Each and every screenshot I've seen of GT3 has been nothing short of amazing, and I've read countless articles about how Polyphony finally figured out how to make everything look nice and smooth, and not so aliased (jaggy). Well, all those game mags and sites were right, but only up to a point. When your car or any of the other cars are close to the camera, they look stunning. The cars reflect their environment, chrome sizzles, headlights look like they were taken from snapshots, and everything looks just as good as if you were standing there. However, as soon as the cars move off into the distance, or if you pay attention to scenery a short distance away, you will see jaggies appear, detail fade away, and the game becomes a shimmering mess.

What's the reason for this you ask? Well, its because the game runs interlaced, meaning only every other line is drawn on the screen at a time, and this leads to things like details washing out in the distance and flickering. It also leads to jagged lines and poor visuals, and a less than stellar experience. I must admit, the majority of PS2 games have this problem, and I just can't figure out why. Out of the two titles I've seen (Tekken Tag, and Fantavision) didn't have this problem at all and were as stunning as everyone said they were, and one game, Smuggler's Run, had it only slightly. Unfortunately, GT3, much like DOA2, Kessen, and Dynasty Warriors 2, has this problem full on. I find myself getting to the point where I don't trust most of what I read about upcoming PS2 games, and even less the screenshots that supposedly represent the games as they are being played. I can only hope that this problem is fixed in the final release, but I'm not holding my breath.

So, after feeling totally let down by the graphics, what did I think about the gameplay? Well, it was ok, but in the way that having a beater car is ok, when what you really want is that brand new 'Vette. In the original GT, cars handled realistically, but not to the point where you felt like throwing your controller through the window. Sure, there was a learning curve, but if you watched how the other drivers maneuvered their cars, and you stopped playing it like it was Virtua Racer, and more like it was a sim, you would do ok. Well, you'd think applying the same rules here would suffice, but that was 100% not the case.

More often than not I would find that I would have to slow down to half the speed the other cars were moving just to make the tight turns in what should have been an easy course to navigate. Of the three cars I had to choose from, some were slightly better than others, but NONE of them were able to move like the cars I was racing against. Almost every single twist or turn on the track had to be navigated by downshifting to 2nd and slamming on my breaks, which would inevitably slap me right back into 6th place where I had been before I sped up on the straightaway. To convey to you my frustration is probably not possible using any language known to man. I tried racing cars as Automatic, Manual, as Racing cars, and as Slippery cars, all to no avail. I might as well have been racing a go-cart against my opponents. Now, to be fair, the demo I got only allowed about a minute and a half on the track before the game reset itself, so it could just be that amount of time is not enough to really get a feel for the game, and I hope that is true, but again, see my breath? Not holding it.

As far as sound goes, there's not really much to say. Things sounded good, though constantly having to listen to 80's rock while I raced really did a number on my blood pressure. What happened to the cool techno/alternative soundtrack of the other GT title? I really, really hope they choose better music for the actual game, because there isn't enough money in the world to get me to listen to 80's music over and over again while I play a game. Obviously, you may feel differently about this, so alter your viewpoint appropriately.

So what did I find good about the game? Well, the car models, when up close, were amazing to look at, and watching them race by in replay mode, just as in the other GT games, was a sight to behold. For some reason, watching the replay seemed a bit less realistic than in past GT games, but that could just have been my jaded viewpoint by the time I played attention, so you may have to check that out for yourself to get an accurate opinion. I was impressed with the number of different cars I raced against, with everything from a Toyota Celica, to a Ford Mustang, to the latest Porsche. In the demo, I got only to playtest three of the 150 cars being included, and the ones I got were a Honda S2000, a Ford Mustang (terrible to drive!), and a stock car. I'm looking forward to seeing the other playable cars in the final version, and I'm desperately hoping that perhaps one of them will handle better than the three included in the demo.

When all was said and done, I was disappointed, depressed, and downright blue (sorry, couldn't think of another 'd' word). Obviously, this has jaded me a bit towards the game, but as with all game demos, I must remember, and remind you, that this was just a demo. I have no clue at what point in the development cycle this demo was pressed, or even how representative of the final game it is, so a lot could change, and the final product could end up blowing everyone's socks off. To be honest, I hope that's true, because Sony could really use a big hit right now instead of relying on Final Fantasy X and Metal Gear Solid 2, which won't be out until fall, when big Bill's Box will be making it's appearance.

So, that's it for now true believers. Until next time, I remain your faithful....

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