- Forza Motorsport 3, $39.99, Xbox 360
- Gran Turismo 5, $59.99, PlayStation 3
Racing simulators aren't new to the gaming world - they've been around for more than a decade - but their sheer popularity with car buffs and casual players has sparked developers to make them better and better. While this may seem like a strange subject to cover in a column about car gizmos, it doesn't really seem that way once you start to enjoy the detail and realism involved.
Gran Turismo 5 for the PlayStation 3 and Forza Motorsport 3 for the Xbox 360 are both considered to be ultimate simulation racing games because they are based on real cars, real engineering and real physics. These aren't like arcade racers where outrageous turns, jumps and other implausible acts fill the screen.
No, what gearheads will appreciate with these two titles is realism and accessibility.
Between them, there are about 1,400 different cars to choose from, though admittedly, more than half of those aren't the eye-opening wheel types made for car shows. Even so, there are plenty of jewels in there like the Bugatti Veyron and McLaren MP4-12C, plus true classics like the '71 Ford Mustang and '68 Shelby Cobra.
While Gran Turismo 5 forces you to take a lemon and turn it into something competitive before getting to the good stuff, Forza Motorsport gives you access to its full car lineup from the get-go. You still need to earn credits to actually "own" the cars you want, but the fact that you can take an Aston Martin, Ferrari, Bentley or Maserati for a spin and experience them with all the proper mechanics and execution - at least in virtual terms - is still a pretty cool thing to do.
Both games offer certain "assists" like traction control, drift and other helpers that can all be turned off for truly realistic handling. Physical damage becomes key, and you even have to contend with tire deformations, along with all the other obstacles, like other drivers (this gets even better with good human drivers when competing online) and the difficulty of the track. This is where physics really comes in to help or hinder you.
Play either of these with a racing wheel peripheral complete with pedals and gearshift, along with the right kind of seating, and you get an experience that helps fulfill a need for speed. The other option is to drive in "cockpit view," which changes the view onscreen from outside to inside the car, with every interior detail considered from the dash to the seats. Let's face it, for many of us, this is as close as we can get to driving some of these sweet rides.
Part of Gran Turismo's 1,000-strong lineup of cars includes NASCAR and go-karts, as there are specific races and circuits devoted to both. The karts are tons of fun, even if some of the realism is sacrificed in the meantime. NASCAR fans won't get the full treatment here, but this is the first time the Gran Turismo series even offers them.
And as I said, all of these cars have been designed to drive based on what they have under their respective hoods in reality. It's up to you as the virtual driver to simulate an experience that mirrors the real thing.
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