Gran Turismo 5 3D Review: Hands-on first impressions

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T3 get behind the wheel of Gran Turismo

Gran Turismo 5, the most anticipated and surely most delayed title in gaming history has finally touched down in the UK.

The T3 VIP Reader Event at Selfridges' London Oxford Street store saw the racing sim on its first ever free consumer outing.

-Check out these Gran Turismo 5 (GT5) 3D pics

Having cost a reported $60 million to create and with a delay of more than five years for the title to arrive, the question on the lips of everyone with an interest in the definitive racing title is "Is it really worth the wait?"

- Gran Turismo 5 in action photographs: Click here

With half an hour before the lucky VIP readers arrived, T3 took to the driving seat of the ultimate Gran Turismo 5 3D racing setup - bucket seat, Logitech Driving Force GT Wheel plus Pedals and a HD Sony 3D TV - to bring you our first impressions of Gran Turismo 5 (GT5).

3D

3D is understandably one of the key talking points in the games industry at present, with Gran Turismo 5 lined up to be the biggest title release in the new format to date.

First impressions of GT5's 3D quality are somewhat underwhelming. Donning a pair of active shutter specs one might expect to be immersed into a world of near misses and stunningly deep backdrops, but the use of 3D seems to in fact take away some of the edge of what is otherwise graphical supremacy.

The extra dimensional tech comes in to its own as you continue with the game. When racing at close quarters with other vehicles and as racers bunch up in slow corners, the obsession to detail and enormous levels of precision insisted on by the game's creators combine with the 3D experience to take on a truly stunning aspect - well worth the 3D sticker price.

Graphics

Graphically little more can be said about Gran Turismo 5 than simply, wow. Surpassing all the franchises previous releases and most other games on the market, the level of detail seen in the vehicles and environments alike is nothing short of astounding.

Tracks such as the Top Gear Test Track are replicated in the game in inch-perfect detail with backdrops replicating those of real life. While the cars themselves are perfectly true to life, a brief dabble with the in car camera failed to impress as much as other aspects of the game.

Gameplay

The level of realism found in GT5 is not limited to its graphical superiority, its physics are also far beyond anything seen in previous titles. Braking too hard into a corner or tapping the accelerator at the microsecond and you will quickly find yourself fighting against a few hundred horses pushing and pulling the car in all the directions you are trying not to go.

In terms of steering, cars in the game appear to respond to their true to life counterparts with vehicles notorious for poor handling being loose in the corners and forcing you to fight against vicious under and over steer. The meticulous nature with which this game has been constructed can at times be infuriating when a strong lap is ruinied by a minor lapse in concentration. This frustration is soon forgotten, however, as you cross the line for the next lap and once again submit to the true brilliance of this long awaited title.

Were you at the T3 VIP reader night? Share you thoughts of Gran Turismo 5 in 3D with us via the T3 Twitter and Facebook accounts.