In 2004, the Gran Turismo series-only 7 years past its debut-was already one of the biggest franchises in gaming history. Its first two titles pushed the limits of what was possible on the PS1, and were two of the system's three highest selling games of all time. And while the series debut had slightly higher sales, the second in the series was a distinctly better package, offering more tracks, more cars, and more racing modes. As it turns out, that trend would very much continue for Sony's second system, too. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec was a graphical revolution for its time, and once again, was a top 3 seller for the PS2. And once again, Gran Turismo 4 offered everything in GT3, with the content dial turned up to 11-earning itself a spot right below its predecessor on the PS2 all time sales list. But for many, GT4 offers more than just an enhanced version of its prequel, and to many, it represents the peak of the Gran Turismo series.

For all the benefits the jump to the 6th generation gave, the biggest flaw in GT3's design was clear. There was simply not enough variety in the gameplay, the cars, or the tracks to make it justify its length. All of which, luckily, will likely never be said about Gran Turismo 4. The numbers speak for themselves in this regard; almost four times as many cars, almost two times as many tracks, and over twice as many events. So brimming with content is GT4 that it sometimes makes its predecessor feel like a demo. And even with the extra content, the game doesn't feel lacking in polish or passion. And through that passion, a game that might otherwise have held a players interest for a few hours can now keep them attached for dozens. There's still way too much content in this game for any reasonable person to be expected to complete, and of course, only diehard simulation racing fans will be able to stave off the repetitive feeling from the later parts of the game, but its impressive that GT4 works for as long as it does.

Ironically, perhaps the most fun parts of the game come from the License Tests, which offers a definitive marker to test your skills against. There's more tests than in previous events, and while the 1 lap challenges can be a bit frustrating, it serves as a good benchmark for your driving skills and mechanical understanding. The Driving Missions as well are a nice addition, even if some of them-such as the infamous Nürburgring Challenge #34-take way too much time to even prepare to attempt, let alone actually attempt. (In the previously mentioned example, each attempt demands your car sit idle for 123 seconds, and you have to wait in real time.) But a good challenge is, regrettably, something you don't get much of in the core racing mode. The computer AI is not particularly impressive, especially for a realistic racing sim. As a result, it's often difficult to make a clean overtake without competitors making some kind of contact, and not super difficult to do much of anything else, even with similar or slightly underpowered machinery. And in the game's new B-Spec mode, where you take on the role of strategist while AI controls your car, doesn't fare much better. It's a nice addition in theory, especially for the extremely long endurance races, but it's not something you can really rely on unless using a far superior car.

Of course, to a simulation racing aficionado, Gran Turismo 4 is an absolute blessing. It takes the great framework from GT3 and expands upon it without sacrificing quality. Even though its been far surpassed technically since its release, many fans of the series still view it as one of the best GT has to offer, and it's not hard to see why, even from the perspective of a racing novice. It's an extremely polished title that will no doubt deliver a lot of excitement and fun before it wears out its welcome on you, which could be anywhere from 20 hours to 200. Full of tools to push drivers to their absolute limit, it's no surprise Gran Turismo 4 is still fondly remembered as a great title, and one of the best in the business of simulation racing.