What The Critics Are Saying About Gran Turismo 7

The "Gran Turismo" games have long been staples in the racing gaming community for years. However, the series went quite some time without a mainline entry. "Gran Turismo 6" was released in 2013, and despite fake leaks that sent fans into chaos, it took nine years for gamers to get to "Gran Turismo 7." While "GT Sport" was released in 2017, the multiplayer-focused gameplay wasn't exactly what fans were waiting for. However, critics finally released their thoughts on "Gran Turismo 7," and it looks like it may blow everyone away in 2022.

There were plenty of things about the game that critics marveled at. Between the power of the PlayStation 5 and the graphics of the game, cruising the streets was as visually stunning as the gameplay was immaculate. Luke Reilly from IGN described the actual driving in the game as "impeccable" and said that "virtually every single car I've driven feels appreciably different from the last" — a pretty impressive statement considering there are over 400 cars to drive.

For long-time series fans, the game was full of love and nostalgia at every turn, yet the "Gran Turismo 7" also made it extremely easy for newcomers to play. Herein lies the most controversial aspect of the game: the Gran Cafe.

Despite critics' love of "Gran Turismo 7," the Gran Cafe feature was one of the most controversial. The Cafe itself gives players 39 different "menus," or tasks, that reward players with things like car upgrades and actual cars themselves. The Gran Cafe almost acted like an extended tutorial that gave players access to better features in the game while also teaching them the basics of how to play.

Some reviewers, like TheGamer's Andy Kelly and Luke Reilly, enjoyed the addition of the Gran Cafe. However, others like Joshua Boyles from GameByte didn't feel the same way, and got tired of the grind quickly.

Polygon's Oli Welsh pointed out that the "Gran Turismo" series has traditionally included more Japanese RPG elements, like grinding, which could be the reason why some critics got worn out so quickly. Welsh also noted that the game was meant to spread the love and respect of cars to players, which the Cafe did a splendid job of doing. At the end of each menu, players get some sort of history lesson that made the game feel like a museum at times, bringing some appreciation of the cars themselves and sharing the stories behind them.

While the Gran Cafe was controversial, it didn't stop critics from praising the game overall. Even those who tired of doing missions still enjoyed the game, and Luke Reilly pointed out that it just replaced the standard repetitive career system that many racing games have.

Even the camera mode in the game wow-ed critics, and some couldn't get enough of customizing their cars and displaying them around the various areas of the game. The Music Rally mode, which some despised, was another new feature that brought life to the game with timed races that counted down by the beats of music playlists.

The one thing critics didn't have access to was the microtransactions featured in "Gran Turismo 7," but it was worth noting that the game does provide a way around grinding if players are willing to shell out the cash. However, some didn't think this would be a big problem unless the "fear of missing out," as Reilly described it, is too difficult to ignore with limited time items.

"Gran Turismo 7" is available on March 4, 2022 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.