Gran Turismo 5

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is the preview into the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 video game for the Playstation 3. Polyphony Digital announced the release of GT5 Prologue at E3 2007. It replaces the previous installment in the Gran Turismo line, Gran Turismo HD Concept.

The idea for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue came from Gran Turismo 4. One year before the release of GT4, a prologue was released to the public. These two prologue editions are “previews” to what lies ahead when the full game is released.

On March 28, 2008, version 2.0 of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue was released and the game was referred to as Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec II.

Another update was released early in October of 2008. The game is now referred to as Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III. The update added 3 cars and fixed minor bugs. Minor changes were also made from the previous Spec II version of the game.

Although Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III is only a preview to the full GT5 game, it contains many interesting cars, tracks, and features. You can find over 70 cars, 6 tracks, and 12 different layouts. The game features 1080p Full HD and 7.1 channel high definition surround sound.

16 Player Races

New to the Gran Turismo series is the ability to race against 16 players, whether they are online opponents or AI drivers. Polyphony Digital has commented about the AI, saying the driving of the AI drivers has improved from previous Gran Turismo games.

New Ways to View the Race

Also new for the Gran Turismo series is the in-car view. Inside the drivers cockpit you will see functional gauges, reflecting mirrors, and advanced in car lighting. Players can look to the left or right using the d-pad.

Game Interface

In previous Gran Turismo games the interface has always remained similar. In Gran Turismo 5 a new player interface is used. “My Page” acts like the players personalized menu for the game. On “My Page” you will find a variety of information, including weather forcasts, upcoming race events, a calender, news, and more. The online aspect of the game is displayed in “My Page” also. Players can see their rankings and also share replay files with others.

Game Updates

GT5 Prologue is a work in progress. Minor and major updates have been released many times, adding features or fixing bugs. The latest updated, August 1st 2008, added Gran Turismo TV. Another update is expected sometime in the fall of this year.