Gran Turismo 7 preview – the real driving simulator expands its horizons

metro.co.uk:

Sony’s legendary driving simulator returns after almost a decade away, but can it still compete with Xbox’s Forza series?

When console manufacturers are planning out their first party offerings there are certain types of games they all make sure to include in their schedules. One of those is inevitably driving games. Nintendo has Mario Kart, Microsoft has Forza Motorsport and Horizon, and Sony has Gran Turismo – the real driving simulator.

Or at least they used to. The last full instalment, Gran Turismo 6 was released nine years ago for PlayStation 3, with the entire last generation only getting GT Sport, which while highly competent was far from a full episode. Gran Turismo 7 has a great deal riding on it, and given that it’s a double-generational leap, expectations have rarely been higher for any game.

As if that wasn’t enough, this year is also the franchise’s 25th anniversary, and a time when cars, or at least those powered by petrol or diesel, are starting to look gravely out of step with the world’s renewed focus on reducing pollution and reclaiming space for pedestrians and cyclists. The game’s first job, then, is to rekindle a love for car culture.

It goes about that in a number of ways, most prominently with the Gran Turismo Café. Accessed from the world map, which makes a return in this outing, the café is designed to deepen players’ knowledge and love of the automobile. Its 30 quests, centred around a range of classic cars, not only help fill your garage but also give you an introduction to automotive history, with notes from car designers and details of their creations.

That emphasis on storytelling carries through to Brand Central, where you can buy more than 300 car models from 50+ worldwide manufacturers. Each