LabouredSubterfuge said:
Fair point. I always get the feeling Kaz is on a mission to use the GT series like some sort of a car and motorsport racing restoration project. Like he's half making a game, and half making a museum/encyclopedia for cars and racing. That said, I think it does an injustice to GT5 to simply treat it as an encyclopedia, the game side of it is truly excellent, albeit punishing at times.
Oh, I don't mean *just* as an encyclopedia... more that the goal of it is to be as clinical and clean and exact, like an encyclopedia. For example, there's a fairly strong focus on seasons and calendars in F3, like you should complete somewhere or get to a certain point in a finite amount of time (even if it is a while, there's still that impression) whereas I haven't found any of that with GT. It's more of a "take your time, absorb everything at your own leisure... but try to take it all lin" sort of thing. Another point is the tuning. Forza has the option of just going to the marketplace to buy the best tune possible and apply it to your car, where GT almost seems to have deliberately avoided that so that the player can learn what everything does. Yes, it's a feature that some people would argue should be included so you can use it if you want and avoid if you don't, but you'd be learning so much less if it was there to rely on when you're stuck.
Finally understanding all that, I can totally see where Kaz is coming from. I don't get how so many niggly little things could make it through with the time it's taken (really... I just unlocked the Berlinetta. Should never have fucking made it in the state it's in), but his vision and overall implementation have come off really well.
Yeah, this post (and my last) are pretty much my own personal epiphany. I think I actually "get it". It seems like some die hard GT fanboys don't (arguing because it's on their console, because GT came first, because they hate Microsoft... whatever) and like it for other, perhaps more shallow reasons that Polyphony had intended (better graphics lolz) but for me, shit has just reached a whole new level.
Mind you, I don't think of Forza/Turn 10 any less, I just think of GT5 and Kazunori-san a whole lot fucking more.