Gran Turismo 5 – featuring the curse of slow loading times

29/12/2010 UPDATE – Please see my update below in the comments section. On the day that I wrote this, there was exceptional amount of online activity which also slowed down single player experience. I have not, since then, had any issues with slow loading times. If you are updating to 1.05, be warned its a 600MB update and will take a long time to download and install. If you are playing it for the first time and experiencing long loading times, then this is probably because GT5 installs data onto your PS3 of each track, car etc. so that it performs better when you next play with that car / track. My advice is be patient and you’ll get a better experience eventually.

I can’t believe this game came out. No really, I still can’t believe it to this day. It took its sweet time, but it got here and what a game it is. I’ll tell you a bit about that in a moment.

You may or may not know that Gran Turismo is a very successful driving game series that has been coming out since the Playstation was first released. This is the fifth in the series, the first for the ps3 and was supposed to be released with the console. Alas, we were only given a free demo and the chance to purchase GT5 Prologue. And now the real thing is here.

First, let me fill you in on the installation and initial loading times. As if Polyphonic couldn’t let you wait any longer, you wait until you put the CD into your ps3 and run the game. The first thing you will be greeted with is “This game needs to be updated to version 1.01″. This game came out today (I played it on the day of release), and it already needs updating? Ok, fine so I hit update. And I wait half an hour. So, kept myself busy by watching TV and biting my nails due to the severe anticipation of playing the game.

Great, update done. Now lets get on with the…whats this. “This game has long loading times. In order to shorten them, you may want to install data onto your system that needs 8GB” (wording is not exact but you catch my drift). What!? Ok if that helps, fine. It tells me its going to take 20 minutes, which is a long time.

50 minutes later (yep, five and zero) it’s done. It even stayed on “4 seconds left” for about 5 minutes! Never in my LIFE have I ever had to wait this long for a game to load.

Anyway, I’m in. Now it asks you for some initial setup of your profile. *Sigh* OK but I’m only doing this because I know it’s going to be a great game. And, after all of the waiting around, I finally get to experience GT5.

Unfortunately, you will not get away from long loading times for the first two hours or so, but once tracks are loaded it runs a lot smoother. I promise you, loading times do get better. The amount of data that needs to be installed is so large it crashed my PS3. Twice.

As you would expect from any Gran Turismo, the graphics are exceptional. The controls are like nothing else from any other game and, despite what reviewers say about “Gran Turismo is now not the De Facto driving game”, they may be right, but it’s still one of the best driving games out there, and this version has it all.

Kart racing, pickup truck racing, rally, your Suzuki Cappuccinos to your Pagani Zondas, photo shoots, GT TV, online community and racing, there’s just so much to keep you busy.

The music is cool – you will easily be taken away by smooth jazz to Prog Rock, Drum and Bass to some kind of Pop, Trance blend. I find the music is always carefully chosen for GT games to ensure you get the most from your gameplay. I did have an unusual experience though when I went to service my car – I got greeted by “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin. It was quite enjoyable watching people washing my car in quick time to this rather enjoyable tune. I just imagined that when the guy went under the car to do my oil change, the screen should have been black and white, and the car should have fallen on him, shortly followed by legs waving around as the guy struggles to get out from under the car, just like in the 1930′s.

Anyway, all in all, an enjoyable game which will suck out many hours of my life. If you can excuse the disastrously slow loading times to begin with, followed by more slow loading times, then you are in for a real treat.