The Gran Turismo series apperas to be brilliant in offering the gamers everything but, what the gamers actually want.
I have played every single GT game so far to the bone. I have had some great times...and, unfortunately tens of hours of agony, pain and frustration. It seems as if there's a spoonfull of disappointment coded into each GT series game.
Gran Turismo - The original, words could not describe how good it was to get my hands on one of those. When hours passed, it became apparent that the game was perhaps a bit too difficult at points and given that it crashed way too often, it did provide some hard times. But all in all, good.
GT2 - Is in my opinion still the best in the series. It was a bit annoying that the game focused on the japanese and the americans, but that can be let go. It did however start a trend which makes me hate GT5. 650 cars - ok, there really was much choice for the day, but the 1000 + cars promised in GT5 is just a spit in the gamer's face. Calling 400 different paint jobs for a Supra or a Skyline each as a new car is an insult. Especially when less than 200 of them are "complete".
GT3 - Nothing new here.
GT4 - Was an expectation let down. By now, one would have expected insane graphics, awesome flexibilty, customisation, new game modes etc, but no, same old same old.
GT5 - I didn't really buy the game. And apart from the obvious reasons that i have already mentioned there is one thing that really grinds my gears. The TG test track. Anyone in the right mind would know and understand, if not rightaway, then at least after spending half an hour on the web, that the only reason why anyone would care about the TG test track in a GT game is to
a) take the Lacetti or the Cee'd around the track to compare times to the leaderboard.
b) have the option to run a "Stig test" from a standing start with any car in the game.
Of course the bright minds behind GT5 thought: "no, we don't think anyone would be interested in such options, let's give them a frustrating run in old VW vans instead!"
And they did. So this is my end with the series as it is. Being a hardcore playstation fan, I have no option to switch to Forza. Guess I'll just have to make best out of my Shift 2.
Sorry for the rant.