The general public learned it a few days ago, Sony Interactive Entertainment and the Polyphony Digital studio had given players an appointment for a State of Play devoted entirely to Gran Turismo 7, whose March 4 release date is beautiful. and well set. If the 30-minute presentation reassured many people thanks to the new ambitions of the series, the press was invited a few days earlier to follow an online event to learn more about the racing game imagined by Kazunori Yamauchi. Among the elements that we were able to discover in preview, there was this State of Play that we were able to experience before the general public, but also a presentation video by Kazunori Yamauchi to give us more details on the game modes. The next day, the Japanese creator gave us an appointment for a question and answer session and to deepen the subjects on which he had perhaps overlooked. It is therefore time to give you a summary of these two days of presentation.
IN ALAIN GILLOT-PÉTRÉ STYLE
If we can blame many things on Gran Turismo in recent years, such as a lack of innovation and a gameplay that is struggling to evolve, there is one thing on which the game remains a reference, it is its plastic. Kazunori Yamauchi is a perfectionist and he intends to make this Gran Turismo 7 a game that does justice to the PS5. Certainly, the game will also arrive on PS4 and the rendering should also be “stunning” to use terms balanced during this online presentation. Still, the development lead was done on PS5 and those who have the right gear should take their eyes off it. Whether it’s the modeling of the vehicles, the different routes, the environments but also the weather, everything has been done to ensure that the immersion is as total as possible. Moreover, Kazunori Yamauchi took care to give us a lesson on the weather, taking himself for a moment for Alain Gillot-Pétré (the real ones know), or Anaïs Baydemir (well, well) for the youngest who watch the service public. The Japanese game designer wanted to remind us how clouds form in the sky, how the atmosphere changes color depending on the light, and all this aspect has been recreated in Gran Turismo 7.
Moreover, Kazunori Yamauchi took care to give us a lesson on the weather, taking himself for a moment for Alain Gillot-Pétré (the real ones know), or Anaïs Baydemir (well, well) for the youngest who watch the service public.
This is one of the major aspects of the title which wants to make climate change one of the spearheads of the visual rendering of the game. The sky of Japan will evolve as it does in Japan, that of California will be faithful to the changes of California, while the sun and the moon will rise realistically. Better still, the color of the stars will change depending on the density of the sky, if it is clear or foggy, so that our races will evolve over the weather, which is an aspect that the series had to catch up for a long time. moment. Obviously, fans of Assetto Corsa Competizione like Damien Greffet are already laughing softly in their beards when we know how much the latter has become a reference in terms of weather management, but seeing Gran Turismo stick to the cadors of the genre, that’s necessarily pissed off. This is all the more reassuring since these climatic changes will normally have an impact on driving. We couldn’t verify it since it was a hands-off demo, but according to Polyphony Digital, these climatic changes will have an aspect on the surface, the grip of the brakes, the power of the engine, but also suction, while taking into account the physics of vehicles. It was even specified to us that during periods of rain, puddles of water will form on certain parts of the route and dry when the sun begins to act, knowing that depending on the density of the puddle, the drying will not will not be the same. In short, an organic aspect that wishes to highlight this Gran Turismo 7 The promise is great indeed.
BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY
We have often criticized the latest Gran Turismo for the snoring side in its staging. It’s true Kazunori Yamauchi has always been a contemplative, capable of spending whole minutes staring at the reflection of the sun on the bodywork of a convertible. Due to this nature, the Gran Turismo have for too many years offered replays of a maddening flatness, when the competition emphasized more dynamic angles of view. For Gran Turismo 7, the Japanese creator has done violence to himself and finally, it will be possible to have really crazy angles during Replays. Wide shots, horizontal scrolling, camera that zooms in on a tire, we should be less bored watching reruns, knowing that this time, an intelligent system has been put in place, allowing camera angles to match the music chosen. All this is managed in real time with an AI that no longer hesitates to dance. It was indeed time, and as the saying goes, better late than never.
Another element on which Gran Turismo 7 must be contemporary: the physics of cars. Again, Kazunori Yamauchi is still struggling to make real changes, where Forza Motorsport has been sticking rights to him for several years. We don’t know yet what it will look like in-game, but the promises for the moment are great. We are promised real driving sensations with consideration of the effects of height changes between the front and rear of the car, the effects of wind, suction, since everything has been simulated via software that uses MFN, or computational fluid mechanics. Moreover, for these sensations to be palpable, Gran Turismo 7 should make use of all the features of the DualSense, with obviously support for haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. For example, we can feel the vibrations of a tire that locks in the middle of the brake, just like feeling the front tires with the steering wheel when a bend is too abrupt and poorly managed. Even the condition of the tires should be palpable thanks to the haptic feedback from the controller. The sound will also have a very important part in the game, and 3D audio also improves the sound sensations. Be careful though, because Polyphony Digital has often oversold the sound renderings of these games, while many criticize it for unrealistic or unrealistic sounds. So let’s wait to have the game in hand to rejoice in advance.
Regarding game modes, Gran Turismo 7 also wants to be as complete as possible and it is no coincidence that the preparation workshop is making a comeback. With no less than 60 types of performance components per car at launch, there will be plenty to enjoy and tuning enthusiasts will undoubtedly spend most of their time in this customization workshop. And depending on your preparation skills, a vehicle will change completely, especially in terms of performance. The appearance can also be modified as desired, provided you have the necessary money to do so. And of course, it’s impossible for Kazunori Yamauchi to leave us without saying a word about Photo mode, with even more advanced tools, no doubt because it’s his great passion and some won’t hesitate to share their best shots on social networks. And finally, icing on the rearview mirror, Gran Turismo 7 will offer tools to create content yourself, whether it’s Replays, design of liveries, photos etc, the idea is to make this game a community tool. Great ambitions, therefore, which will come to life from March 4, and we hope that the promises will be very real.