Gran Turismo 4 Prologue Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 27 May, 2004

A limited edition - in more ways than one - but it's hard not to appreciate what Polyphony Digital is doing.

Version tested: PlayStation 2

Order yours now from Simply Games.

"Gran Turismo 4 Prologue is an exclusive 'Advanced Skills School', designed with the most ambitious drivers in mind. It provides an opportunity to prepare for the imminent challenge of GT4 - an essential test-drive for potential champions." Signed, Kazunori Yamauchi.

Gran Turismo is traditionally associated with glorious visuals and a strict racing model, and Prologue certainly keeps up the tradition, but it's the manner in which it does so that may initially frustrate - and that arguably betrays Yamauchi's front-of-the-box pledge. It's immediately clear that we're dealing with a different breed of racer to the rank and file - where even the slightest mistake is punished by complete failure, and the traditional racing game rules are largely ignored in favour of a more realistic and consequently much more difficult racing model - but that's true of every Gran Turismo game.

Whatever the changes to the handling (and it's certainly a bit different), GT vets are going to be able to pick up on them fairly quickly. As such, the decision to send us all back to GT's version of primary school, forcing us to perform the same old stop-start routine on straight bits of track and telling us for the umpteenth time how to make our way around various corners, feels a bit misjudged. Kind of like dragging the whole class back a few years because little Jimmy can't do his multiplication tables. They can try to placate us by parading Vicki Butler-Henderson around on the Bonus DVD (be strong), and letting us opt straight for a time trial on any of the game's five tracks or racing against a few cars on a selection of them, but there's no escaping the fact that the real meat of Prologue is locked away in School Mode - and quite a way beyond the opening burnouts. And that's before we get onto whether there's enough meat overall.

Revision

'Gran Turismo 4 Prologue' Screenshot 1

School Mode - home to all the license tests - consists of 40 assorted challenges, some big, some small, which focus on every aspect of mastering the game's strict racing model - from simple things like braking distances and dealing with wide hairpins to more exotic challenges like double-apex corners, drifting round dirt track hairpins and racing off the start without traction control. Depending on the player's driving capacity, completing the challenge results in a different medal - where bronze is typically fairly easy to secure, silver is a bit harder but perfectly attainable, and gold requires a lot more effort.

The game's 'Arcade' mode, meanwhile, is little more than a time trial, allowing us to race round each of the game's five tracks using cars unlocked elsewhere, and take on a few AI controlled opponents on a selection of them. That means there's no question whatsoever of multiplayer or anything more exotic like high score uploads - even though GT4 will include such features. Nor is there any element of performance tuning - some of the license test challenges involve cars built around a particular balance (front engine and rear-wheel drive, for example), and you can turn off traction control and sometimes opt for different tyres, but there's no garage here and no method of tweaking any of the performance options. Doubly disappointing for veterans of previous titles.

Tourism

'Gran Turismo 4 Prologue' Screenshot 2

However once the player overcomes the initial disappointment of having to do all the things he or she has been doing in each of the previous Gran Turismos all over again, the rest of the package arguably makes up the distance. The five tracks were perhaps chosen for their diversity, each calling upon different skills and all very challenging in individual ways, whether it's the tightening blind corners of a steep hillside street course in Italy, the 90-degree turns in New York, the S-bends and hairpins of the two race tracks (Tsukuba and Fuji Speedway), or just the sheer difference of the rally option. Successful navigation of these is immensely satisfying, whether it's a box-shaped Toyota or a Dodge Viper rumbling under the thumbs.

The wealth of cars is another key factor - 64 in total are included, many of which have to be unlocked by making progress in School Mode. We're in no position to make a comment on the handling of most of them (although we'd welcome any offer to fly out and race cars with Polyphony - any chance, Sony?), but certainly, compared to each other and the way the same models are handled in other racing titles, it's a different kind of race whatever the car - the constants being the need to memorise track designs, consider the shape of corners and braking distances, and put up a level of sustained concentration that few if any other racing games would dare to command.

Tuning the driver

'Gran Turismo 4 Prologue' Screenshot 3

It's this more than anything that brings people back to Gran Turismo, and naturally it's key to Prologue's attraction. No other racing experience requires this much concentration, dexterity and in some cases mental stamina, but equally no other racer puts up such a convincing and consistent display and delivers the same sense of fulfilment when a difficult test finally yields. Through School Mode the game gradually exposes us to different components of a top driver's arsenal, and with each completed task it becomes easier to handle the collective rigours of five challenging courses.

But the question, really, is whether it ever becomes a learning experience for the average Gran Turismo addict, and fortunately the answer is probably yes. Unfortunately, it's a very subjective issue. There are at least several hours of key preparation here, as Yamauchi claims, for everyone - it's just a question of the level at which they start. For us, it was quite late on, and largely to do with overtaking manoeuvres (bashing other cars results in test failure, remember), and maintaining concentration over long periods. It took us several hours to complete a relatively simple 10-lap trip round Fuji Speedway, for example, even though Bronze didn't even require a fantastic drive - just a consistent one with minimal error.

Beyond that, time trials and single races against the AI won't be enough for everybody, but we spent many long hours attempting to nail decent times using our aggregated skills - certainly more hours than the average £20 game demands - and enjoyed retracing our steps through some of the individual license tests in search of Gold medals. Most gamers will soon find themselves religiously pummelling the same tests over and over in search of that elusive fractional improvement. It's definitely that sort of game.

Emotional Engines

'Gran Turismo 4 Prologue' Screenshot 4

It's also definitely a very pretty game, and part of our interest in playing it was borne of a desire to see those screenshots and movies in action, although ironically the available media probably doesn't do the game a huge favour - seen at the PS2's native res, rather than beefed up for presentation shots, the effect is notably less emphatic. It's still a mesmerising application of ageing PS2 technology though, building up a terrific sense of speed and authenticity, and it stands tall over its rivals.

Cars look gorgeous as they purr along, reflections and shadows dancing all over their magnificently detailed exteriors, which are all determinedly accurate thanks to Polyphony's association with the car manufacturers, while the tracks themselves are ridiculously good looking for the majority of the time. The texturing on the road surface is often of a very high standard by itself, and the way the sun glides over the bumpy tarmac with every turn improves the effect dramatically. What's more, each track has its own share of breathtaking moments - our favourite is probably the hairpin round a cliff edge on the rally course, particularly the way the shadowy underside of the rock face appears to scythe into the track as we approach.

Even the spectators are worth some praise - they may be largely static and quite flat, but some of them wave and some of them appear in front of the car snapping pics, leaping out of the way in the nick of time, and the effect is quite believable from the driving seat, even if it doesn't hold up particularly well under close scrutiny. On the whole the visuals are superb, as expected, and even the odd touch of clipping and pop-up makes little difference - a lot of PS2 racing game developers ought to hang their heads in shame after this.

The final straight...

It must be obvious by now that we have more good to say about Prologue than bad. There are many, many hours of gameplay here, and for those content to complete license tests and compete for Gold medals, and time trial their way around five diverse and entertaining courses, this is certainly worth the asking price. With a bonus DVD featuring a decent amount of Making Of and Behind The Scenes footage, it's arguably quite good value for money.

On the other hand though, a lot of people will be after racing, and Prologue simply doesn't offer enough of it. AI cars do feature in Arcade mode when toggled, and in the latter School Mode tests, but they're slow, spaced out and often fairly underpowered, and the lack of even a two-player mode means that hot-seating the 'Arcade' time trial is the most adventurous multiplayer possibility.

Furthermore, while it's true there is something in here for every manner of Gran Turismo fan, the delivery is arguably somewhat flawed, if only in terms of arrangement, and as a result many people will find that there's a lot here to enjoy, but also a lot to endure. A fitting conclusion would be that your mileage may vary, but that some measure of the journey will happily captivate you from now until Gran Turismo 4 eventually arrives. Ultimately though it's a question of how much tutelage you reckon you need.

Order yours now from Simply Games.

7 / 10

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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 (54) Latest comment 8 years ago

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

  • ssuellid #1 8 years ago

    I have had the Japanese version since it came out some months ago and I still play it now - so for me it was worth the money and it has a lot of replay value.

  • yegon #2 8 years ago

    Its not bad, and a decent taster, but charging good money for it? Pah, I played my pirate version for a couple of hours and then filed it away. I'll probably buy the full version though.

  • Nemesis #3 8 years ago

    Vicki Butler-Henderson.

    Sold!

    GT4:p is perfect for me as I've not really got into the GT series.

    Do you get any shimmer on GT4? Anyone? I just notice this with the PS2 and it's driving me bonkers. Xbox/GC are fine on the telly. Slung a component cable on the PS2 last night, so will see if this helps...

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #4 8 years ago

    "Apparently you can turn on opponents in the options menu. If so this review may require an up-date."

    Yep, sorry, that should have been reflected in the text - and now is!

  • valli #5 8 years ago

    Good review Mugwum. You mentioned no tweaking of the handling and it's true, except the tracking control which can be turned off, plus most of the cars have a choice of 3 different type of tyres.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #6 8 years ago

    I think I did mention the traction control can be turned off, but when I said tuning I was mainly referring to what we'd normally associate that with in GT. You can also obviously choose between AT and MT.

  • Spin_Dr_Wolf #7 8 years ago

    Thought i recognised the voice, but i couldn't quite place it.

    Prologue is kewl.

  • valli #8 8 years ago

    I was mainly referring to what we'd normally associate that with in GT.You're right, it makes sense now when I read the article again!Aren't you gonna join our Prologue competition then? :) *pimp mode off*

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #9 8 years ago

    I doubt I'll have time to get up to speed, sadly, what with moving house shortly and the various other games I have to cover soon. I'm taking a week off though shortly so maybe I'll spend the time caning it round GT4 :-)

  • Corben_Dallas #10 8 years ago

    KICK ASS!!! getting this Tommorrow :) [face_joy]

    Vicki Butler Hernderson - Top motoring Babe, Saw her in person @ Lemans 2002 and last year in Mondello Park BTCC. Feisty lil minx ]:)
    Excellent.
    Edited by 1 at 27/05/04 @ 16:29

  • kincaide #11 8 years ago

    !!YEAH!! A review! - things are getting back to normal on Eurogamer...

    Great review too Tom

    /smug grin/

  • martyngates #12 8 years ago

    no 60hz mode!!!

  • Feanor #13 8 years ago

    Do people expect GT 4 to have computer drivers with good AI as has been promised, or will they be as useless as the AI drivers in the first 3 editions? I am not going to buy a racing game released in late 2004 where the other drivers are mindless drones you bounce off of to get thru corners faster.

  • Freek #14 8 years ago

    "Gran Turismo 4 Prologue is an exclusive 'Advanced Skills School', designed with the most ambitious drivers in mind. It provides an opportunity to prepare for the imminent challenge of GT4 - an essential test-drive for potential champions."

    Translation:
    Sony wanted to make some cash out of a delayed game so we made a little upgraded demo.

  • chacha #15 8 years ago

    this makes me laff - it really does....
    i have the japanese version of prologue, and all i can say is that i am a bloody fool for buying it, cant believe sony have the bare faced nerve to charge for a demo (thats what it is if were honest).

    i have read on these forums recently about people flaming microsoft and bizzare creations for the premium content (i.e. that is charging for it) regarding Project Gotham Racing 2... i have downloaded the premium content and felt that was £3 well spent however paying for courses that will be in the final build of the game at an extortianate price just is not on
    Can't believe Sony can get away with this and it really does sicken me due to the fact that if this was the Big N or Microsoft doing this people would be in an uproar.

    ok thats it i have had my moan
    people if you are a Gt fan i would advise you to wait for the full version however if you cant wait then it is up to you, but dont say i never warne you

  • valli #16 8 years ago

    Thanks for the "warneing" chacha but if N and MS had a title with a similar fanbase, they would do exactely the same. Besides, Nintendo is re-releasing its old NES titles at almost full price without lifting a finger.

    It doesn't offer much more than a free demo but it seems like Sony found it's kind of hard to say no to free money, doesn't it?

  • Feanor #17 8 years ago

    It can't be a rip-off unless people are being conned into buying it. If people decide to pay the price then it is worth the price being charged, to them.

  • bungalooBunny #18 8 years ago

    People ARE being conned into buying it. This game has only been released because GT4 is so delayed Sony thought of a way to do this quick cash-in. Most people will see the name GT4 and buy it, without being aware this is a half-game.

    At least Sony could have had the decency of pricing this accordingly.

  • Talha #19 8 years ago

    Well I think it is just that Sony decided to give something to us in view of the delay of the game. It may sound like a rip-off but think of the risk they are taking!! Did you notice that every letter bashing Sony for this invariably assumes that they will buy GT4 too? I think that GT4 has been deliberately delayed to give the ageing PS2 one final triumphant sales push.

  • Scimarad #20 8 years ago

    Most people who buy this know exactly what it is - It is not a rip off...

    As to giving the ageing PS2 a boost, I really don't think it needs a boost.
    Edited by 1 at 28/05/04 @ 08:45

  • chacha #21 8 years ago

    come on people, no matter how you look at this....... its a bloody ripp off.

    the amount of people that have been moaning about the fact that you have to pay for premium content on xbox live (e.g. PGR2) to me just does not seem right, after all you are paying for a whole city and 5 new cars which the development team has been working on since finishing the game so therefore need paying for thier time

    however sony are charging an astonishing £20 pound for a demo and not a word... even the eurogamer article mentioned in the PGR2 booster pack review that paying for the tracks may not be worth the purchase but for this a demo they say nothing

  • UncleLou #22 8 years ago

    Of course it's a rip-off, but people who buy it (like me) know it is one, and know exactly what they get, so I fail to see that it's especially scandalous.

    Like I said before, the over-priced official mags with their shitty demo discs that time out after 2 minutes are a much bigger scandal imo.

  • gizmo #23 8 years ago

    Don't really use my PS2 much these days, but last night thought I'd check out GT3 having not seen it for a while - been playing TOCA2 and PGR2.

    It REALLY was a shock to the system - It has aged very poorly when compared to say TOCA, in terms of handling, looks, 'feel', damage etc.

    It's Hilarious to tear down the straight, bounce off a few AI drones, lose the back end, smash into a concrete barrier at 160mph and find your once pristine, shining, perfect car now a ... pristine, shining, perfect car.

    Oooooooooooooooooooohhh, I larfed and larfed and larfed. Or did I?

  • UncleLou #24 8 years ago

    /fanboy mode on

    GT, in my opinion, has always been about driving, not about racing. It's an aesthetical experience to drive a perfect lap. The other cars on the road are just there to please the eye, and a damage model resulting in scratched and dented cars would only tarnish the overall experience.

    It's almost another genre than, say, Toca.

    And the driving model of GT3 is still vastly superior to Toca, imo.

  • ruttyboy #25 8 years ago

    Well for me, the best thing about GT was the real cars you could drive. Not just the supercars (although lots of games don't even have real versions of those) but the cars you see everyday. I don't know how long I spent in GT1 buying second hand cars, tuning them up into beasts, then racing them.

    /gets in his 560HP Daihatsu Move

  • UncleLou #26 8 years ago

    Which raises the rather philosophical question:

    Is a rip-off still a rip-off when the customers know it is one? :-)

  • ruttyboy #27 8 years ago

    Surely it's only a rip-off if it is more expensive for a comparable product. Well seeing as how it has 26 cars and five tracks, which is more or equal to most console racers then at half the price it is a bargain, not a rip-off :)

  • valli #28 8 years ago

    I've played this game more than GT3:Concept, which had a similar price when it came out. All Concept offered was a bunch of new cars (say, half of the 70-smth driveble cars) and one (count it!) new track, plus 4 old tracks.

    The reviews were the same for Concept: "a must for the fans, normal people stay away". Being a GT3 fan, Concept took me a week to finish while Prologue NTSC still keeps me playing after months. There are games sold at full price that don't offer this much gameplay so I can't see it as a rip-off.

    ruttyboy, Prologue has over 60 cars and most of them are new.

  • ruttyboy #29 8 years ago

    Wonder where I heard 26? Oh well definitely the more the merrier :)

  • Corben_Dallas #30 8 years ago

    First a prediction

    GT4 : prologue will be No1 in next weeks charts
    Not bad for a 'rip-off' :|
    The only way this would be a ripp off if Sony was charging full price for this. They're not.
    + Plus this is in no way being passed off as the full game, Anyone who reads the front ofthe box will see its a Preview aka PROLOGUE to teh main game. GT4 will raise the benchmark again for all other Racers to follow and it'll be online.

    GT4:prologue is a advance half priced look and the GT4 build with a new even better physics system, improved AI, new tracks & cars + a bonus DVD what other driving game franchise puts this out for its fans?
    So show some luv u Sony H8'ers :p
    Edited by 1 at 28/05/04 @ 11:26

  • Nemesis #31 8 years ago

    I didn't notice anyone complaining about the PGR2 content price, actually. Most people were happy to spend the £3 on new content and did.

    As for GT4:p being a rip-off, surely it depends on what you are going to get out of it? If you're a fan of the series and plan to spend hours on the game, 25 quid is a bargin.

    After playing this last night, I think it's worth the money so far and I'll spend more time on this than other full price games.

    Christ, no-one's forcing you to lay down the money.

  • Talha #32 8 years ago

    It is NOT A RIP-OFF when u know what u get and still willing to pay for it. Hell, I can see that there is no NOT BUYING this game, is it, rip off or not? And hey, Need for Speed Underground had 30 cars and about 5 tracks (all of them looking the same), still u bought it in droves.

  • Talha #33 8 years ago

    Now now, you all: (1) know what u r getting and (2) will buy it anyway, so why whine about it? I still dare to think it is a passionate gift from Sony to GT4 fans. And hey, NFS Undergorund had about 8 tracks (all of them looking the same, set in the SAME neighborhood) and 30 cars. Did anyone complain? No way - it is the biggest racing game of 2003!

  • Freek #34 8 years ago

    Ofcourse it's going to be number 1 in the charts: it's GT, you could label a bag of dog sh*t with the Gran Tourismo brand and it would sell.
    It's hype.
    But i'm not paying 45 euro for a slightly bigger then usual demo (time trail and license tests?), hell that's the same price range as full version PC games.

    Nobody complained about NSF underground? Did you miss all the comments here?
    Ofcourse it sold like mad, it's EA, they'll hype up and market like crazy.
    Enter the Matrix was a huge hit does that make it a good game?

    Edited by 1 at 28/05/04 @ 16:10

  • Zero Beat #35 8 years ago

    Impatient fools. Money better spent on a lot of full, reduced price games. Get Beyond Good & Evil or Dark Cloud 2. SOMETHING worthwhile.

  • bungalooBunny #36 8 years ago

    Cmon guys, Sony is just exploiting the GT brand and the GT4 hype, and you fools that buy it are feeding the monster.

    If you want to waste your 25 quid on it that's fine with me, but don't tell me it's not a half-finished game with the fancy word 'Prologue' attached to it.

  • Zero Beat #37 8 years ago

    I don't read any papers, let alone the Daily Mail. But THANKS all the same!

  • MartinJ #38 8 years ago

    Why are some people so angry that there are those out there willing to buy this game and enjoying it? I am playing this game with GT Force Pro and enjoying it. I might not be a "gamer" as this and We7Int are the only 2 games I am playing. But Im also looking forward to driv3r, FSW, Winning Eleven 8 for the summer release time.

  • UncleLou #39 8 years ago

    "And the driving model of GT3 is still vastly superior to Toca, imo."

    how do you figure that out?

    Eh? By playing them both, and comparing them to my real life driving experiences, of course. Why, is there any other way to figure it out?

  • ruttyboy #40 8 years ago

    "Try racing laganua seca(sp?) on toca in a skyline in the rain and tell me thats not one hell of a handling mode.
    Brake to hard and the back wheels lock, catch a rumble strip and the car will snap as the extra grip kicks in."

    In a modern Skyline that should never happen, the TCS is just too good.
    Edited by 1 at 30/05/04 @ 11:18

  • valli #41 8 years ago

    In my opinion, gran turismo is about cars, and the track, not racing.

    Isn't racing about the cars and the track?

  • WoodenSpoon #42 8 years ago

    I think he means that he might as well be doing a time trial or something rather then actually racing against other cars.

  • valli #43 8 years ago

    NFS:U had too few neon lights under the car, GT4 should have more!

    Different views, why? In how many different views do you see your car when driving in real life?

  • AOFanboi #44 8 years ago

    To the people complaining: 1) It's half the price of the full game - don't expect as much as you will get this autumn, and 2) They did something akin to this with GT3 (followed by A-Spec and that carshow/concept car version).

  • BradlayLaw #45 8 years ago

    It was actually £25 in most places I looked in at the weekend (Game [it seemed to be sold out at two of the three Games around princes street], HMV, Virgin, etc). I could only find it for £20 in Dixons of all places.

  • MartinJ #46 8 years ago

    www.play.com for 18 quid with shipping

  • tiddles #47 8 years ago

    I don't see how Prologue can be a rip-off, since none of the content is currently available elsewhere. (You can argue whether there's enough to justify £25, but...) Surely it's the full version of GT4 which will be the rip-off, as you'll be paying for stuff you already own if you bought Prologue?

  • UncleLou #48 8 years ago

    Heh, very good point, but if you follow that logic, a game of which there is a big demo before the release is an even bigger rip-off. You've got to pay for something that was offered for free beforehand. :-)

    Don't get me wrong though, I've bought Prologue and I love it.

  • ruttyboy #49 8 years ago

    Well, yes. What were you expecting?

  • ruttyboy #50 8 years ago

    But the hype is that it is a racing simulator, I would agree, so for me, it is worth the hype... :)

  • UncleLou #51 8 years ago

    Something worth the hype. More fool me.

    So what you are saying is that GT3 or the GT series in general is overrated. I disagree, and I also don't see that you'll like GT4:prologue then. It has new tracks, new cars, and a different handling.

    If you want good AI, a damage model and pack racing, the GT series isn't what you're looking for. Which is fully understandable, just spare us the "it's overhyped" cliché. :-)

  • leetheraj #52 8 years ago

    well i really like car games gran turismo 4 must be amazing

  • valli #53 8 years ago

    stephen chan, the new GTForce Pro from Logitech is the best, according to pretty much everyone.

  • TurismoRaceR27 #54 8 years ago

    I can't wait for GT4.
    Prologue plays amazingly well, i like the school mode race where you have a Mclaren F1 and you have ten laps to overtake all of the cars ahead and get in the lead. It was a real challenge at first but now i can do it every time no bother at all... thats GT for you, you learn what are the best lines to take and where to brake and how much speed you can carry into a corner... the seconds just drop off with the more practice you get.
    I'm looking forward to the online racing, if this is going to happen?
    Will be better racing real driver rather than the AI ones.

    TurismoRaceR27