Gran Turismo 7 vs. Forza; Car Lists Compared
With the embargo on Gran Turismo 7 reviews lifted, we can finally bite into the game and analyze it in more detail. For starters, we're comparing how its collection of cars compares to the Forza series (with Motorsport 7 at the forefront).
Now that the embargo on reviews has been lifted and we have an open look at the entire list of cars that will be included in Gran Turismo 7 on release, we may be tempted to offer some thoughts. Or better yet, a comparison with the competition. And when I say "competition" I obviously mean the Forza series, because no other player in this genre has a car park of comparable size.
Gran Turismo 7 should also get a lot of extra cars upon release, just like GT Sport.
Duel of Numbers
Yes, the numbers. 424 vehicles are no longer a value that would raise anyone's eyebrow. To be honest, it wouldn't have impressed anyone ten years ago either. Forza Motorsport 4 had almost two hundred more models at launch (599), and Gran Turismo 5 boasted a collection of up to a thousand machines. Of course, that that's sort of thousand, because the vast majority of cars in Forza 5 came from GT4 for PlayStation 2 and were grossly inferior in quality to the so-called "premium" cars, which were modeled from scratch and equipped with a cockpit camera. There were only 243 of these cars in Gran Turismo 6, which was nevertheless a decent number.
However, with the move to 8th-gen consoles, Polyphony Digital has thrown away its old tricks and started filling up the virtual garage from scratch - just as Turn 10 Studios did with the release of Forza Motorsport 5. Because GT6 was only released in late 2013 (a few weeks after the PS4's launch), the Japanese had a big loss to their rival right from the start of the race. As a result Gran Turismo Sport debuted in the fall of 2017 with just 162 vehicles, while the game coming out at the same time, Forza Motorsport 7, could boast more than four times the number (673 car models).
Thankfully, Polyphony Digital rolled up its sleeves and began to catch up. When support for GT Sport was finally discontinued, the car list had 337 items - still significantly less than in FM7, which had 785 cars by the end of its lifespan, but it was a number the Japanese could no longer ashamed of. And this was the starting point for the creation of Gran Turismo 7, where we will be able to start with 424 vehicles.
Gran Turismo 7 has an insanely detailed interior.
The Devil Under the Hood
The advantage of Forza is not only in the number of cars. Microsoft's games cover a wider spectrum of vehicle types and also enable us to take a closer look at them. In Gran Turismo you can't look under the hood, sit in the passenger seat (front or rear), or get the camera up close and personal to read the tiny lettering on the badge in front of the fender (except in photo mode during race replays).
Polyphony Digital makes up for this on other levels, however. First and foremost - Gran Turismo describes the cars. It's not just about more detailed technical data, but also about the history of each model and its achievements, market positioning, and cultural significance. Gran Turismo 7 takes another big step forward in this area, by weaving beautiful presentations of selected models into the career mode. I really miss this sort of thing in Forza (and keeping Wikipedia open on in the second screen doesn't really satisfy me).
Also, Polyphony Digital has taken a more meticulous approach to modeling vehicles. While at first glance the vehicles in both series may appear to be equally detailed, a closer look reveals the differences in graphics in favor of Gran Turismo. Just look at the headlights and the animation of the lights themselves (especially the taillights); Forza is far less spectacular. The Japanese series also benefits from the use of better edge smoothing, among other things.
Furthermore, Polyphony Digital provides more extensive visual tuning options for individual cars. Even when installing the rear spoiler in Gran Turismo 7 you can choose from dozens of variations of different rear spoilers, while Forza usually only offers one option. On top of that, there's more activity for enthusiasts of tinkering under the hood.
Forza Motorsport 7 still manages to impress, too.
Who wins?
The answer is simple: the gamers. At least those who put aside animosities and refuse to participate in game wars, and instead try to enjoy both series. Gran Turismo and Forza form a great automotive encyclopedia, complementing each other. - the former provides the player with knowledge through descriptions, and the latter with a "multimedia" presentation in the ForzaVista mode. Both brands also provide a positive - satisfyingly realistic - driving experience with all these cars. There is only one problem: you have to get two different hardware platforms to taste this "synergy".
