great game, fab sim handling model, nice graphics & sound
as a fan of sim racers it is both fun and challenging, the balance is right. it is very satisfying when you do a good lap. when driven well the cars flow around the circuit nicely, it has a friendlier feel than gran turismo which can just seem plain awquard at times. the collisions also work much better than gt5 - a small bump will not send cars bouncing everywhere like rubber balls.
the engine and tyre noises are also great and add to the experience.
the graphics are a bit poor in some areas, for example the car interiors are very plain, but on the whole the game looks excellent. the rain effect is particuarly excellent and realistic. the tracks look very good at 100mph!
i actually found the AI to be quite impressive, they will move over to cover the racing line if you are challenging, and will go for the inside of a corner if you 'leave the door open' they can be quite aggresive, so you need to be able to hold the racing line. they will also be aggressive and fight amongst themselves, more so than in Grid. it is certainly much better than GT5P where the cars are pre-programmed and have no AI at all.
the criticisms in the gamespot review are valid, but i don't think they detract from the game as much as they would suggest.
the main problem i have had is getting to online sessions, the connection seems very unstable, much in the same way as GTA IV was when it first released.
there are only twenty or so cars in the game, but there are fifteen tracks, all of which are excellent real world circuits (no forza-type padding here) there is a great variety in the cars, from classics with crazy tail happy handling to the swift and stable 360gt, and the amazing fxx. they are all great fun to drive, and each one is a different challenge, as they each have a unique handling character, unlike many other racing games.
despite it's limitations, for me this is the most enjoyable and rewarding racer on the PS3 at the moment.
i would definitely recommend it if you like sim racers and have been disappointed with Grid and GT5P.