GT5 2.0: Why You Need To Go Back
12 months on, what's changed in Polyphony's racer?
They're front and centre now (or at least they are on the handful of tracks they're available on), adjustable in the race menu that precedes an event. Track conditions can be set, as can the time of day and the speed with which time passes - and these simple options work together to unlock much of Gran Turismo 5's potential, allowing you to attack Le Mans under a setting sun or to burst the clouds that hang over Spa Francorhamps.
It also unlocks the diversity that's Gran Turismo's own, an aspect that's been boosted by the introduction of in-car cockpits for the game's 800 plus standard cars. Lacking the splendor of the premium cars', they're admittedly little more than a silhouette for the majority of models - though it certainly helps bridge the gulf between the standard and premium, and makes the prospect of driving some of Gran Turismo 5's curios a little more palatable.
It's a diversity that's acknowledged in the downloadable car pack. Yes, it's clogged by the inclusion of another batch of Skylines and an assortment of Japanese racers that fail to stir the heart, but in the X2011 - a slight tweak of the imagined supercar designed by Red Bull's Adrian Newey - and the trio of new karts it goes to illustrate the breadth of this automotive encyclopedia.
Those karts are bolstered by the addition of Kart Space II, an all-new indoor track that, with its excess of colour and neon, has something of Fun House about it. It's as lurid in its design as it is in its aesthetic, a pleasing collection of fast right angles perfect for clipping through and a central loop that can be taking in one long, lazy slide.
It's unfortunate, then, that neither new tracks are included in any meaningful way in Gran Turismo's A or B Spec campaigns. They're yet to be acknowledged in the Seasonal Events either, though that's certain to change shortly.
In the twelve months since Gran Tursimo 5's launch it's those Seasonal Events that have provided the incentive to return on a regular basis, with the rewards ramping up to the point where, quite recently, it was possible to become a multi-millionaire on the back of one quick race. A broken economy, yes, but one that was certainly entertaining to indulge in.
The overblown Seasonal Event rewards of recent months have now been replaced by a consecutive log-in bonus and a renewed emphasis on online races that Gran Turismo 5's multiplayer suite still struggles to support. Despite a constant trickle of updates and the slightest of overhauls, Gran Turismo 5's online racing remains deeply flawed, its convoluted Lounge system a poor replacement for half-decent matchmaking.
It's one area that makes Sony's decision to place Gran Turismo 5 toe-to-toe with Forza 4 seem particularly unwise, as put in relief to Turn 10's broad and compelling online aspects Polyphony's game feels criminally lacking - and a large number of the issues raised just after release are yet to be addressed and likely never will.
It's a rather large blot on what's otherwise been a remarkable journey for Gran Turismo 5, and one that you have to applaud Polyphony for taking. To choose between this and Forza 4 would be a fool's work; both offer takes on the genre that are now different enough to complement each other, with Forza's emphasis on Community marking it out for one audience while Gran Turismo's precision marks it out for another. If you're looking for a diversity of driving experiences, then Gran Turismo's always been the best - and now it's that little bit better too.