Gran Turismo Review (PSP)

Sure, it’s one of the reasons the PlayStation took the number one spot way back when, and it’s continued to be the best console racing simulator out (perhaps not anymore thanks to Forza 3). Seems like a sure fire bet to bring the franchise to the PSP, the only Sony console it has yet to grace, right? Well...

Don’t get me wrong, Gran Turismo PSP is a good game. It just doesn’t make any sense. A racing simulator is best played with a racing wheel on multiple giant screens, a moving cockpit, and surround sound. Affording such a setup is beyond most budgets, but gamers today have the TV, game console and surround sound. Some put in the extra money for racing chairs and/or racing wheels, such as Logitech’s Driving Force GT or G27.

For the PSP, that’s just not possible. There’s no way to plug in a racing wheel, and even if you could, what then? Carefully rest the PSP on a bookshelf while you hold onto the wheel for dear life, hoping you don’t shake it off? That’s not to say you need a racing wheel to fully enjoy a racing game, but when you stare at the controller…the feeling of racing on a tiny analog stick, D-pad and a few buttons just doesn’t cut it.

If you wish to brave through the unenviable control issues the PSP forces you to swallow, GT PSP is an incredibly wholesome racing title. While some have stated that it has no actual campaign and forces players to just race on their own settings or online, the challenge mode is the answer to that. It isn’t a tiered tournament, but considering the control scheme, players won’t be playing long, 10-15 minute races.