GT4 offers superb visuals, viciously fast speeds, a plethora of licensed cars and tracks, and crushes the competition.
(-) B-spec mode is overwhelmingly unnecessary; single player campaign not as well fleshed out as its predecessor; forgettable soundtrack
Gran Turismo 3 was amazing at the time of its release. It offered cutting edge graphics and a highly evolving single player mode, and was executed so well that it would not only draw car fanatics with its flair but others as well. There was lots to do and lots to do again, offering an unrivaled driving experience as well as one of the best experiences on the PS2. And it would have been difficult to outdo that giant, because it truly was a masterpiece.
The big shocker here is Gran Turismo 4 does exceed its younger brothers strongest points in many ways, but not necessarily every way. If you loved what the earlier game offered, then you probably won't rattle too much as you here that while Gran Turismo 4 is still more of the same, it's a lot more of the same. This time you have a skyrocket amount of licensed cars and tracks to choose from, and it all comes in an even prettier package than it did several years ago.
The single player campaign is called Gran Turismo mode. Like earlier games, you progress through races and purchase different cars along the way. If you're currently unhappy with your ride's performance, then take it to the Tool Shop and upgrade the horse power, clutch, tires, or whatever you feel needs fixing. You'll need to be practically a mechanic to correctly comprehend the changes you make with your car though, and upgrades are instantly noticeable in the races. The single player modes is good, but not quite as accessible as it's predecessor, mainly because of the way it is fleshed out. You have one large menu and a ton of different icons to choose from, but you can still do anything you have to do because this can be thought of as the game's menu. But it's pretty obscure by design, and it doesn't have the same draw that the last game did, but if you get passed that you still have weeks if not months of content to work into.
But as for the actual driving, its more challenging and fun than ever. You have more than 600 real licensed cars to choose from, which GT3 only had 150, which is great to most automobile enthusiasts or just passive fans like me. You'll see familiar brands like Ford, Chevy, and Volkswagon, but there does seem to be a larger emphasis on Japanese car dealers. And while most people have argued that GT3 wasn't a "realistic racing simulator", Gran Turismo 4 has changed the vehicle operation and handling to closer resemble the real-life functionality, which once you consider the speed you're going (I'll touch up on that later), it will please people because not only are racings more challenging and demanding of your skill now, the cars on the screen operate more similar to their real-life counter-parts. You can even think of Gran Turismo 3 as training wheels for this game, because while the controls and handling where much smoother, all that has been downscaled and the resulting game is still playable, just more challenging. And there's a difference between a game being harder and more challenging. The game also still encourages you to watch their signature replays of the race, but if you choose not to all you have to do is press one button, as opposed to pausing and making several clicks on GT3. This makes the game flow better. Should you take the time to watch the previews though, which some might, they are actually executed well and great to watch, but some like myself don't bother.
The races that you have grown accustomed to which you have full control over your car are apparently referred to as A-spec races, and Gran Turismo 4 offers an unusual feature called B-spec mode. In this mode, you act as not the driver but a third party person giving the driver orders, to go faster or slower. This feels completely unnecessary, and it isn't much fun. Though some more passive players may appreciate just being able to watch the driving with full focus instead of operating the cars themselves, it ultimately offers very little to the experience and could have been done completely without.
The back of the box states that GT4 has up to 100 tracks to race on. It may seem like a disservice that in reality there are only 51, but that is still by far more than its predecessor. A lot of your favorite familiar courses have made their return, like Cote' A'zar, Trial Mountain, and Deep Forest Raceway, but there are also plenty of brand new tracks. In the Arcade mode, you have a menu of City Courses, which offers locations like New York and Hong Kong where you drive your way through the city, Real Circuit, which offers the more unmolested natural tracks like Test Drive and the Speedway, and Dirt & Snow, which are the off road tracks especially reserved for rally cars. But it's quite interesting how you can race with rally cars on any track now, lifting the restriction in GT3, which isn't too major but nice nonetheless.
Where GT3 has impressed with its stellar visuals, Gran Turismo 4 somehow manages to look even better. The courses are practically photo-realistic, and the car models aren't bad either, and it all blends together for a very authentic and technical achievement. What's even more impressive is the striking sense of speed that Gran Turismo 4 offers. Cars operate with full velocity and it all seems chaotic and almost scary at times, and couple that with the closer-to-realistic handling and functionality and you've got a fine masterpiece in your hands. Just the right balance of looking great and playing great certainly goes a long way. The music in the soundtrack isn't quite as good, most of the modern rock and punk in the background is hardly noticeable, and the player probably won't pay too much attention as he fights to the finish line anyway. The menu music however is actually surprisingly good, innocent and soothing like something you would hear in a promotional ad for a car dealer. While finishing the race and coming to the results page where you can restart or replay, I've actually sat and listened to the music that came on. Good stuff.
Other than a slightly less incredible single player campaign mode, Gran Turismo 4 is a complete dramatic overhaul above its predecessor. There are tons of licensed cars, a striking sense of speed and vehicle operation, some of the best graphics on the PS2 and just a great overall package. It rapes Forza Motorsport, and along with practically anything else on the Xbox, and it stands as a well-deserved best title on the Playstation 2 and if you or anyone has ever thought of buying it, then don't wait. Go out and buy it. To put it short and sweet, it's an incredible game and you're PS2 collection is incomplete without it.