When I found out that Polyphony Digital was negotiating with the Ayrton Senna Institute for exclusive in game content, I knew I had to buy this game. As any Brazilian, I am a great fan of Senna.
So I pre-ordered the game, and when I got it, I was very happy about the exclusive anniversary cars, avatar, etc. I got my Driving Force GT out of the closet, put the game in and started to play.... and from there on, it was all downhill for me. The game feels far from finished, as if I were playing a beta test game, not the final version.
Game interface: horrible. It seems to have been made so it could be updated form time to time, but it feels simple, not elegant at all (I mean PS-ONE graphics...). The garage is horrible as well, does not compare to GT4 or GT5.
Graphics: I play on a 46" Samsung full HD LED TV, and I can say that even though the graphics seem to have improved, it still feels far from what should be. Let me explain: the cars look great, the horizon and lightning looks awesome, but all the rest looks plain and simple. All the people on the grandstands look like they were made from cardboard. Grass around the track look like PS-ONE graphics.... Overall, it's and "OK".
AI: still just as bad as GT1 or GT2. They still drive like ice-cream trucks around the track, bump into you all the time, and have no aggression whatsoever. They never "fight back". Terrible.
Tracks: great tracks, a lot of them, still as detailed as always. I don't know why they removed some of the older (awesome) ones, like Infineon or El Captain, but most of the great ones (like Nurburgring) are still there.
Handling: has improved, but some cars still feel like crap to drive, like the GT-40 or Dodge Viper. FR handling with cars over 500 HP are still crap (I play with no assist whatsoever). Anything less than professional suspension + racing slicks results in over steering... while going on a straight line! UGH! MR cars overall have gotten better, 4WD driving is great, and dirt track racing got much, much better. Overall, car handling has improved and it feels great to drive.
Advancement system: say goodbye to the level system. Now you have stars. Bunch of stars. For me, it feels like a minor change, but some people might like it for the less grinding it requires.
Licenses (I have completed so far only up to I-A): well, this has definitely been adapted to the tastes of the new generation of gamers, not capable of handling frustration. Remember all those days of hatred, breaking controllers, and rage over that 0.001 to get that gold medal? GONE. Now, unless you are a complete retarded monkey driving a car, you can get golds on 2 - 3 tries. It has gotten much, much, much easier. One cool thing, and this is really cool, is that the game automatically compares your timings with your online friends, and displays their ghosts (as little blue tracks) so you can see how you are doing comparing with them. It's pretty cool, I like this a lot.
Car dealership: used cars? Gone. Now, if you need that one car to fill in that little race that you don't have a car for, you have to pay for a brand new one. Yeah, pay 30k for a car that you will use in a few races that will net you 15k at the end.... The vision GT concept, on the other hand, is great. Great idea, well implemented. And the vast quantity of cars (1.200) is great.
Photo Travel: feels weak comparing to GT5. And its bugged: to shift your camera you need to use L1/R1 buttons, but if you have a steering wheel (like me Driving Force GT), that doesn't work. So every time I want to use the photo travel option, I have to turn on another controller and turn off my wheel. Feels like a "noob" bug to me, but what do I know.
Overall, it feels like it's lacking a lot. It feels unfinished, and comparing to GT5 it feels outdated, weak, as if the game was done in a hurry to be shipped to Best Buy, Gamestop, etc. It has great potential with future patches, but my recommendation is to wait, and not buy the game now.