the console plunge it will be PS3 and 360 unless MS or Sony bung them a big bag of money.

  • Stormflood. #28 6 years ago

    @bad

    Those 'PCs' are commonly known as a devkits. Just like the Apple G5's MS used to demo XBox 360 games at E3'05. But the Inquirer wouldn't know a devkit from a box of chocolates...


  • reality_cheque #29 6 years ago

    If I have to start the next GT with a Fiat Uno I'll be taking it straight back to the shop.

    2nd hand car market FTW! :D

  • Rodster #30 6 years ago

    Sony still can't give us a true in car view and this is the 5th installment. I guess that means the same rubbish AI then, no thanks.

    Ok folks nothing to see here move along. :p

  • Rambaldi #31 6 years ago

    Great. So now it can be dull in HD too.

    /sticks in PGR3

  • Darren #32 6 years ago

    I remember being gobsmacked that Sony chose to demo Gran Turismo HD for over 20 minutes at E3. It was a big mistake as it was so boring to watch I was practically falling asleep. It showed that Sony were more concerned with wowing people with technical specs (i.e. 1080p) than actual gameplay itself.

    Surely Polyphony Digital could have knocked up a PROPER PS3 demo of Gran Turismo 5, seeing as they showed the trailer for the game at last year's E3...

  • Beano #33 6 years ago

    "It'll be interesting to see what it looks like when it's actually running on a PS3, rather than a PC. "

    BS... it was running on a PS3 dev. kit which may look (to some people) like a PC.

  • jlaakso #34 6 years ago

    I'm not a graphics whore by any stretch of the imagination, but at least in the still shots, GT HD is looking a bit crap really. Certainly nothing I'm looking forward to. Like, I wouldn't ever compare it to Test Drive Unlimited or something else along those lines.

    Well, there's still plenty of time to make it work.

  • NoCodeNed2 #35 6 years ago

    jlaakso - I think you might want to read the article - it's not a game, it's a tech demo - it'll never work. let it go, put it from your mind. it's for the best.

  • Talha #36 6 years ago

    @jlaakso: That's because it was using GT4 assets. IMHO, GT4 running on the humble PS2 still looks better than 95% of racing games out there, so it will be a disappointment if GT HD falls below expectations.

    Much more than graphics, though, GT needs better AI and damage modeling. Without both it's going nowhere fast. Those are big words, coming from a certified GT junkie ;-)

  • chronom4n #37 6 years ago

    As much as i adore the GT franchise, i have to admit that my interest inthe game will lie with GT4. I have played it since the first jap release and all the way the thing that i have always been impressed with is the car modellng, replays and set-ups. But then i gave Forza a go. and although i did not like it as much as GT in terms of car modelling, front end presentation, replays (which by the way are really dire) but the sense of speed is quite good, the most amazing thing i encountered was the Suggested line. Now this feature, i feel needs to be implemented in all racing games. other features i did enjoy was the telemetry on suspension, tyre wear, torque whish Gt does not offer. But the best thing about Forza was the AI. They are clever to the point where if you are used the the bland AI that is GT, then this is like a breath of fresh air. It is in these areas that GT needs to focus on. If Forza took the replays off of GT then I think the game that would take me onto the next gen would be FM. Oh and the fact that Forza should have a steering wheel identical to performance like the Logitech Dual Force Pro. If PD do not implement crash damage, mechanical damage, envioronmental effects, surrounding details.. inother words making the game world just like the real world than it can be truly said that PD have not been listening to gamers. not just covering up and saying that they were not allowed to do something due to licensing regs or whatever else they can BS with. I have seen forza2 screens and it looks mighty impressive. I hope that i have not bored anyone with my long comments but, if no one at PD/SONY do not improve on a game which fundamentally has not changed since 1997 than they have lost a long time lover of the game.
    Edited by 1 at 31/05/06 @ 17:04

  • lambtron #38 6 years ago

    If they ever manage to add online to a GT game that would make a big difference - certainly solve the problem of the completely boring AI. But the series is starting to feel very very stale. GT4 too often feels monotonous - and that's to do with design decisions primarily. Making you drive dull cars for certain events etc. I drive dull cars every day of my life - I don't want to do it in a game too.

  • sonmi451 #39 6 years ago

    GT should be showing off nextgen graphics, AI, damage, and collision.

    hi-res HD should be core technology and not a marketing campaign.

  • Beano #40 6 years ago

    And it's still only a tech demo...

  • lennon #41 6 years ago

    Dont forget Sony havent told us we can start watching HD yet. ;)

    /Sits looking at his Sky HD box wondering when PH will let me turn it on.

  • smelly #42 6 years ago

    Am I right in my understanding this is the SAME game as previous GT but with prettier graphics?!?

    And people slag off nintendo for overuse of the same ip!!!??

  • DrDamn #43 6 years ago

    @Smelly No you are not right, though I suspect you know that already. It is a tech demo, not a game.

    As for Nintendo IP overuse. The criticism applies to shoehorning Mario into every tossing game, not simply subsequent releases of the same game.

  • gth #44 6 years ago

    Looks like all Xbox fans are pissed that it runs at 1080p...something the 360 is unable to do.

  • Talha #45 6 years ago

    @Smelly: This is only the FIFTH instalment in the series (as opposed to 76th), and each and every one has offered a wide variety of cars and tracks. GT claims nothing more than providing you a lot of cars and tracks to play with - it certainly doesn't claim to re-invent gaming. Graphics are what make a driving game, and enjoying prettier graphics is a natural human trait. So I fail to see the problem here, and above all, what ANY of this has to do with Ninty.

  • smelly #46 6 years ago

    DrDam didnt know that! Soz!

    @gth : Come off it.. Is it REALLY that important?

    I still have yet to see the point of hidef for normal tv, i've never watched eastenders and wanted to see pat butchers earrings in higher details. And never hve i thought that my tv programs looked pixelated (a bit drunk maybe, not pixelated).

    But yet, i DO see games and think they look pixelated. Maybe we need to concentrate on getting games running well in low def before moving over to new tech just because we can?


    Edited by 1 at 31/05/06 @ 14:30

  • Xerx3s #47 6 years ago

    ""Why didn't they just show pong in HD? "

    Rockstar got there first. ;)"

    LOL.

    Im almost affraid to ask, but is there even a small chance that EG will give GoW impressions? DONT HIT ME!

    /runs for the hills

  • smelly #48 6 years ago

    Graphics are what make a driving game, and enjoying prettier graphics is a natural human trait.

    WTF!?!? Erm, I think you need to replace the word "human" with "geek" there.

  • DrDamn #49 6 years ago

    It think the driving engine / handling is the most important part of a driving game, but graphics are always a big part of new driving games.

    1080p was important because a lot of people said the PS3 couldn't realistically do it. This proves it can, but if you aren't using proper hi-def textures etc you could argue it is a fairly pointless proof.

    Not sure I follow your arguement on low-def/hi-def Smelly. If you introduce displays capable of displaying more pixels then things will obviously get less pixelated. Sounds like a man standing in the way of progress he can't afford yet ;-). Though extra pixels is only part of the solution. With the new displays comes extra clarity which means flaws are exposed that were previously hidden.
    Edited by 1 at 31/05/06 @ 14:47

  • T4RG4 #50 6 years ago

    For the mighty lords sake - GT with better graphics, for what? The millionth time? Blast, cat shit and poop everywhere I hate these guys now.

    I'll buy it IF I have a PS3 yes... but I dont respect them anymore. Same story everytime, they dont do anything different. I know its a racing game blah blah, but they could make the AI competition actually compete for a start.

    Bobbins.

  • Collie #51 6 years ago

    How many versions of GT will there be before they include an AI that realises it's a racing game, and not some kind of linear bumper-car fest?

  • kangarootoo #52 6 years ago

    @T4RG4

    LOL, thats a great post. Its like you opened your brain and all the thoughts just spilled out. I mean that in a good way. And +3 for use of an isolated use of the word "bobbins".

    :)

  • drumbaby #53 6 years ago

    Will this version even be online?

  • DrDamn #54 6 years ago

    @drumbaby

    What "this version"? This tech demo? Why would they make a tech demo that is online?


  • Steroyd #55 6 years ago

    maybe to test their online capabilities?

    come to think about it during Sony's press conference didn't they ask people to beta test GTHD's online or something.

  • valli #56 6 years ago

    read the a r t i c l e before posting

    kthnxbye

  • redd #57 6 years ago

    ps2 already ran gt4 at 1080i so this is pretty much the worst example they could have got.

  • Steroyd #58 6 years ago

    it didn't run 1080i natively though...

  • yagisencho #59 6 years ago

    Tired. Boring. Predictable. I played GT4 for two weeks straight, and there wasn't an ounce of racing involved. But then, I suppose that's why they call it a 'driving simulator'.

    I already have a real car for driving. What I don't have is a racing license and people to race against. And GT provides a piss-poor simulation to that end. In low or high resolution.

  • Talha #60 6 years ago

    @Smelly: Whoa. Now I have to be a GEEK in order to justify my enjoyment of better graphics.

    So be it - it is not that high a price. ;-)

  • DJ12 #61 6 years ago

    This won't be what they release, GT4 and Tourist Trophy will both be playable and upscaled into 720p by the PS3 anyway.

    It would be an absolute rip-off to try and charge people for what they showed at E3 (just GT4 with bikes at a higher resolution)

    Sure it may load quicker with HDD caching, but I'd sooner wait and save myself £50

  • MaxiSleep #62 6 years ago

    gth said

    "Looks like all Xbox fans are pissed that it runs at 1080p...something the 360 is unable to do".

    Heya troll.

  • T4RG4 #63 6 years ago

    Now... if they released a new GT game AND it had bikes in it too... multiplayer race, bike against car on the Nurburgring... that'd be of interest.

    But wait, my crystal ball say's they'll not add anything new to future versions of GT. Perhaps seperate bike and car sims, but argh, I want to race both together.

    If anyone from Polyphony is reading this - the AI in the game is crap, and has been since the first game was released. You are shit, try harder.

  • tengu #64 6 years ago

    ""Looks like all Xbox fans are pissed that it runs at 1080p...something the 360 is unable to do".

    Heya troll."

    Hey, it's a true statement when alls said and done. And looking some of the more trollish comments in here... Xbox fanboys, oh yes.

  • EGBartonFink #65 6 years ago

    Tengu is indeed right but hands up who has a TV capable of displaying 1080p ;)
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/06 @ 18:57

  • chaosinthesnow #66 6 years ago

    Was I watching the same demo as the guys at EG? I mean suggesting that the spectators in the game were in any way lifelike is laughable. They behave with only weak AI, which ends up making them less believable than if they simply had them standing still and cheering as the cars go past. Also the fact that they seem to randomly freeze mid animation and then stay frozen doesn't help. The spectators were infact so bad that I was unable to take my eyes off them whenever they were on screen.

  • miiiguel #67 6 years ago

    So this is the real next-gen... .

    And it's cheap also, all we have to buy is a PS3 wich will cost about 650Eur, and a 1080p capable TV that costs 2500Eur. plus tha game that'll cost 80Eur, 3230Eur - a real bargain!, too bad I have this nasty habit of having to eat every day... .
    Edited by 3 at 06/06/06 @ 13:19