What you're actually getting
Gran Turismo 7 is a proper car nerd's game. Not a casual arcade racer, not a party piece. If you care about the difference between understeer and oversteer, or you've ever watched a Le Mans race at 2am for no sensible reason, this is absolutely for you. If you just want something to play with mates on a Saturday night, maybe look at something else.
The PS5 version uses the DualSense controller in a way that very few games bother to. Hitting the brakes on wet tarmac, you feel the trigger resistance shift. It sounds gimmicky. It isn't. First time it happened to me I genuinely lifted my thumbs off expecting something to be wrong with the controller.
The honest reservations
The game launched with a controversial always-online requirement and some aggressive microtransaction pricing for in-game cars. Polyphony have softened that somewhat over updates, but it's still there in the background. If your internet drops, you lose access to most of the game. That's still a bit rubbish, frankly.
The campaign also starts slow. The first couple of hours are gentle to the point of being slightly dull if you've played racing games before.
At this price, though
Under £28 for a game that looks this good and uses the hardware this well is a solid deal. The car museum sections, the photo mode, the sheer variety of tracks, it all adds up to something with real staying power. Not a perfect game, but an easy recommendation at this price point for anyone who likes their racing with a bit of weight to it.
