Polyphony Digital
Gran Turismo 2

The first Gran Turismo was already quite something, with lots of cars, a great racing program, high longevity, and serious difficulty. I thought I had seen it all, the kind of thing where I could say "now I can die happy," but I hadn't seen anything because compared to "Gran Turismo 2," the first one is practically nothing.

Starting with the fact that it's a double CD. Oh yes, this time the two modes have an entire CD dedicated to them, one for Arcade mode and one for Gran Turismo mode. However, the two modes are not completely independent from each other as in the first installment; to unlock all the tracks in Arcade, you must obtain all the licenses in Gran Turismo, and likewise, the cars purchased in Gran Turismo can be used for the Arcade races. The premise of the two modes remains the same; Arcade is the quick and less demanding mode, while Gran Turismo is a true racing and entrepreneurial career. In Arcade, you choose the car from the available ones, the game mode, the difficulty, and the circuit, then you race, always with the usual goal of unlocking everything; by winning races, you unlock new car models and the tracks in reverse direction. In Gran Turismo, you earn licenses, buy, modify, and sell cars, and participate in championships. However, everything has been tremendously expanded, so much so that the first installment seems like a toy in comparison; really, this second installment is about four times as long as the first, keeping players glued for many more hours than the first.

The Arcade mode hasn't been expanded much, but it still offers many more hours of gameplay than the first, simply because there are many more tracks. In the first, there were only eleven (some of which were actually variations of a certain track), but only eight were available in Arcade; here, there are 23, plus nine on dirt. You'll find mountainous, hilly, fast, and oval tracks, city tracks (those of Rome and Seattle), and night tracks. One is famous, Laguna Seca with its tricky double Corkscrew curve. All the tracks from the first episode have been confirmed here...except for one, the coolest one, the night Special Stage R11; it's a shame, it was not only my favorite and the most beautiful, but with its twisty layout, it would have been perfect for the game's overall difficulty, you would have seen some exciting contests.

The Gran Turismo mode, on the other hand, has been expanded to the max. Starting with the licenses, without which you can't participate in races. From the three licenses of the first installment to the 5+1 in this second, each with 10 tests compared to the previous 8: B, A, International C, International B, International A; as if that wasn't enough, there's an additional special one - entirely based on timed trials on entire tracks - which is not required in any of the official races but allows you to unlock all the circuits in Arcade. I must say that the licenses didn't seem particularly difficult to me, while some difficulties and curses may be encountered with the special license.

The real revolution, however, was made in terms of the race program. It is much larger but presents significant differences. While in the first installment the competitions consisted of real championships - composed of multiple races where points were awarded and the one with the most points won the championship, like in F1 - here almost all races are single. Each contest or trophy features 2, 3, or 5 races that are tackled individually, independently, with the result of each one not affecting the others. Each individual race has its own trophy up for grabs and its own car as a prize (not all give a car as a prize, though). But that's not all; each single race differs from the others in terms of the required license, cash prize, or maximum allowed power. We can say that the races are basically themed gatherings; the real championships, those with multiple consecutive races and point allocation, are only three in the entire game (four if we add the custom professional-level event). For a long time, I wondered whether I preferred the real championships of the first installment or the single races of this one; my answer over the years is roughly "both," this significant change in modes represents a real break, ensuring that this second installment has its own identity and isn't just a copy of the previous one. Simply, the first is beautiful as it is with its mini-tournaments while the second is beautiful precisely for its single races. This organization also has the advantage of making the game smoother over its length, as well as offering the possibility to organize your gaming sessions more peacefully; championships require more time and you need to choose moments when you don't have particular commitments, while single races can be tackled even when you have significantly less time. However, this mode presents an additional difficulty, especially for those less experienced, the obligation to win every single race, never being able to afford second place, is certainly a more challenging endeavor. I mentioned the power limits; yes, indeed, in most races you cannot participate if the vehicle exceeds a certain horsepower. This is an element that makes the game more challenging; the player must wisely manage their fleet of cars, carefully evaluating which races can be tackled with the purchased or prize-winning cars and which can instead be sold without hesitation; but above all, it makes the races decidedly more intense and challenging as the opponents are essentially on equal footing; in short, players must get rid of the idea of buying a hyped-up car and tackling a large part of the game with it as could be done in the first game, don't even think about starting with a bang and leaving the opponents in the dust at every damn race, here you have to fight and there's indeed some race that requires numerous attempts to be brought home. Because in addition, there's the questionable idea of eliminating qualifications; in the first installment, it was thrilling to speed alone on the track aiming for that pole position that, besides the first place on the grid, also guaranteed a bit of cash, here you always start last and definitely have to fight more. Well, maybe the choice may seem unpleasant, but it makes sense; with qualifications, the game would have been excessively long, as if it wasn't already long enough, and probably would have denied that little extra difficulty expected from a second installment.

Taking a tour through the race section, we notice four large sections. The GT League includes the American, British, German, French, Italian, and Japanese national championships, European and Pacific continental championships, and, as a conclusion, a world championship. The opponents are car models logically from the respective geographical area, but the player does not necessarily have to have the same; there were similar events in the first installment but they were classified as special events and you were required to participate with a car of the appropriate nationality. At the bottom of the GT League list, there's an automatic event creator, four events for four different difficulty levels; you enter with your car, and an event tailored to the car's characteristics is created; I thought they were a luxury option until I realized these events are also essential to complete the game 100%.

The Special Events section confirms some classics from the first installment and much more. We find trophies once again dedicated to vehicles with different drivetrains, lightweight vehicles, turbo engines, and naturally aspirated engines, races you participate in only with the type of vehicle indicated. However, the section is expanded with various events always dedicated to various types of vehicles, compacts, convertibles, sports cars, '80s cars, etc., with the difference being that you can participate with any type of car, provided that the opponent cars are of the indicated type; probably an attempt was made to avoid complicating an already demanding game, offering at least in this instance a bit more freedom of choice.

Endurance races couldn't be missing either. If there were only three in the first installment and they were among the special events, here there are even seven and they have a dedicated section. Races of 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, up to 99 laps with time limitation. Races that involve tire wear and the need for occasional pit stops. The difficulty lies essentially in maintaining consistency; you must be good at accumulating a good lead over the chasers to manage pit-stops calmly, and you need to do it while considering that the vehicle's grip decreases lap after lap, requiring you to monitor the vehicle's performance and understand how to avoid spinning out.

The most striking novelty, however, is the rally mode. Besides the road, "Gran Turismo 2" offers the chance to compete on dirt as well. Single-lap races (which sometimes aren't a lap but a course that starts at one point and finishes at another) against a ghost car where you really have to be skilled at driving. Rallies truly require practice; you need to know how to brake and especially how to steer the car well without spinning out and without losing too much speed. A challenge for more experienced drivers.

In any case, even as it is, the game is significantly long, and what makes it a real task are the gatherings organized by dealers. Indeed, every manufacturer organizes special races dedicated to some of its models for sale. You race without a license with a car that must necessarily carry that specific brand, on a randomly selected circuit. They are quite a drag, perhaps dispensable, especially since there are so many dealers, but these races are fundamental to completing the game 100%. Hence the advice when you win a cup, to check if there is a specific race dedicated to the model received as a prize; otherwise, you have to resign yourself to buying and modifying all the necessary cars to win these races. Once again, patience and money are called upon; it is advisable to tackle this last part after winning all the other races when the financial situation is more favorable.

The car lineup has been vigorously expanded; to the already present Japanese, British, and American dealers, Italian, French, and German ones are added; the choice is so vast it can't fit on a single map, so the city has been divided into four geographical zones. The most nostalgic can experience the thrill of driving an old Fiat 500 or a Volkswagen Beetle, but the most curious model is the Daihatsu Midget van, a commercial vehicle that at first glance throws everyone off.

The graphics have remained substantially unchanged, while the music has expanded, with rock and electronic music persisting, alongside a significant rise in jazz/fusion, especially in the navigation menus.

What can I say, a total and immortal masterpiece, with plenty on offer, many hours of gameplay but also requiring a lot of patience and commitment.