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Game Information

Release Date: December 11, 1999
Developer: Polophony Digital
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform(s): PlayStation
Genre: Racing
Players: 1-2

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Synopsis

Gran Turismo 2 expands on its famous predecessor with even more variety. The game features more than 600 cars, 27 tracks, hundreds of challenges, and more depth and replay value than any other racer on the face of planet. The challenges are divided into different racing experiences ranging from arcade to simulation, street to rally racing, and more. The two-disc set offers a straightforward approach in Arcade mode, which provides three different classes of cars to choose from, three levels of difficulty, and either direct competition against the computer or head-to-head play. In Arcade mode, players can simply get right in and race. If you simply want to get used to the game, this mode is for you. You can take part in street races, rally races, check out a cool Replay Theater mode (to watch your own exquisite replays), and race against time in Time Trial, or your own Ghost Car in rally mode.

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Gameplay

Unlike the first installment of this series, there are literally hundreds of more cars, several more tracks, and a lot of customization. In Gran Turismo 2, there are two main different game modes to choose from: Tournament Mode (Simulation Mode) and Arcade Mode.

In Tournament Mode, the player starts off with twenty-thousand credits, a garage, and no license. Throughout this mode, the player must earn a license of their choosing, purchase a new or used car from several different countries, and win races in order to win credits, cars, and medals, which boost your rank allowing you to race in higher rated races. Once you have earned a license, you can start racing at the beginner levels with a slow car against nine AIs. As you make your way up, these races become harder, faster, and the AIs become more challenging to beat. Once you have earned enough credits, there are several different things you can do with them such as buy a new vehicle, upgrade your current one, give it a wash, or bet with them. Each country has several different dealerships to choose from, each made in their respective countries. For example, Japan will have Toyota, Honda, and Mazda while Germany will have Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. In some of these countries, mainly in Europe, once you have unlocked or purchased enough you will unlock a super car that usually cost several million credits. The cool new feature about this game is that you also don't have to go down a specific line of races to complete the tournament. You can choose whichever one you would like to race in, however, it must be unlocked either by the license you own or credits.

In Arcade Mode, the player, or players, can either race against each other or with several AIs on any map of their choosing. Every car and track is unlocked in Arcade Mode so you don't even need to play a tournament to unlock anything. However, super cars need to be unlocked. There is also a Rally mode. There are only about twenty different vehicles to choose from and a few tracks in this mode.

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Graphics

Though the graphics have been slightly improved, it still has the laggy feeling to it making it difficult to win a race, or even play for that matter. All of the tracks look fine, but the environments in the background look bland and blocky. Vehicles look almost like they should and the damage caused to them look great. If you turn on whichever weather mode you like, you won't be disappointed either as it looks amazing and they do have a huge effect on the game play. The weather will also leave a pretty detailed stain on your vehicle whether it be water from the rain or snow dried up on your windshield. The crowds on the side are ugly and not very detailed. They just look like a big square of different colors that never move.

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Controls

Fairly simple controls, as it is a racing game. The only confusing times you may have is if you decide to switch to manual and don't know how to use it. But if you play on automatic, you shouldn't have any problems. Triggers control the gas and breaks, analogs control the direction and steering, and the buttons don't really do anything, unless of course, you play on manual. For manual players, every button changes to a certain gear. So if you press the wrong one, you can stall and it may cost you the race. Would recommend playing this on automatic as it makes the game a hundred times simpler and definitely more fun.

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Ratings

Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 7.5/10
Controls: 8.5/10
Overall: 9/10