For roughly around half an hour, Polyphony Digital took the time to reveal everything that there is to know about the latest installment in Sony’s exclusive racing sim franchise. The first-party Sony studio used this opportunity to detail the game’s new world map where you can access several modes as well as locations, including areas where players can learn more about the history of a car and its manufacturer. There’s also the constantly updated Used Car Dealership where players can purchase automobiles for a lower price, albeit availability and pricing will depend on demand. Players will also get a chance to choose from a handful of photography modes in Gran Turismo 7, which is perfect when combined with ray-tracing and the game’s hyper-realistic recreation of real-life locations from around the globe. Speaking of locations, Gran Turismo 7 will have more than 30 locations and 90 layouts, including real-life and fictional circuits. Polyphony also remastered fan-favorite tracks from older Gran Turismo games and added them to Gran Turismo 7. But, that’s not all. The long-time Gran Turismo developers also confirmed the addition of a custom race mode. This will let players design their races, from license tests to mission races as well as ways to learn all those tricky driving techniques that would otherwise take a long time to practice in standard races. Of course, while Polyphony has learned a lot from Gran Turismo Sport’s multiplayer-centric gameplay, the studio did not forget that it’s always good to have the option to play with and against friends. To that end, Gran Turismo 7 will have a split-screen co-op on top of standard online racing. Polyphony also made sure to add social elements to Gran Turismo 7, including lobbies and meeting places where you and your friends can get together. Ultimately, Sony did a great job showcasing Gran Turismo 7 ahead of its launch on March 4. Only time will tell if Polyphony’s latest efforts are enough to propel Gran Turismo 7 past its main competitor, Forza Horizon 5, which recently set an Xbox Game Studios record. In other Sony news, fans are still expecting the console manufacturer to hold a more extensive State of Play soon. The company’s recent Bungie acquisition along with the launch of Uncharted and Horizon Forbidden West on February 18 would each normally involve more fanfare than they’ve gotten so far.
