#9. GRAN TURISMO (PSP)

Gran Turismo’s portable debut (and to date, its only portable outing) didn’t arrive easily, and though those many years of development and delays didn’t result in the stellar quality that this series is generally known for, Gran Turismo for the PSP was by no means a slouch. Offering surprisingly realistic visuals (for its time, and for the hardware, if nothing else), tight simulation and driving mechanics, and a healthy roster of vehicles to choose from, the portable racing sim made a strong impression on most who played it. There were clear issues, of course, with the lack of upgrades and a traditional career mode being chief among them, but even so, it was a solid taste of Polyphony Digital’s series on the go.

#8. GRAN TURISMO 6

Gran Turismo 6 arrived smack dab in the middle of the biggest lull the series has experienced to date- and it showed. It did, of course, excel in all the ways that a GT game is expected to- it had a sizeable roster of vehicles, was brimming with its love for detail, authenticity, and attention to detail, and as always, its driving mechanics were second to none. Some questionable decisions, however, dragged the experience down in unfortunate ways, from its iffy microtransactions to its unnecessary focus on multiplayer gameplay.

#7. GRAN TURISMO 5

Gran Turismo 5 was where the series’ downward trajectory began (and lasted until not that long ago). Arriving after a long and protracted development cycle, GT5 was far, far from a bad game, and like pretty much every other game on this list, it’s still probably one of the best racing sims we’ve ever played, at least where its driving and sim mechanics are concerned, while its incredibly vast offerings in terms of features, tracks, and vehicles were mighty impressive. But with a half-assed damage system, frustrating progression in its career mode, and surprisingly little improvements being made over its direct predecessor, Gran Turismo 5, for all of its excellence, didn’t quite live up to expectations.

#6. GRAN TURISMO SPORT

Gran Turismo Sport remains one of the most controversial and divisive games in Polyphony Digital’s series- and looking back at the state it was in at launch, it’s not surprising to see why. There was no shortage of core issues with the game, its overriding emphasis on online multiplayer being chief among them, especially since it came at the cost of a traditional single player experience. The fact that the game launched with a disappointingly small selections of tracks and vehicles didn’t much help matters either. Sure, Polyphony Digital’s post-launch support did eventually turn GT Sport into a far better game than it was when it launched, but it was still far from the game series fans wanted it to be.

#5. GRAN TURISMO 2

Gran Turismo 2 is, in essence, the prime example of a perfect iterative sequel. Following up on its revolutionary predecessor was by no means an easy task, but Polyphony Digital chose to do it in the best way possible- by expanding on all the biggest strengths of the first game. More cars, more tracks, a better physics engine. There’s an argument to be made that perhaps its unambitious nature as a sequel held it back from being as memorable as the first game was, but if all you’re talking about is execution of ideas, there’s little to dislike here.

#4. GRAN TURISMO

The one that started it all. In pretty much every way, the original Gran Turismo has been thoroughly outdone by its many successors, but given the game’s significance, you can’t help but respect it. For its time, it was an absolutely revelation. It looked amazing, it controlled like a dream, it was brimming with an impressive roster of modes, cars, and tracks, and above all else, it established ideas and mechanics that have by now become staples not only of the series, but an entire genre.

#3. GRAN TURISMO 4

Now that we’re in the top 3, there’s very, very little separating the three games that are left, and there’s a strong case to be made for each of these three being the definitive Gran Turismo experience. Gran Turismo 4 is, for many people, still one of the best racing games out there. It’s the quintessential GT game, with excellent driving and physics, best-in-class visuals, and oodles of content to keep players busy for dozens upon dozens of hours. Not everything in the game was equally fleshed out, but there was more than enough here to impress even the most cynical players.

#2. GRAN TURISMO 7

Gran Turismo had been in a bit of a slump of form since the launch of GT5, with the multiplayer-centric GT Sport being something of a nadir for the series, so there was a great deal riding on Gran Turismo 7. It pretty much had to be a return to form- and boy did it succeed in doing that. For fans of the series, the genre, and car culture in general, this game is a dream come true. Its single player component is densely packed and ingeniously structured, the game looks absolutely gorgeous, and the level of authenticity and realism displayed here just blows you away. It’s also probably the most approachable game in the series in a long, long time, so it may very well bring in a massive audience- even by Gran Turismo standards.

#1. GRAN TURISMO 3: A-SPEC

It’s hard to top Gran Turismo 3. It is, in every sense of the word, an unabashed masterpiece. It may not have been overflowing with content the way something like Gran Turismo 2 was, or Gran Turismo 7 now is, but the game’s biggest strength lay elsewhere- in how focused and tightly designed it was. Its roster of vehicles was full of cars that felt amazing to control, it had some of the best-designed tracks this series has ever had, and for its time, it looked unbelievably amazing. It’s not just the best Gran Turismo game, it may very well even be the best racing game ever made, period.

Back in 1992, producer Kazunori Yamauchi compiled a group of seven developers to create Gran Turismo for Sony’s upcoming PlayStation console. He aimed to bring simulation racing to the mainstream, and he was stopping at nothing to achieve that goal. For him, Gran Turismo’s development was his entire life. Yamauchi once stated to Autoweek: “It took five years. In those five years, we could not see the end. I would wake up at work, go to sleep at work. It was getting cold, so I knew it must be winter. I estimate I was home only four days a year.”

After those grueling five years of development time, its 1997 release was met with widespread critical and commercial success. It still holds the crown as the best-selling original PlayStation game to this day, having shipped over 10.85 million copies in its lifetime. And it’s no secret why; with 140 cars, 11 tracks, and great AI for its time, Gran Turismo was one of the most fleshed-out and impressive racing games ever made at that time in videogames, effectively achieving exactly what Yamauchi had hoped – mainstream appeal.

The unexpected success gave Yamauchi the drive to get to work on a sequel with hopes of improving the formula even further. By 1999, Gran Turismo 2 was hitting store shelves with an unprecedented 650 cars from a variety of manufacturers, making it even more robust and impressive than the original game. Unfortunately, a collection of errors and glitches plagued the game’s release, perhaps due to its rapid development, prompting Sony to issue updated replacements for those experiencing problems.

Luckily for the franchise, these problems didn’t seem to stop the game from receiving universal acclaim again, and Yamauchi was ready to keep things going. With the move to PlayStation 2, Polyphony Digital was able to improve the graphics substantially, allowing Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec to boast some of the system’s most impressively-detailed cars and tracks. This increase in detail meant the team had to reduce the amount of cars available in the game to 180 in order to ensure the quality remained high across the board.

The reduction in cars was a small price to pay for the beautiful graphics and enhanced gameplay. It didn’t take long before critics were singing the game’s praises and falling in love with its improved features and gameplay. It’s still one of gaming’s best-selling titles of all time, and is currently considered the second-best racing game of all time by aggregate site GamingRankings.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Yamauchi once again set out to continue his life’s work. Gran Turismo 4: Prologue teased the upcoming launch of Gran Turismo 4 with a sneak peak at the new and improved features Polyphony Digital were bringing to the full game’s launch. While the title only launched in Japan and Europe, it still went on to sell over a million copies.

When the full release of Gran Turismo 4 finally launched in North America in 2005, gamers and journalists were amazed. With 51 tracks and an unprecedented 700+ cars from 80 manufacturers, it was an awe-inspiring addition to the successful franchise, propelling it even further than before. The addition of pickup trucks, a B-spec mode that allowed players to simulate the job of a racing crew chief, and massively improved physics, all combined to make Gran Turismo 4 one of gaming’s most sought-after titles that year. It went on to once again become one of the best-selling video games of all time.

With the arrival of the PS3, Gran Turismo 5: Prologue’s Australian and European launch once again raised the bar for the series with better graphics and new gameplay elements, selling 5.09 million copies and becoming the second-highest grossing PlayStation exclusive. So, what game could have possibly unseated it from first place? None other than the full release of Gran Turismo 5, of course.

The fifth entry introduced gamers to 16-player online racing, a feature that saw players around the world ecstatic at the chance to finally pit their skills against other sim-racing fans. It also added the franchise’s first external and mechanical damage models and the ability to turn cars over during a race. Add that to the fact that the game offered over a thousand cars and plenty more offered through DLC, Gran Turismo 5 was doing what the series was always best known for: Improving beyond everyone’s wildest expectations.

However, the game was criticized for its mixed graphics and the detail of standard cars which lacked cockpit views. Furthermore, many critics and fans were not happy with the game’s damage model and the uneven AI. The game finished up with a rating of 84 on Metacritic which isn’t bad by any means but this when the series started to lose a bit of steam as well. Compared to GT1, GT2 and GT3 which were rated way above 90, and GT 4 coming very close to 90, one could easily see some cracks forming in the series’ quality.

Gran Turismo eventually showed up on Sony’s PSP in 2009, going on to sell nearly 5 million copies and becoming one of the best-selling games for the handheld. The game might’ve been on a portable system, but that didn’t hold it back very much. Running at a solid 60fps with over 800 cars and 45 tracks, Gran Turismo on PSP refused to be thought of as a lesser entry. Still, the game’s critical response was mixed, with many criticizing its lack of career mode and upgradeable vehicles. The game finished off at a rating of 74 over at Metacritic.

With Gran Turismo 6 launching near the end of the PlayStation 3’s lifecycle in 2013, some expected the game to see less success than previous entries. And while it didn’t initially see a slow takeoff in North America, the game went on to be a critical and commercial success. However, despite the fact that it offered a host of improvements to graphics and car customization, Gran Turismo 6 was criticized for its focus on its online component and microtransactions, marking the first time a franchise had seen many of its long-time supporters lose faith in Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital’s integrity. It finished with a Metacritic score of 81.

As new sim-racers like Forza had entered the playing field over the years leading up to Gran Turismo 6, gamers were offered new places to get their fix, leading many to speculate Gran Turismo’s days as the industry king were nearing the end. Forza was growing from strength to strength with its Motorsport and Horizon brands, while Gran Turismo was struggling to keep up.

2017 brought the release of Gran Turismo Sport and it saw a drastic change in direction for the franchise. It placed emphasis on competitive online driving and eSports, lacking a single player campaign when it launched. It also lacked dynamic weather and day/night cycle thanks to its always online requirement. However, it also improved on vehicle design and PvP elements making it a solid entry. But for most of the old fan base, GT Sport came off as a disappointment. Although Polyphony Digital have continuously added updates in the form of single player races, tracks and cars, and have started to gain traction again, many fans haven’t really forgotten its underwhelming launch and its disappointing Metacritic score of 75.

Gran Turismo Sport simply wasn’t Gran Turismo 7 though, and the desire for a core entry in the franchise remains. Yamauchi has gone on record promising that a new game in the series is on the horizon, and there has been speculation that the game may even serve as a massive boon to the PlayStation 5 launch lineup. There is no doubt that quality wise, Gran Turismo has seen a dip since the PlayStation 3 days. Gran Turismo Sport is a shining example of how developers can convert an underwhelming experience at launch to a fantastic one almost two years late.

We just hope that this isn’t the case with the next Gran Turismo. Gran Turismo as a brand has defined each PlayStation era and the next game needs to get it right from day one. We hope it will be beautiful combination of the past, present, and future games. If Yamauchi’s dedication to the series is any indication of its future, we’re hopeful that not only it will be worth the way, but it will stand toe to toe against fellow competitors.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Final Fantasy 7

For many people, this was the reason they bought a PlayStation One. Sure, the CG cutscenes didn’t indicate the amount of turn-based combat that it had but Final Fantasy 7 was still a trail-blazer for its time. It took Japan-developed RPGs into the mainstream, catering to more mature audiences; the graphics were leaps and bounds above any of the SNES Final Fantasy games; and the story of Cloud and Sephiroth remains etched in gaming history. Oh and Final Fantasy 7 is also a pretty robust, insanely involving, highly entertaining RPG in its own right as well.