Beginning of the end for this franchise

User Rating: 6 | Gran Turismo 6 PS3

I've always been a huge fan of GT, but as the releases have worn on my enthusiasm has waned. This latest release did nothing more than reaffirm my dislike for what used to be my favorite racing sim and one that has now been relegated to the "trade-in" shelf in my house.

The handling and simulation of the game are fantastic. There is a much more weighty feel than previous generations and the tire movement on replays is stunning. Graphics are also improved, although maybe not as much as expected. Fans still look terrible and the colors seem too bright to me. Some tracks almost look cartoonish rather than having a more realistic hue.

Right out of the box, your interest in this game will be testing as you will be forced to drive a Honda Fit. Seriously? I wouldn't drive a Honda Fit if it was the last car on earth in real life. You mean i just spent $60 so you can force me to drive a Honda Fit? Gee thanks. Moving on, you'll be further rewarded with a test of economy where you have to drive the farthest on one liter of gas.....oh boy...i can hardly wait. Once through that you can get to some really fun stuff like the Toyota Prius challenge. Aaaaargh!!!!!! Make it stop. Seriously.

We all play these games to drive cars that we normally will never get to experience and drive them in a way that is fun an enjoyable. I doubt anyone longs for the excitement of a fuel economy test. Furthermore, the lack of damage, broken windshields and realistic sounds (yes, they still sound terrible) just makes this a huge flop in my opinion. See Shift 2 or Forza if you want a good experience.

Somewhere along the line Gran Turismo lost its focus on the joy of driving and became a sterile lab environment where we are supposed to enjoy looking at cars and not driving them.

This title is getting traded in ASAP.