Gran Turismo Sport Demo Confirmed For October 9th

Gran Turismo Sport Demo

A Gran Turismo Sport demo has been confirmed in a posting on the official PlayStation EU blog by Polyphony Digital President, Kazunori Yamauchi. In true GT-style, this demo is not of the typical affair. For a start it will last for only 4 days, however it will also act as a springboard to the full game as the in-game credit earned in that time, up to a maximum of $1MM, can be transferred over.

Available free from the PlayStation Store, from 0900/9AM GMT on 9th October through 1300/1PM GMT 12th October, with pre-download active 48-hours earlier, the demo is sure to provide a real good look at the main areas of the game.

The game modes in the demo

The start will see players given the option to experience a respectable amount of the Sport, Campaign, or Arcade modes.

With Sport mode, players set out to put in the fastest lap during each qualifying session, before a race against those of similar ability and skill takes place. This is the mode that GT Sport is all about and should make for some fantastic, fair (?) and extremely competitive races for all with its clever match-making.

Campaign mode may be named that but it’s taken a lot of flack for sounding and looking more like a glorified version of the older License test feature of previous games. Describing it more as a Racing School is probably more accurate as in here it is all about learning how to drive and race better. Taking on challenges, missions, and learning the circuits and their ways in the effort to make players, better drivers.

The rewarding of vehicle unlocks, in-game currency, and Experience Points for the completion of the trials and 'Daily Workouts' do allow it to have some merit as a campaign, but for long-time fans and those used to a typical racing campaign, it might be sorely lacking.

They haven’t forgotten all you out there who just want to jump in a car and hit a track either, as Arcade mode, the old favourite, is there. With a few button presses players can choose from a range of vehicle classes on 3 pre-selected circuit layouts with different terrains and just have fun.

And even though it’s a feature mostly not seen these days, it is really nice to see that the classic 2-player split screen mode is still about.

Enough with the racing, I want to play!

In addition to all the racing, players will get to sample the 'Scapes' photo mode and the new to the series Livery Editor. The former has many fanatics of the always popular photo mode really excited, whereas the latter just has lots saying to themselves, ‘finally!’. That being said, if the creativity and quality that is found in other titles can be replicated in the editor, then we should be in for a treat at the creations that will be on display.

A new Gran Turismo is always an event, but it's been tough being a fan of it as it's always seemed to go its own (strange?) way, whereas other titles have continued to do better, raising the bar in areas GT used to excel at. And over the time of it’s development we have seen and heard promising things about the improvements they have been making, but will it be enough?

Well this demo will at least answer some of that, so at least players aren't having to go in blind.

[via PlayStation EU blog]