GT4 Graphical & Replay Questions

[forpey]

Couple of things I've been wondering after playing GT4 for a week or so...

Firstly, is it possible to display 2 player replays in full screen rather than split? I'm sure in GT3 (or ealier) you had to presss 'X' on both pads and it went full screen - am I wrong?

Secondly, has anyone noticed the varying visual quality between the different courses? To me it looks like some tracks are lower resolution than others. New York for example looks amazing, hardly any aliasing etc. But a track like Apricot Hill or Monte Carlo looks incredibly jaggy. Is this perhaps due to the colour pallets used in certain tracks or something else?

James

[Leon Retro]

Lots of games have this disparity between levels-courses etc..

I noticed the same things you mentioned with GT4. The more basic tracks have a grainy jaggy look to the scenary and road- whilst the new tracks like NewYork are smooth and detailed.

I guess these games take so long to make that some levels get more care and attention than others. It could be down to the old courses already being created and the developer doesn't put much effort in to polishing them up.

With games getting bigger and more complex, I can see this situation happening more and more. Then again if the devlopment software gets better, it should be easier and more time efficient for developers to put more time in to making each level look of equal standard.

At the end of the day it's obvious that Polyphony were really stretched when it came to developing GT4.

[forpey]

I think you might be right, it wouldn't surprise me if some of the tracks were ported straight from GT3 without any further attention.

I'm also sure some effects and details have been toned down. Trial Mountain has lost its 'shafts of light' on the back straight coming out of the tunnel. Also, Deep Forest appears to have lost detail in the rock faces towards the end of the track. Whether they felt they were too 'over the top' or whether they needed to go to improve other details interests me.

It might just be me, I haven't played GT3 in ages, but I'd love to see the two games running side by side.

[Leon Retro]

GT4 imo looks a lot better- improved clarity and overall definition. The car models look fantastic in both games but no4 has the better models.

I don't think GT4 is the graphical wonder leap that a lot of people were hyping it as. There was nothing to get excited about when I got the game; it all looked too underwhelming.

Of course the game pushes the machine to the limit, but that just isn't enough to blow people away in todays market. It's a nice game though, but not good enough to warrant my time.

I will go back to GT3 and have a look at the tracks you mentioned. Back in 2001 I was amazed at the game- it really was the best racer around!

[forpey]

Yeah, I agree. The car models are much better over GT3, less rough edges and more definition on things like the wheels.

I think I have to admitt I was expecting more of a graphical leap, but given that GT3 seemed so far ahead of any other PS2 game back in 2001 it was perhaps obvious that Polyphony had got the most out of the hardware back then.

I don't have a TV with HD capability so maybe the leap is there. Does running in HD give a much better image? I'd love to see it, but given the PAL version doesn't have the option I can't see me ever experiencing it.

James

[Leon Retro]

I have HD- and it makes things look sharper, but it can never make-up for a games short-comings. GT4 is running on the PS2- however good your tv, the game will never look as good as the developer screen-shots and the ones on the box. People make out that PS and HD make things look mind-blowing, but they don't, they just make things clearer.

The next-gen will really be at home with HD. The consoles will naturally allow for more anti-aliasing and detail. It's with these advanced graphics coupled with HD televisions that will be finally see games that look the way pre-rendered stuff does at the moment.

GT5 may finally give fans everything they have ever desired from the series.

[forpey]

The more I think about it the more annoyed I get with Polyphony / Sony.

GT3 was brilliant, but the series has been watered down so much since then. GT Concept and GT4 Prologue are games which should never had seen the light of day. If they had been stop gaps for a complete revolution then fair enough, but the fact GT4 is more or less the same game as GT3 doesn't cut it.

I think by releasing Prologue in particular they built the game up and the lack of online mode or any new gameplay features could only be a let down (I don't really think B-Spec counts here).

Then again, I remember being fairly let down by GT2 after playing the first GT game to death. So maybe I'll have to wait for the next PlayStation for Gran Turismo to impress me again.

[Leon Retro]

Your point about GT2 says a lot- basically Polyphony are great programmers and they get the most out of machines early on. GT3 was a game that pushed the PS2 a lot, and GT4 was afforded a bit more juice to get things looking a bit better, but not mind-blowingly better.

I really do think Polyphony will put everything fans have ever wanted in to GT5. It will obviously be online, and that is the vital thing that let down GT4 for me- so I really look forward to the PS3.