''Gran Turismo 4'' is a 2004
racing video game
Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic rac ...
for the
PlayStation 2, the fourth installment in the main
''Gran Turismo'' series and the sixth for the overall series. It was developed by
Polyphony Digital
Polyphony Digital is an internal Japanese first-party video game development studio for PlayStation Studios. Originally a development group within Sony Computer Entertainment known as Polys Entertainment, after the success of '' Gran Turismo'' ...
and published by
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
and was released on December 28, 2004, in Japan and Hong Kong, February 22, 2005, in North America, and March 9, 2005, in Europe, and has since been re-issued under Sony's 'Greatest Hits' line.
Originally planned for a 2003 release, ''Gran Turismo 4'' was delayed for over a year and a half by Polyphony Digital, and had its online mode removed. The game features over 721 cars from 80 manufacturers, from as early as the 1886 Daimler Motor Carriage, and as far into the future as concepts for 2022. The game also features 51 tracks, many of which are new or modified versions of old ''Gran Turismo'' tracks, with some notable real-world additions.
''Gran Turismo 4'' was well-received critically and a commercial success, becoming one of the highest-selling games of 2005, and
the third best-selling game on the PlayStation 2. The Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean releases of the game were bundled with a 212-page driving guide and lessons on the physics of racing. A limited-edition, ''Gran Turismo 4 Online test version'', was released in Japan in summer 2006. A
PSP enhanced port entitled ''Gran Turismo Mobile'' was originally planned for development, but was later renamed to ''
Gran Turismo'', which was released October 1, 2009. The follow-up game, ''
Gran Turismo 5
is a 2010 racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation 3 on November 24, 2010 in Europe and North America, and November 25, 2010 in Japan and Australasia, and ...
'', was released in 2010 for the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...
.
Gameplay
Players accumulate points by winning races in the normal first-person driving mode, called ''A-Spec'' mode. Each race event can yield up to a maximum of 200 A-Spec points. Generally, a win using a car with less of an advantage over the
AI opponents is worth more points. Points can only be won once, so to win further points from a previously won event, it must be re-won using a car with less of an advantage over the AI. There are also the 34 ''
Missions'' which can yield 250 points each. Despite this, A-Spec points are experience points, not money.
The new ''B-Spec'' mode puts players in the place of a racing
crew chief: telling the driver how aggressively to drive, when to pass, and mandating
pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is a pause for refuelling, new tyres, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, as a penalty, or any combination of the above. These stops occur in an area called the pits, most commonly accessed via a pit lan ...
s (by monitoring tire wear and fuel level). The speed of the time in the race can be increased up to 3×, allowing for Endurance races to be completed in less time than would take in A-Spec mode. The 3× feature, however, must be turned on after every pit stop because it resets to normal time. The game manual says that the player may speed up B-Spec mode by up to 5×, but this is believed to be a
typo
A typographical error (often shortened to typo), also called a misprint, is a mistake (such as a spelling mistake) made in the typing of printed (or electronic) material. Historically, this referred to mistakes in manual type-setting (typography) ...
. B-Spec points are given out for each race completed in B-Spec mode. This increases the skill level of the AI driver in the categories of vehicle skill, course skill, and battle skill. Players can thereby use B-Spec mode in harder races as the game progresses, but this mode cannot be used on wet, dirt, and snow courses.
Another new addition to the game is the ''Driving Missions'', which are similar in experience to the license tests, but award successful completion with 250 A-Spec points and 1000 or more
credits. Each mission takes place with a given car on a given track or section of track, and a given set of opponents. There are 4 sets of missions: ''The Pass'', in which the driver must overtake an opponent within a certain distance; ''3 Lap Battle'', in which the driver must pass 5 opponents over the course of 3 laps; ''Slipstream Battle'', in which the driver must overtake identical opponents by way of
drafting; and ''1 Lap Magic'', in which the driver starts with a significant time penalty against much slower opponents and must overtake them all in the space of a single lap. Completing each set of missions earns the player a prize car. There are a total of 5 prize cars available to be won, they are the
DMC DeLorean,
Jay Leno Tank Car
The Blastolene Special, also known as the "Tank Car", is a unique, specially built car, designed and built by American master craftsman Randy Grubb. The car is currently owned by American entertainer Jay Leno, who regularly drives it on public s ...
,
Pagani Zonda
The Pagani Zonda is a mid-engine sports car produced by the Italian sports car manufacturer Pagani. It debuted at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show. By 2019, a total of 140 cars had been built, including development mules. Both 2-door coupé and r ...
Race Car,
Toyota 7
The Toyota 7 was a series of racing cars developed by Toyota Motor Company in cooperation with Yamaha Motor Corporation. Designed primarily for use in FIA Group 7 competition, it was Toyota's first purpose-built racing car project.
Design 7 (415 ...
, and the
Nissan R89C
The Nissan R89C was a Group C sports prototype developed by Nissan.
Development
Replacing the original March built series of prototypes that Nissan had used, the R89C was part of Nissan's increased involvement in the project. Developed in conj ...
.
A new ''Photo Mode'' is included in the game, which allows the player to control a virtual camera, taking pictures of their cars on the track or at specific locations, including the
Grand Canyon. This game is able to produce a selection of screenshots with variable compression rate (Normal/Fine/SuperFine) and size (up to 1280x960 72dpi), and the user can choose to save or print to a supported USB device.
Compared with ''
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec'', graphics are greatly improved with more detail on cars and tracks (despite running on the same PlayStation 2 hardware). The physics are also greatly improved, with the major upgrade that cars now experience body movement, such as pitching (forwards and backward rolling) under braking. Barriers have considerably more friction to slow down the cars in GT4 (in an attempt to stop the use of "wall riding"), but there is minimal friction between cars, so the advantage obtained by running into the side of another car (instead of braking) is still present. Each of the Driving Missions and Special Conditions events give a 5-second penalty for hitting the walls or opponents' cars in this way, where the car's speed is restricted to 50 km/h (31 mph) until the timer disappears when it reaches zero.
The game features a futuristic concept car called the Nike One 2022, designed in collaboration with
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
.
Alternate versions
Prologue
![Gran Turismo 4 E3 2003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Gran_Turismo_4_E3_2003.jpg)
is a
racing video game
Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic rac ...
of the
''Gran Turismo'' series for
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...
PlayStation 2 which is published by
Polyphony Digital
Polyphony Digital is an internal Japanese first-party video game development studio for PlayStation Studios. Originally a development group within Sony Computer Entertainment known as Polys Entertainment, after the success of '' Gran Turismo'' ...
. It was released on December 4, 2003, in Japan and
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
and May 26, 2004, in Europe.
For undisclosed reasons, the game was not released in the North American market; however, a demo disc featuring
Toyota Prius
The is a car built by Toyota which has a hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door sedan, it has been produced only as a five-door liftback since 2003.
In 2007, ...
and
Toyota MTRC concept car was available in the United States, either on requesting a Toyota Prius brochure online or by attending the Toyota stand at the 2004
New York International Auto Show
The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan in late March or early April. It is held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first S ...
, that features ''Gran Turismo 4 Prologue'' branding on the title screen.
This short version title preceded the release of the full-length version ''Gran Turismo 4'' in 2004 and was followed by ''
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue'' in 2007.
In Japan, a limited "Signature Edition" featuring the signature of the series producer
Kazunori Yamauchi
, nicknamed "Kaz", is a Japanese game designer and professional racing driver. He is CEO of Polyphony Digital and producer of the '' Gran Turismo'' video game series.
Polyphony Digital
He became the president of Polyphony Digital after designi ...
on the front cover package preceded the release of the regular edition. The regular edition was also bundled with a white ceramic PlayStation 2 console in a Christmas limited
SKU called "PlayStation Racing Pack" released in Japan on October 13, 2002.
In Europe, the game was bundled with a promotional "Making of DVD Video". While intended to be limited content, the DVD-Video was also included in the Platinum re-release. The DVD was later included in the limited ''Gran Turismo 4'' "Special DVD Set" released in Japan on June 28, 2004. The regular edition was discontinued and the game was re-issued under Sony's 'Greatest Hits' line in Japan ("PlayStation 2 the Best") on August 5, 2004 and Europe ("Platinum"). As ''Gran Turismo 4'' was intended to be released in time for the worldwide 2002/2003 Christmas release but was delayed, in consolation, Polyphony brought out ''Gran Turismo 4: Prologue'' as a sneak preview (including a documentary bonus disc in Europe) to the full experience of ''Gran Turismo 4''.
Though it was necessary to limit the number of cars and courses included, this product still included some of the main features of the ''Gran Turismo'' franchise such as races, time attacks and license tests. The sneak preview also expressed the latest technology Polyphony Digital had accumulated over the past two years. Featuring 50 of ''GT4''s then planned 500 cars as well as five courses, this expanded demo was designed as a stop-gap until the complete version was released.
The game includes a Driving School (License Tests) as well as early versions of some circuits, like the
New York track which was modified in the full version. A new ''Gran Turismo'' official steering wheel, the
Driving Force Pro
The Gran Turismo official steering wheels (such as the GT FORCE or Driving Force, see the trademark symbols difference) are a series of racing wheels designed by Logitech (a.k.a. Logicool in Japan) in collaboration with Polyphony Digital. These ...
known as
GT Force Pro in Japan and supporting
force feedback
Haptic technology (also kinaesthetic communication or 3D touch) is technology that can create an experience of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user. These technologies can be used to create virtual objects in a computer ...
, was released by
Logitech
Logitech International S.A. ( ; often shortened to Logi) is a Swiss multinational manufacturer of computer peripherals and software, with headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Newark, California. The company has offices throughout Europe, ...
(
Logicool
Logitech International S.A. ( ; often shortened to Logi) is a Swiss multinational manufacturer of computer peripherals and software, with headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Newark, California. The company has offices throughout Europe, ...
in Japan) to coincide with the ''Gran Turismo 4 Prologue'' launch date. The European version came with several extra cars, most of them cars unveiled at the 2004
Geneva Motor Show, such as the
BMW Concept M5 and the aforementioned Toyota MTRC.
''Gran Turismo 4 Prologue'' has sold 1.4 million copies since its release.
Online version
is a free 2006
PlayStation 2 game by
Polyphony Digital
Polyphony Digital is an internal Japanese first-party video game development studio for PlayStation Studios. Originally a development group within Sony Computer Entertainment known as Polys Entertainment, after the success of '' Gran Turismo'' ...
. This is a limited edition of the 2004/2005 racing game ''Gran Turismo 4'' featuring extra online services that were removed from the standard game due to some issues and a lack of time as the game had been delayed several times. Selecting the extra "Online" mode leads to the "Online Home" that features additional game modes, "Quick Race", "Tuned Car Race", "Private Race" (that requires a password) and "Time Attack". "News" inform about the availability for the online courses or special events, with limited date and time. Public online services ended on September 1, 2006.
This
public beta
A software release life cycle is the sum of the stages of development and maturity for a piece of computer software ranging from its initial development to its eventual release, and including updated versions of the released version to help impro ...
for ''Gran Turismo 4 Online'' (''GT4OL'') was freely shipped to 4,700 selected gran-turismo.com members from Japan
and 300 from
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
to collaborate as "test players". Online services lasted three months from June 1 to September 1, 2006 and included 6-player "Competition" (対戦, ''taisen''),
Time Trial In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...
,
chat (mail message and microphone communication), and an Internet ranking chart was available in the game's website.
Nowadays it is possible to play it online again with alternate private servers.
This test was not intended to precede a ''Gran Turismo 4 Online'' full-scale release but instead to be used as a way to develop and test online features and structures for the upcoming ''
Gran Turismo 5
is a 2010 racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation 3 on November 24, 2010 in Europe and North America, and November 25, 2010 in Japan and Australasia, and ...
'' on the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...
system. Besides the 5,000 test players, seven special guests were invited to test ''Gran Turismo 4 Online''. First, a special event named "Top Racer Battle" (トップレーサーBATTLE) was staged in the Polyphony Digital headquarters on August 17. Six drivers from the
JGTC
Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a grand touring car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as either the JGTC or the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, the series was renamed to Super GT in 2005. It is ...
Japanese championship entered the game's online multiplayer "Competition" mode.
Motoyama won the test round, a 5-lap
Fuji Speedway 2005 race with the drivers' respective JGTC GT500 cars. The actual Top Racer Battle though, a 10-lap
Tsukuba Circuit
is a motorsport race track located in Shimotsuma, a neighboring city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, about north of central Tokyo. It is long, with 32 pit garages and a long back straight. There is a small chicane used only for ...
one-make race onboard a
Mazda Roadster 1600 NR-A '04, was won by Ryo Michigami. Later from August 25 to September 5, 2006,
Kazunori Yamauchi
, nicknamed "Kaz", is a Japanese game designer and professional racing driver. He is CEO of Polyphony Digital and producer of the '' Gran Turismo'' video game series.
Polyphony Digital
He became the president of Polyphony Digital after designi ...
the
''Gran Turismo'' series producer (re)invited two Japanese and two European professional racing drivers sponsored by
PlayStation to enter GT4OL's Time Attack mode Internet ranking chart and, either to challenge him or another guest in a versus race, either to compete with five test drivers in an 8~10 rounds multiplayer online competition called "trophy".
The first guest was
Super GT GT500 Nissan Motul Pitwork Z driver
Satoshi Motoyama
Satoshi Motoyama (本山哲 - Motoyama Satoshi; born March 4, 1971) is a Japanese professional racing driver and team manager. He is best known for racing in the Super GT Series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGT ...
(Top Racer Battle challenger), he entered the dedicated "Motoyama Trophy", a 2-lap 10 races online multiplayer competition, and won three rounds. The second guest specially came from France,
Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb (; born 26 February 1974) is a French professional rallying, rally, auto racing, racing and rallycross driver. He is the most successful driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC), having won the world championship a record nin ...
,
LeMans 2005 PlayStation Pescarolo C60 Judd LMP Race Car '04 driver and
WRC
WRC may refer to:
Broadcasting stations
* WRC-TV, a television station (virtual channel 4, digital channel 34) licensed to Washington, D.C., United States
* Several radio stations in the Washington, D.C. area:
** WTEM, a radio station (980 AM) l ...
champion, he set a new Time Attack Internet record on the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...
'
Circuit de la Sarthe I ("Loeb Special Attack") and defeated Kazunori Yamauchi in their Pescarolo Online Time Attack duel on the same circuit (Internet rank 10th vs 11th). The last guests were both Top Racer Battle challengers, one is
Ryo Michigami
is a Japanese racing driver. Currently he is driving a Honda NSX GT3 Evo for Modulo Drago Corse in Super GT. He won the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship in 2000.
He competed in the GT500 category of the Super GT series in 1995 and t ...
, Super GT GT500
Honda Takata Dome NSX driver, the other is Michael Krumm, GT500 Nissan Motul Pitwork Z driver. They competed with each other in a versus battle then entered a special trophy similar to Motoyama's.
A separate online testing campaign, ''Gran Turismo 4 Online Public Beta'', was also held in North America in 2006 for the now-defunct PlayStation Gamer Advisory Panel members, with the same intention and features as the Japanese online test.
''Gran Turismo'' (PSP)
''Gran Turismo'' is a
PlayStation Portable game developed by
Polyphony Digital
Polyphony Digital is an internal Japanese first-party video game development studio for PlayStation Studios. Originally a development group within Sony Computer Entertainment known as Polys Entertainment, after the success of '' Gran Turismo'' ...
. The game was announced at the
E3 Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...
press conference on May 11, 2004, the same conference where Sony announced the PlayStation Portable. It was delayed repeatedly and its completion was pushed back. At
E3 2009
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 (E3 2009) was the 15th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 2, 2009, and ended on June 4, 2009, with 41,000 total attendees.
Majo ...
, Gran Turismo PSP was finally confirmed for an October 1, 2009 date, and was a launch title for the
PSP Go
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
. The game was originally intended to be an exact port of ''Gran Turismo 4'', although it also included selected content from later games, such as
Circuit Ricardo Tormo
Circuit Ricardo Tormo, also known as ''Circuit de Valencia'' and officially named ''Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo'', is a motorsport race track located in Cheste (Valencian Community, Spain) and built in 1999. The track is n ...
from ''
Tourist Trophy'' and new cars such as
Chevrolet Corvette (C6)
The Chevrolet Corvette (C6) is the sixth generation of the Corvette sports car that was produced by Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 2005 to 2013 model years. It is the first Corvette with exposed headlamps since the 1962 model. ...
,
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; 20 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobil ...
and
Nissan GT-R
The Nissan GT-R (Japanese: 日産・GT-R, ''Nissan GT-R''), is a high-performance sports car and grand tourer produced by Nissan, unveiled in 2007. It is the successor to the Skyline GT-R, a high performance variant of the Nissan Skyline. Alt ...
SpecV.
Reception
''Gran Turismo 4'' received "generally favorable" reviews, according to
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
.
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist, game show host and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for the motoring programmes '' Top Gear'' and '' The Grand Tour'' alongside R ...
, host of the ''
Top Gear
Top Gear may refer to:
* "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission
Television
* ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme
* ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
'' television program, performed a head-to-head test of real-life versus ''GT4'' on
an episode of the program. He ran
Laguna Seca Raceway
Laguna Seca Raceway (branded as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and previously Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca) is a paved road racing track in central California used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, built in 1957 near both Salinas and ...
in real life and used an
Acura NSX NSX may refer to:
Stock exchanges
* Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX)
* National Stock Exchange (Jersey City, New Jersey), US (NSX)
* National Stock Exchange of Australia (NSX)
Other uses
* Neon Swing X-perience (NSX), a US musical group
* Honda N ...
for a lap time of 1:57. But in the game, he used a
Honda NSX-R (which is lighter) with a lap time of 1:41:148. Clarkson also had to be shown by a race driving instructor where the line was between the game and reality. He pointed out that adjusting one's braking mid-turn in a real car could cause loss of control, and also mentioned that in the game, he is compelled to take bigger risks than he would in real life, and that in the game, the car did not suffer from
brake fade
Vehicle braking system fade, or brake fade, is the reduction in stopping power that can occur after repeated or sustained application of the brakes, especially in high load or high speed conditions. Brake fade can be a factor in any vehicle that ...
. Despite the apparent discrepancies, in a column for ''
The Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, w ...
'', Clarkson gave the game a score of three stars out of five and had this to say about it:
Karl Brauer of
edmunds.com
Edmunds.com Inc. (stylized as edmunds) is an American online resource for automotive inventory and information, including expert car reviews based on testing at the company's private facility. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Califor ...
performed a similar test, also at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in which he and two others — professional race driver
A. J. Allmendinger
Anthony James "A. J." Allmendinger (born December 16, 1981) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Kaulig Racing.
Allmendinger's professi ...
, and
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
gaming editor Justin Kaehler — set times in ''GT4'' and real life in a variety of cars. Brauer's best time in a
Ford GT
The Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car manufactured and marketed by American automobile manufacturer Ford for the 2005 model year in conjunction with the company's 2003 centenary. The second generation Ford GT became available for ...
in the game was 1:38, and his best time on the real track was 1:52. In the four vehicles the trio tested, none was able to duplicate his game times on the real track.
Brauer suggested the main differences between the game and reality:
Many reviewers criticized the game for its continued lack of rendered damage. Instead of actual damage, the cars (depending on the speed and angle in which the collision occurred) simply bounce or spin off of the car, wall, or obstacle.
Reviewers complained of the continued ability to take unrealistic short cuts,
such as the ones on
Fuji Speedway 90's, Driving Park Beginner Course and
Circuit de la Sarthe
The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Ho ...
I, where the driver can cut right across the chicane, allowing a player to win by cheating. One reviewer also complained that the game's vehicles do not have enough grip.
The game has also been criticized for lack of online play which had been promised during early development, but was announced as being removed at the time of release.
Many reviewers expressed disappointment in the game's
AI system,
noting that "virtual racers will follow their (driving) line with little concern for where the human driver is at any one time".
This is more evident during rally races and missions in which a 5-second speed penalty is given for hitting the other cars or the barriers, regardless of who initiated the contact. Some critics found B-Spec mode to offer little to the overall experience.
Non-video-game publications made some positive reception too. Sean Cunningham of ''
Maxim
Maxim or Maksim may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine
** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition
** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition
*Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...
'' gave the game a perfect ten and asked, "Is ''GT4'' more fetish than game? Probably. But if this is a fetish, then put a leather hood on us and whip us till we bleed!"
Jason Hill of ''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' gave it all five stars and stated that the game's biggest strength "is the realistic handling. You feel every nuance of the car's movements, weight shifts, and suspension, particularly with a Driving Force Pro steering wheel. This is a peerless driving simulation that will test even professional drivers". Charles Herold of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' gave it a positive review and stated that while the game "aims for realism, it occasionally falls short. Competitors drive like mindless automatons, seemingly unaware of your existence. Cars can take endless amounts of damage, allowing you to control your turns by bouncing off other cars like a pinball. If a track doesn't have walls, like one set in the Grand Canyon, then an invisible barrier prevents you from going off track". However, Jim Schaefer of ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
'' gave it three stars out of four and stated that "GT Mode does a great job of organizing your choices on a large home map. You can leave your garage to race, or jump over to ogle new and used rides at domestic and foreign dealerships, take on special challenges and buy parts upgrades".
Awards
*
E3 2003
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishe ...
Game Critics Awards
The Game Critics Awards are a set of annual awards held after the E3 video game conference since 1998. The awards are given to products displayed at E3 with the title Best of E3 of their category.
Format
The nominees and winners of the awards a ...
: Best Racing Game
*
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
: 5th best PS2 game of all time
Sales
By February 2005, ''Gran Turismo 4'' had sold more than units in Japan. By March 2005, ''Gran Turismo 4'' had sold over units worldwide. ''Gran Turismo 4'' received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the
Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association
The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) is a non-profit trade association for the video game industry in the United Kingdom (UK). Ukie was originally founded as the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), and the ...
(ELSPA),
indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
It sold more than 611,000 units in the United Kingdom by December 2005.
By March 2016, ''Gran Turismo 4'' had shipped 1.27 million copies in Japan, 3.47 million in North America, 6.83 million in Europe, and 180,000 in Asia for a total of 11.76 million copies.
[ An earlier version of the page include]
separate sales figures for Korea and Southeast Asia
however, the current version of the page combines sales from the two regions into one figure (Asia). It is the third highest-selling game in the ''Gran Turismo'' franchise, ahead of ''
Gran Turismo'', but behind ''
Gran Turismo 5
is a 2010 racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation 3 on November 24, 2010 in Europe and North America, and November 25, 2010 in Japan and Australasia, and ...
'' and ''
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec''.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
2004 video games
Gran Turismo (series)
Racing simulators
PlayStation 2 games
PlayStation 3 games
Video game sequels
Split-screen multiplayer games
Rally racing video games
Video games developed in Japan
Video games scored by Daiki Kasho
Video games scored by Masahiro Andoh
Video games set in Arizona
Video games set in California
Video games set in France
Video games set in Paris
Video games set in Germany
Video games set in Hong Kong
Video games set in Japan
Video games set in Monaco
Video games set in New York City
Video games set in Seattle
Video games set in Tokyo
Video games set in Seoul
Video games set in Switzerland
Video games with AI-versus-AI modes
PlayStation 2-only games