Not every video-game franchise can survive its first 15 years on the market, and with Polyphony Digital achieving this milestone they have evidently been doing something right. This “something right” is simply providing fans with an enticing racing experience without any of the over-the-top frills… an experience that you would expect to see on the television screen during your typical racing season.
Gran Turismo 6 features a number of improvements across the board including enhanced physics, a considerable increase in the number of tracks, a sizable quantity of vehicles (Set up like a “Highlight Reel” of both older and newer cards) and a strong collaboration with Mount Panorama here in Australia. However despite the improvements, there was nothing new to define this 15th Anniversary Experience, and felt far too easy even for a relative newcomer (ie. myself) to the traditional racing genre.
I think it is a shame that Sony Computer Entertainment and Polyphony Digital decided to release GT6 on the Playstation 3 rather than the Playstation 4. While it may not have had such strong initial sales if they went down this route, it would have been an appealing addition to an otherwise rather average launch line-up. That being said, the game is still visually pleasing and suffers from no slow-down.
Gran Turismo 6 is nevertheless still an enjoyable game worth pooling your time into, especially when coupled with the Online functionality. But with their competitors adding new features to their racing installments each year, now is the time for Polyphony Digital to be more ambitious with their feature sets – while still building upon the traditional gameplay mechanics they have proven themselves to be best at.
