Gran Turismo 7: What can Polyphony's racer learn from F1 2020? Single player, My Team & more


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Gran Turismo is one of the most recognisable video game series of all-time. GT is also one of the most successful of its genre and it invented the racing simulator we know today.

GT1 to GT4 were all revolutionary and some of the best racers ever produced. While GT5, 6 and Sport are great games, they weren't as ground-breaking as their predecessors.

Gran Turismo 7 was announced alongside the PS5 and hopes are high that Polyphony's next racer will take GT back to its former lofty heights.

Another racing series that has been enjoying a lot of success is Codemasters' Formula 1 games. F1 2020 is arguably the best F1 game ever and GT should take some leaves from its book if its to enjoy similar success.

Make it fun

One criticism of Gran Turismos 6 and Sport is that they've been the best simulators but not the best games. Fun and excitement has arguably been replaced by realism and simulation.

Being a boring game is something that the F1 games have also been accused of in the past. So, how did they turn it around?

F1 2020 Will Buxton
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IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE: In F1 2020, you really feel like you're an actual driver in the sport

Put simply, Codemasters shifted the focus of the F1 game back towards the player. F1 2016 onwards has placed far more of an emphasis on the player than its predecessor.

GT Sport tried to combat this by placing more of an emphasis on multiplayer. While that did work to an extent, single player still feels a little dull.

READ MORE: Gran Turismo 7 Release Date

What GT7 has to do is give your driver a story, a background, not just a renamed Player 1.

Whether that's something that will be worked into GT's pure racing image is yet to be seen, but it certainly helped the F1 games.

A focus on Single Player

GT Sport definitely put quality ahead of quantity. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when competitors like Forza and Assetto Corsa have ten times the cars and tracks available, quality isn't the trump card you're looking for.

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GT Sport's multiplayer was great, but its single player was lacking. PSN isn't something that's free and available to all anymore, so for those without a PS+ membership, Sport would've felt lacking.

READ MORE: F1 2020: Does My Team need a hardcore difficulty?

Even if there are 200 cars that have premium detail, you need more to pad out the game. We don't want a situation like GT5 though, where the was a huge disparity between the detail of the premium and standard cars.

As long as the "standard" cars feel realistic, they'll add something meaningful to the game.

Your GT Team

If there is anything from F1 2020 that GT7 should include, it's the new My Team mode. It's no exaggeration to say that My Team has added significant value to the official F1 game.

F1 2020 My Team Livery
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THE BEST MODE: My Team has revolutionised the F1 games.

A "My GT Team" would be perfect for GT7 and it would add a new dimension to the formula which has remained largely the same since the PS1 days.

Just like F1 2020, you should be allowed to both drive and manage your team.

READ MORE: Gran Turismo 7 Tracks

It can begin small scale, little more than two drivers and a garage and build up to a professional endurance or GP outfit. The possibilities are endless and the journey would be incredible.

Of course, it's doubtful we'll get this right away, as F1 2020 is the first game of its type that includes a team manager mode.

You never know though, we could still see a team manager mode become available via DLC or a large update.

For more articles like this, take a look at our F1 and Motorsport page.