Gran Turismo 4 - PlayStation 2
About this item
- Work your way up the ladder as you acquire driving licenses, racing to earn money
- Buy and sell cars, upgrade parts and compete in various championships
- New technology blends real-time action with a photo-fixed background immerses players in New York City, the Grand Canyon and other environments
- Robust online racing mode with up to 6 other players -- interact and chat with other players in the community
- Get access to more than 500 authentic automobiles from across the world, from vintage to modern vehicles
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
- Gran Turismo 4 - PlayStation 2 (Renewed)Amazon RenewedPlayStation 2FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Monday, Apr 1Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
- Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2 - PlayStation 2 (Renewed)Amazon RenewedPlayStation2FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31Only 10 left in stock - order soon.
- Gran Turismo 5 - Playstation 3 (Renewed)Amazon RenewedFREE ShippingPlayStation 3Only 3 left in stock - order soon.
Product information
ASIN | B0000A0MDV |
---|---|
Release date | June 30, 2006 |
Customer Reviews |
4.3 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #27,516 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #301 in PlayStation 2 Games |
Product Dimensions | 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.75 inches; 8.01 ounces |
Type of item | Video Game |
Rated | Everyone |
Item model number | 711719732822 |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Item Weight | 8 ounces |
Manufacturer | Sony |
Date First Available | September 1, 2004 |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product Description
Product Description
Gran Turismo 4 features authentic racing gameplay with new fully-enhanced features that focus on more cars, courses and race modes. Developed by Polyphony Digital Inc., Gran Turismo 4 uses an all-new physics engine coupled with revolutionary technology to deliver enhanced, if not perfected, game physics and graphics providing a near-realistic automotive racing simulation.
Amazon.com
Are you searching for a driving game that offers more than just breakneck speed? Look no further than Gran Turismo 4. The most recent installment in this amazingly popular racing game brings realistic driving to a whole new level. With loads of new cars and a vastly improved physics engine, you'll be ready to tackle the roads in your favorite cars from the last century.
The Cars
Automotive history is at your fingertips with Gran Turismo 4. You can select from over 700 cars, dating back nearly a century to the 1915 Ford Model T Tourer. From the United Kingdom's AC to Sweden's Volvo, you'll can choose from practically every car manufactured since 1915.
Beyond the list of cars, GT4 sports a new and vastly improved physics engine. Offering even greater realism than its predecessors, the GT4 engine has been meticulously designed to cover every inch and turn of your driving experience. Using physics to calculate weight, speed, friction, and a host of other nuances, every car delivers performance with its own unique, precise handling and feel.
This game isn't just about the cars, though -- it's also about the competition. The advanced, lifelike drivers compete with fervor unmatched even by some of your video game buddies. Fueled by the latest advances in artificial intelligence, your digital rivals will react to your every move with behavior modeled after actual professional racers.
It may take you weeks to test drive all 700 available cars, but with Gran 4 you'll never truly run out of "new" vehicles. This game is equipped with a multitude of options to customize your favorite cars. Brakes, shocks, and engine components can all be upgraded. You can stylize your car with wings, rims, and color, and you can even change your oil. In short, you can do whatever needs to be done to keep your car tuned and looking hot for the next big race.
The Human Element
Gran Turismo 4 brings something completely new to your gaming experience. In the stands you'll find spectators who comes to life in 3D before your very eyes. They react with genuine human emotions to your every move, cheering as you pass, and snapping photographs as you cross the finish line. Your next pit stop will take place as if you were really there. You'll watch the process unfold in real-time as your crew rushes to change your tires and refuel your tank. But that's not all. With the new addition of convertibles, you are truly in the drivers seat. Your drivers will react with precise and fluid motions, and turn just as you would if you were behind the wheel. Gran Turismo has never looked so unbelievably real.
The Courses
Not only does GT4 bring you the rare opportunity to drive hundreds of cars, it also offers you a vast collection of actual racing locations. Rip through the exotic Costa di Malfi in Capri, burn rubber through the urban jungle of Hong Kong, or throw up some serious dust at the Grand Canyon -- no matter where you decide to race, you'll love driving any of the game's fourteen tracks. Feeling nostalgic? With Gran 4, you can even race on some of your old, favorite tracks from previous editions.
LAN Play
Compete against your buddies with the LAN play functionality of GT4. Connect up to three PlayStation 2 consoles and bring together up to six players in a racing frenzy that pits you against your friends. Each console will need a copy of Gran Turismo 4, the proper connecting cables, and all the standard gaming equipment. Once connected, you'll be ready for a life-like battle of driving abilities and mental toughness. With LAN play, the action has never been more intense or more realistic!
From the Manufacturer
In Gran Turismo 4, the characteristics of the cars are realistically designed and calculated so that they handle to the "real-life" physics of that particular vehicle, taking into account weight, speed, friction, wind, and more. To further enhance the realism of the driving experience, new technology blends real-time action with a photo-fixed background to immerse the player in real-life environments such as New York City, the Grand Canyon, and others. Highly detailed vehicles and environment mapping create broadcast-quality graphics, from competitor car reflections on the players automobile to leaves on a tree shaking in the wind.
The online mode features a robust system for players to race with up to six other players and interact and chat with others to form an automotive community.
In offline gameplay, players will have the opportunity to race in an enhanced arcade and simulation mode based upon similar game mechanics from Gran Turismo 3 A-spec. In both modes, players will have access to experience more than 500 authentic automobiles encompassing manufacturers from around the world, with a range from vintage to modern vehicles. Courses include existing closed racing circuits to specially designed city courses, reaching a total count of up to 100 tracks.
The arcade mode allows players to compete against each other or the artificial intelligence on select courses. The simulation mode allows players to start from the bottom and earn their way up the ladder as they acquire driving licenses, race to earn money, unlock cars and courses, buy and sell cars, upgrade parts, and compete in various championships. Playable from both first- and third-person perspectives, Gran Turismo 4 offers advanced opponent behavior to capture real-life racing and unpredictability of finishes.
Review
Here's the simplest, most accurate statement ever made: In Gran Turismo 4, you race cars. That's it – find cars, buy cars, try out cars, and drive them around predetermined tracks. In the real world, people gladly hemorrhage money to buy a new car or race on a famous course. Why would we, stranger still, even want to do the same things in a virtual, digital world? The answer to both is the same: People love their cars.
Polyphony's opus, Gran Turismo 4, is nothing more than a beautifully composed love letter to the automobile. Take that as you will, because for car dorks like myself, it means that GT 4 is one of the most addictive and rewarding time sucks in recent memory. The car list, to understate radically, is immense. Sure, there are a handful of rides that any one of us could name that aren't included, but to be nitpicky is to miss the greater point of this collection. That is, there is more variety in every possible descriptor of the word "automobile" here than one person can reasonably hope to experience in months of rabid playtime. For that, I'm immensely thankful.
And yet, when considering my score, I didn't come up with a perfect 10. What could sully the simulation goodness that this long-awaited title dishes out liberally? I don't mean this with any negative connotation – GT 4 is a highly polished and nicely expanded version of GT 3. Building off of such legendary source material is certainly a good idea, and a lucky opportunity, for any game. Still, it means that GT 4 doesn't get any bonus points for innovation.
The new B-Spec and Photo modes are interesting ideas. Although in practice, these are such minor additions from a reward and gameplay-time point of view that, in the face of literally hundreds of hours of play, most will only venture to these features in times of idle curiosity. And then they'll leave them. B-Spec has players essentially coaching their on-track driver through a race, dictating things like level of aggression and when to make pit stops. Photo Mode sure is pretty, but the shots can only be printed on a Picturemate Epson printer, and even without this limitation, the idea is just sort of gimmicky and not really part of "the game."
In the standard circuit, the improvements (besides the car list) are universally welcome and ably done. Opponent AI is tweaked to both be more realistic and match the relative skill level of the player. The intermediate section of the game is balanced much better than the previous title – you'll have plenty of cash and some nice, new, and fast options for earning a quick buck for upgrades.
The moral of the story here, kids, is that Gran Turismo 4 is a fabulously executed game that remains a consistent joy to play for many, many moons. But it lacks innovation and, in the time since GT 3 came out four years ago, there are certain things that we expect from racing games that aren't here. Gran Turismo needs to innovate, but not compromise its core ideals, to make racing perfection.
Concept:
Primp and polish the nearly-perfect GT 3 with few major alterations
Graphics:
Enough to make God weep at the beauty of humanity's creative ability – these cars look shiny and sexy to a degree that we've never seen
Sound:
Visual cues are augmented greatly by sound design that highlights the differences in rides, as well as critical information in races
Playability:
An easier progression in the early levels is really nice and makes the game more accessible with less backtracking
Entertainment:
Unquestionably the most accurate racing game ever, car dorks should swoon on sight
Replay:
High
Rated: 9.25 out of 10
Editor: Lisa Mason
Issue: March 2005
2nd Opinion:
GT 4 is the best sim-racer out there, but it's afraid to expand its horizons. It looks better and there are more cars, but I wanted it to do more than meet my minimum expectations. The progression curve is easier, but I found B-Spec mode and the photo taker useless. The new bad-driving penalties are contrived and only apply to rally races. The perfect symbol for the impotence of the new features is the A- and B-Spec points. They don't buy anything! What's fun about GT 4? It makes you fall in love with cars because you start to become more and more interested in what all those numbers on the spec sheet mean as you race them. GT 4's got its core racing down. Now Polyphony Digital needs to start innovating, not simply re-making the same game every four years.
Rated: 8.5 out of 10
Editor: Matthew Kato
Subscribe to Game Informer -- Amazon.com
Looking for specific info?
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the racing game fun with several tracks and cars to choose from. They also appreciate the realistic graphics and variety of cars. That said, some complain about the quality and performance.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the racing game fun from the very beginning with several tracks and cars to choose from. They also say the career mode is fun and one of the best racing games they have ever played. Customers also mention that the Gran Turismo mode is a lot of fun. They describe the game as classic and the most spectacular PS2 game ever made.
"One thing I like about it is because it's better than being a real racer in real life. And it's like you're really racing in real life...." Read more
"...I enjoy the graphics. It will keep you entertained. I am also a fan of the Tony Hawk games. There fun...." Read more
"...Unheard of in 2005! The most spectacular PS2 game ever made. Thanks, Japan!My only (minor) criticism of the game is the soundtrack...." Read more
"...So, to sum up - It still a good game, and if you have a lot of patience it's OK...." Read more
Customers find the graphics in the video game very realistic and neat. They also appreciate the great details on every car and the cool simulator.
"...I enjoy the graphics. It will keep you entertained. I am also a fan of the Tony Hawk games. There fun...." Read more
"...Another example - for some series, you win an Auto Union. Pretty neat car, huh? Want to take it around Tokyo R246 just to see how it drives?..." Read more
"...Of course it doesnt replace a car, but it a great help. The simulator is pretty cool. Its not perfect but i mean, this is over a decade old...." Read more
"...The graphics are excellent for a ps2 game. The controls are good, better if you get the driving force wheel. The sound effects are excellent...." Read more
Customers like the brand of the video game. They say the selection is very complete, with different options and a wide range of brand name cars. They also mention that the cars can be customized and can be driven on many different terrains around the world.
"...Where your the guy who tells the driver what to do. Tons of cars and lots of different tracks and many many unlockables...." Read more
"...Still pretty amazing that this tech even exists.A wide range of brand name cars, the career mode is fun a game you have to get used to...." Read more
"...The cars and race tracks are beautiful. And there's plenty variety of cars to choose from...." Read more
"...Car selection is improved, but still has a lot of glaring omissions, especially in American and European cars...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the condition of the video game. They mention that it looks brand new, the disc and case came fully intact, and the manual is in very good shape. Some say that the game is a well-made racing game.
"...The disk I bought was in very good condition and was fine all along it was my old PS2. This seller provided OUTSTANDING customer support. 5 stars!!!" Read more
"Disc looks brand new, case and manual are in very good shape too." Read more
"...on it and had dried, but it cleaned off fine and the disk was in pretty good shape underneath. Game plays well, overall a good buy!" Read more
"The disc and case came fully intact and the game read without problems...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the video game software. Some mention that the game itself works great, works perfectly, and is technically excellent. However, others say that it didn't work on their slim PS2.
"...It's technically excellent and a remarkable peice of programming, but, boy, you pretty well have to adopt it as a way of life to ever get very far...." Read more
"...I got this and I've played it before,but when it arived it would not work.so I used a certified ps2 disk cleaner and scratch remover,twice!It didn't..." Read more
"...The core racing mechanics and controls work well, and feel realistic...." Read more
"...when I finally have time to buy and play it, I get sold a version that doesn't even work." Read more
Customers are mixed about the value of the video game. For example some mention it's worth the money, while others say it'll be a complete waste of money.
"...get short of an F1 car, it's very easy on tires, and cheaper than it's most equivalent rivals...." Read more
"...controller and gaming in general.. Horrible sound track, and trash compared to gt3...literally YouTubed another track...." Read more
"...Cheap and long lasting entertainment for a mere [...], which would get you only 2 hours in a theater." Read more
"...a huge game that takes a lot of effort and patience to beat, but totally worth it! If you own a PS2, this game needs to be in your library!" Read more
Customers are mixed about the ease of use of the video game software. Some find it easy to use, while others find it challenging. Some say the earlier versions are more user friendly, while this version seems to have a steering wheel. However, others say the games can be daunting at first, and it may take some time to adjust. They also mention that the system is bothersome and unintuitive, and the game requires much time and dedication.
"Gran Turismo is not an arcade racer. It requires dedication and patience. However that does not mean Gran Turismo is not fun...." Read more
"...It's technically excellent and a remarkable peice of programming, but, boy, you pretty well have to adopt it as a way of life to ever get very far...." Read more
"...The menu system is bothersome and unintuitive." Read more
"...But this game was more infuriating than fun for me,and now has a permanent spot under the other games in my collection, wasting away...." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the quality of the video game software. They mention that it's defective, glitchy, and fails to load. Some say that the disc quality is terrible and the game is not substantially improved over GT3.
"...GT4 is pretty poor in 480i, mostly because a lot of the fine detail they put in for 1080i is just smears at the lower resolution...." Read more
"...and it absolutely would not load in my PS2...." Read more
"...So we bought another one and found that it will not load either. Complete waste of money. We were very disappointed...." Read more
"...to adjust from playing arcade-style races, but this game is great for a long time, longer than you think!" Read more
Reviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Plus the graphics in GT4 are far superior to GT3. Did u know this game actually supports 1080 HD output? Unheard of in 2005! The most spectacular PS2 game ever made. Thanks, Japan!
My only (minor) criticism of the game is the soundtrack. Not my style. This is one area where it's predecessor, GT3 was far better.
I own GT3, GT4, GT5, and GT6. It's still fun to go back and play GT4 with some of the old cars not available on the newer versions. Plus, I like the used car lot option on GT3 and GT4. They should have kept that for the newer versions.
I am currently up to about 95% completion - which is A LOT of hours!
There's a lot of good. The graphics are excellent in high-def. You'd never confuse it with real life, but it's much easier to see details than good old 480i in GT3. GT4 is pretty poor in 480i, mostly because a lot of the fine detail they put in for 1080i is just smears at the lower resolution. But in 1080i, it really looks good. When you think about the number of man-hours that must have gone into rendering the Nurburgring, it's really quite astonishing. I am forced to assume it's accurate, since I compared Infineon (nee' Sears Point) to the real thing that I have driven in real life, it's basically perfect.
There is also a ton of cars, and plenty of new and returning tracks. The Nurburging and Ciruit de La Sarthe give you an amazing sense of speed and danger. Never once, even at 270 MPH on Tokyo R246 or Test track in GT3, did I ever feel like I was really going fast. Even on one of the license tests, at the Nurburgring, starting at high speed, my first gut reaction is "oh my God, this is going to make me die!". The difference from previous tracks is truly astonishing.
Several people have mentioned the questionable sounds. They're exactly right. Here's a hint for the designers of GT5; a late 60's American muscle car DOES NOT sound like an electric motor! Clearly, the sound guys have never driven a car with a 440 "6-pack" - when that thing cranks up, your dental fillings are in danger! On the good side, the Mazda 787b still sounds like it's ripping the firmament of the heavens.
The driving missions are also pretty interesting, too. They're sort of like the license tests, but not mandatory to drive in other races. Some are pretty easy, and others challenging.
There are some animations of spectators and photographers. One of the license tests has several people leaning out of doorways, onto the track, to get pictures, then jumping out of the way just in time. Or at least just in time, so far! There's one guy in a rally through some town on a license test that is really asking to get whacked, but so far I haven't managed it (if even possible).
There is a lot NOT to like, too, however. The license tests are still here, and in many cases even MORE irritating than before. No one has ever adequately explained to me why I should have to be taught how to drive by a video game, and in fact many of the times they demonstrate the "right" way to drive, aren't. Just like in GT3, trying to demonstrate "how much more difficult the car is to control with stability management off" proves just the opposite. It's FAR easier for me, at least, to get a good time if it's turned off. The car doesn't bog down nearly as much, the steering response is much more consistent, with nothing on. Some cars are difficult to drive with no traction control (try Monaco with a 427 Cobra on street tires and no TCS!!) but the "lessons" are about 50% wrong.
Even worse, there's now quite a number of "pace car" tests, where you follow a pace car around. If you get slowed down, it slows down, too, but then it frequently won't speed up enough to make the difference. It's all too easy to pass or rear-end the pace car when it slows excessively in odd places, then it's a big "FAIL" on the screen. And maybe it's a cultural thing, but I find it very irritating that even when you pass a test, you have to watch a movie of 3 guys with clipboard and uniforms logging that fact and clapping for you. Like I would feel gratified that the game considers me worthy.
But BY FAR the worst thing about the licenses is that there are a bunch of rally and ice racing tests for the *regular* licenses. I am of the opinion that the rally racing in it's entirety should be taken out and put in another game for rallying only. Now I have to do several rallys to get the superlicense, for crying out loud. They're mostly pretty easy, but why not just stick to standard racing. I'm pretty sure Michael Schumacher didn't have to do a ice rally before they let him drive in F1.
The license tests are not all that bad - I worked through them all in a couple of sessions - but it's awfully irritating.
Some of the new tracks, stink, as far as fun goes. I really can't stand the track that runs through "alleys" in some town. Yes, you can get through most of it like you run slot cars, don't even bother to steer, and just let the walls keep you straight. But still, while it's kind of neat to see once, it wears thin quickly. I had previously reported that the oval "Test Track" was gone, but I spoke too soon - it appears in several of the higher-level championships and is just as tedious and pointless as before. You can tell in half a lap whether you are going to finish first, or last.
The driving and car characteristics are quite a bit more challenging than before. Most notable is the different (I won't quite say "better" or "more accurate") modeling of the suspension motions. Driving standard cars with stock suspension will almost make you seasick from all the nose diving under braking. It may be accurate, maybe not, but it gives what seems to be a highly exaggerated effect in a video. This alone makes the cars much more difficult to drive.
There is also no more qualifying for individual races, near as I can tell. You start in last place, period. In standing-start races, it's not too bad, but in races with rolling starts, this is can be a 5-10 second handicap. You can qualify ("practice") in the championshps.
Maybe it's an attempt to even the odds with the still-slow AI cars, but mostly it's just irritating. And trying to pass the other cars seems to be much more difficult, since they seem to be even more prone to dorking you off the track, even if you drive cleanly.
As I have advanced through the game, the AI seems to have gotten worse than in GT3. Early on, on tracks with which you are not familiar, it will kill you (particularly the Nurburgring and the other very narrow tracks). But get in the higher series where the cars are mostly even (like the Formula 1 series where they are identical), and you know the tracks, and RUN AWAY from the AI cars - by maybe 3-5 seconds a lap on warm tires, and in some cases, 10 seconds a lap on cold tires). Basically, if you are even moderately competent, and can stay on the road, you can't lose.
But, the worst thing about the new game is that it seems to be far more restrictive about what cars you run and when you can run races. Rules on top of rules, on top of rules. The net effect is that you almost have to go through the whole thing in a very prescribed sequence, with little variation. But to get cars allowed to run the races, you are going to end up running the same series over and over and over.
Many of the cars you win are useless. OK, a Daimler Motor Carriage is neat historical piece, but it barely moves under it's own power, and you can't get any money by selling it. Also beware - you can buy some neat cars (like the Caterham 7) that you CAN'T RACE for some reason. There's no warning about this that I could discern. A Lotus 7 is a pretty common race car, I can see no reason at all why you couldn't race it in real life.
Another example - for some series, you win an Auto Union. Pretty neat car, huh? Want to take it around Tokyo R246 just to see how it drives? Sorry, it can run ONLY on the Nurburgring - you can't do a practice run or even take a picture on any other track.
This is a review, not a "tip sheet", but a couple of tricks - the '62 Buick is a total ringer and will beat ANYTHING, easily, in the "pre-1970" races. FAR faster than the 427 Cobra. Also, the Mazda 787b is still about as fast as you can get short of an F1 car, it's very easy on tires, and cheaper than it's most equivalent rivals. You can buy several of the hottest "Group B" or other fender cars *used* in the used car showrooms at huge discounts. The list of used cars continually changes, so check back often.
There's also a "B-Spec" mode where you make very mundane team manager decisions while AI drives the car. I can now see why you might want this. Who the heck is going to sit around and drive a *24 hour* endurance race? Or,in a regular race, once you get 3 laps ahead by the second pit stop, the whole thing gets so tedious that you can just switch to B-Spec at the next pit stop, and go to the grocery store.
On the whole, the game seems to require you to buy as many cars as possible. In most series, there are only a few cars that can plausibly win any race. In GT3, there are a couple of series that really can be challenging more than once (Polyphony Digital Cup and Formula GT) but in GT4, once you get the car you need, it's snoozeville.
Overall, as far as the racing goes, it's *probably* more realistic, but the restrictions seem beyond absurd, and once you get the hang of the handling there really isn't much challenge beyond perseverence. The dynamics changes seemed to have outpaced the ability of the AI, and the cars are just plain slower, compared to a human driver.
I don't have the steering wheel so there might be something more to know about it that I do, and all reports is that it really works well with the wheel (unlike GT3 where it was clearly an afterthought and barely controllable).
I have recently gone back and played GT3 and GT 4 back-to-back. For whatever the reason, the racing seems to be much more competitive in GT3. The AI drivers, in my opinion, are actually faster in GT3. In equal cars (say, Roadster Endurance, where it's all Miatas) the AI cars stay close, and if you mess up in the car setup (like, choose the wrong tires) you can get smoked. In GT4, in literally identical cars like those used in the "one-manufacturer" races, I just blow the other cars away. To the tune that I sometimes lap the backmarkers in a 5-lap race. In particular, the "passing algorithm" seems a big step backwards. In 3, if it needs to pass you, it will pull off-line and motor around. In 4, it just hangs on to it's "line" like grim death until it rear-ends you off the track.
That same effect is even more evident in the "Formula GT" championship. In 3, you had several different possible cars with different characteristics, so you can try to race your F090/s (which handles well and is easy on tires, but not a lot of HP) against the F094/s/h which is generally faster but is a lot more tricky to keep the tires on. This keeps the interest level up as your skill increases. In 4, all the cars are literally identical (and don't drive all that well, BTW) and once you get used to driving it you are lapping the AI cars in 10 laps, and there's nothing you can do to consequentially increase the challenge, aside from just screwing up the handling on purpose.
So, to sum up - It still a good game, and if you have a lot of patience it's OK. It's technically excellent and a remarkable peice of programming, but, boy, you pretty well have to adopt it as a way of life to ever get very far. It's just barely an increment on GT3, and there are significant downsides. Neat game, but GT3 is as good or better.
Brett
(edited from original based on more experience)
A wide range of brand name cars, the career mode is fun a game you have to get used to. Not easy as your classic need for speed, or burnout titles but its really fun one you learn. There is a liscence mode where ya can lear how to play the game witch is extremely helpful. A PS2 classic that ya need on your shelf.
The graphics are excellent for a ps2 game. The controls are good, better if you get the driving force wheel. The sound effects are excellent. There is a wide variety of music which plays during races and replays. You can create your own playlist of music so that you never have to listen to a song that you don't like.
There are plenty of tracks, and plenty of races to participate in. Getting licenses can be frustrating, but worth it since you learn techniques required to win races.
Cheap and long lasting entertainment for a mere [...], which would get you only 2 hours in a theater.