Gran Turismo PSP - PSP

Gran Turismo on the PSP had become a running joke the last few years. Sony refused to publicly acknowledge the game had been cancelled, even though year after year, there'd be no news on its progress. The joke may have been entirely on us, though; not only is Gran Turismo PSP alive and well, it's a sexy racing beast.

The Real Deal

It's not an insult to say "this is Gran Turismo on a PSP, nothing more, nothing less" -- that's the point. It's hard to imagine even the wizards at Polyphony Digital cramming the same amount of content gamers expect from the full-fledged console versions into the PSP incarnation, but that appears to be the case here. Sony is promising over 800 cars in the PSP version, and while I was only able to play around with one track and one car at Comic-Con last night, the foundation is already there. There are hints there's much more to Gran Turismo on PSP than meets the eye, too. So far, Sony has only acknowledged the game will include local multiplayer, but a knowing nod and a wink from our friendly Sony representative suggested there's more to come on that front. Dare I hope for Internet multiplayer? It doesn't seem like a feature that should be ruled out, but right now, lips are sealed. 

Same As It Ever Was

Gamers who don't click with Gran Turismo aren't going to find much to convince them here, though. It's Gran Turismo, plain and simple. The mechanics haven't been dumbed down just because it's on a handheld; this is a serious racing simulation, not a Ridge Racer-esque take on the franchise. It might not be your thing, but like me, you have to respect the engineering work that went into making it happen. 

Give Us More

The version we played feels like a proof of concept. It both looks and plays great, but the vast content being promised remains confined to paper. There's little reason to think Polyphony Digital won't pull it off. Now, I just want to see it.