Gran Turismo 7 Preview – Drivin’ Solo

Gran Turismo Sport was released in 2017, and although some aspects earned praise, it left fans wanting more while also exciting them about what’s to come in the next game. The DNA of Sport, which was mostly focused on competitive multiplayer, seems to be present in GT7, but after previewing the game, it’s clear that this sequel offers so much more. 

And that’s exciting for someone like me who has never really made it beyond a few hours into a Gran Turismo game. I went into this preview looking for reasons to be excited for Polyphony Digital’s latest love letter to cars and came away with enough to feel like GT7 is worth checking out. 

Let me get this out of the way right up front: if you’re a GT fan, you are in for a treat with GT7. You will find more than 400 cars in 34 locations. There are 97 racing events. More than 650 aerodynamic components. 130 wheels. 1200 paint colors. All the bells and whistles are here, and of course, they’ve never looked better thanks to the PlayStation 5. The haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and trial mountain, deep forest, races will be more real than ever. Producer Kazunori Yamauchi says these additions will make it feel like you’re holding a car in your hands with the track beneath you.

However, this preview revealed to me that GT7 is more than just “the real driving simulator.” It’s a love letter to car culture and a set of welcoming arms for newcomers like me. 

GT7 has many museum-like functions, in addition to the classic GT show features such as Replay and showrooms of new and used cars. When you go to the Brand Central hub, which is found on the new World Map, you’ll discover more than 300 cars from 2001 and later from over 50 different worldwide brands like Ford, Nissan, Suzuki, and others.

This is standard fare for a GT game, but what’s new is that each car manufacturer has a detailed history available for viewing here. You’ll learn about the brand’s creator, its history through time, some of its most standout vehicles, and where the company stands in the industry today. As someone who’s always admired the culture surrounding cars but has never dabbled in it, I’m excited to catch up on the automobile history fans of GT likely already know. 

There’s also the new Cafe. Here, you’ll view a Cafe Menu, but instead of espresso drinks and pastries, you’ll find a variety of cars. Each is essentially a mission where you must complete all of the races and events for a particular car’s menu. Yamauchi states that there are 30 races to finish and you will earn credits for doing so. The Cafe is your guide through GT7’s “campaign,” although Yamauchi says rolling credits is just the beginning. I love the simple, easy-to-understand goals this gives me to get to the credits. Sure, I can tinker with hundreds of settings and tunings and race real-world players, but if I’m looking for something more focused and straightforward, the Cafe seems to scratch that itch. 

Music Rally, another new feature in GT7, promises newcomers to be onboard. Yamauchi described this mode as one “not for driving, but for enjoying music.” I’ve always admired Gran Turismo soundtracks, and seeing a mode that prioritizes Polyphony Digital’s excellent taste in music is a welcome addition. Music Rally starts with a certain number of beats. The beats will decrease as the race progresses. When they are exhausted, the race is over. However, if you go through the track’s checkpoints, you’ll earn more points. You should do enough to complete the song and finish the race. The race is slower than standard GT races, so the emphasis here is on enjoying the ride, not beating any driver. 

With a soundtrack boasting popular hits from genres ranging from jazz to lounge to hip-hop to rock, I have a feeling Music Rally is going to be my go-to mode when I’m looking to relax behind a steering wheel at the end of my day. Driving around and listening to music is already one of my favorite things to do in real life, and it seems I’m not alone if Music Rally’s inclusion in GT7 is any indicator. 

GT7’s impressive Photo Mode looks to be the most advanced ever in a first-party PlayStation game. You can choose from over 2500 backdrops and have access to many other settings. As someone who spends at least 40% of any play session they have in a given game’s Photo Mode, I already know I’m going to lose plenty of hours in Scrapes. It also has a Photo Mode and Scrapes mode that ray-traces. This makes the possibility of seeing my digital screenshots even more appealing. 

Gran Turismo 7 was a preview that I found more exciting than ever. Yamauchi placed a particular emphasis on Polyphony Digital’s desire to welcome newcomers to the franchise with open arms in GT7, which spoke directly to me. Modes like Cafe and Music Rally ensure I’ll be checking it out at launch. Still, I’m nervous that after a dozen or so hours with the game, the fun and easy-going nature of these modes will grow stale, forcing me to dive further into the more hardcore, made-for-fans modes that require a keen eye for vehicle tunings and other nuances. It’s then that GT7 might lose me, but who knows? Perhaps the likes of Cafe, Music Rally, and the game’s museum features will entice me enough that when it’s time to dive into Gran Turismo 7’s more competitive destinations, I’ll be ready to trade out my training wheels for a real set of Trial Mountain-ready tires.

Gran Turismo 7: Are you looking forward to it? Comment below to let us know your excitement for Gran Turismo 7.