Gran Turismo 7 has been out for over three months now. GT7 received rave reviews at launch but problem after problem has created bumps in the road.
Polyphony’s racing simulation came under fire when credit rewards were nerfed post-release, making it harder to afford the most desirable cars while encouraging players to use microtransactions.
Mercifully, recent updates have improved the game’s economy, and GT7 is a much better game for it. But there’s still room for improvement. Don't get us wrong: GT7 is a good game. It's just not a great one yet. Here are some changes we think will make GT7 the classic it deserves to be.
Better career progression
GT7 brings back the traditional single-player campaign - something that was notably absent in the online-focused GT Sport. Browsing the used car classifieds for a cheap runabout, tuning it up, and turning it into an overpowered monster evokes memories of classic GT games.
On paper, the campaign sounds like a return to form. But progression is linked to the GT Café, a new location where you complete menu books to progress. Each menu book has an objective to complete such as winning races to collect a specific group of cars.
As a tutorial for guiding new players on their Gran Turismo journey, the GT Café is great. But it’s mandatory when it should have been an optional tutorial. Bafflingly, core features like split-screen multiplayer are locked until you complete the required Menu Book several hours into the game.
Once the GT Café is completed, there are only a handful of campaign events to complete, leaving you with little to do. GT7 has some great cars, but there are often no events to race them in. This lack of content makes the campaign feels incomplete.
Campaigns in previous GT games engrossed players for hundreds of hours, but GT7’s replayability is limited if you don’t race online. Most players who bought GT7 on day one will have likely seen everything the game offers by now.
Update 1.15 added new events including races for Gr.1 cars, but a bigger variety of events are needed to keep players coming back for more.
Return of classic tracks
Since the series’ inception in 1997, Gran Turismo has featured some of the most memorable and well-designed fictional circuits in any racing game, from High Speed Ring to Trial Mountain. Gran Turismo Sport was criticised for removing these fan-favourite circuits.
Thankfully, High Speed Ring, Deep Forest Raceway, and Trial Mountain have returned in GT7. It’s a good start, but there are still too many classic tracks missing in GT7.
We’d love to race around new versions of classic tracks like Midfield Raceway, Apricot Hill, Autumn Ring, and Special Stage Route 5. With 4K textures and more realistic lighting effects, these old tracks would look stunning in GT7.
GT7 was marketed as a celebration of the series’ 25th anniversary, but it needs more legacy content to fuel our nostalgia.
Better car variety
GT7 launched with over 400 cars. That’s less than half of GT6’s car roster, but unlike GT6 every model is premium quality and built from scratch. However, the car list is outdated compared to other racing games.
Only a small handful of cars like the 2023 Nissan Z, 2022 Genesis G70, and 2021 Toyota GR86 are newer than the 2021 model year. Modern performance cars you can drive in Forza Horizon 5 like the Aston Martin Vantage, Ferrari SF90 Stradale, and McLaren 720S are sorely missing in GT7. Ironically, the F1 22 supercar list is more up-to-date than GT7.
On the other side of the spectrum, GT7 needs more normal cars to balance out the car list.
At a time when most racing games focused exclusively on exotic supercars and sports cars, racing everyday cars your parents drove like the Ford Ka, Toyota Corolla, and Peugeot 206 made the first two Gran Turismo games unique. Normal cars were reduced in recent GT games, especially since the Vision GT program was introduced.
At the time of writing, there’s also no option to sell cars. Back in April, Kazunori promised this option is coming in a future update. The ability to sell cars was even mentioned in the official game description on the PlayStation Store. Three months on and we are still waiting.
More online lobby options
GT7’s Daily Races offer some of the best-ranked online racing on consoles. But if you want to casually race with friends, the lobby options are surprisingly limited.
At the time of writing, there is no option for hosts to change the track in online races without restarting the lobby. This isn't just inconvenient; it’s inexcusable for a Triple-A title to lack this basic multiplayer feature, suggesting GT7 was rushed for release and needed more time in the service area. Stability issues are also still affecting the servers months after release.
There is hope that GT7’s barebones online multiplayer will be expanded, though. Options to change the track and race settings on the fly in online lobbies were recently found hiding in the game’s code by a modder, but it’s not clear when these options will be implemented.
More camera options
GT7’s cockpit view provides the most immersive experience. Playing from the driver’s perspective lets you admire the immaculately detailed car interior and get a better sense of speed. But some players prefer using the third-person chase camera positioned behind the car.
This is the default camera in most racing games. It’s the easiest viewpoint for beginners as you get a clearer view of rivals about to overtake you.
But GT7’s chase camera is far too rigid. It sticks to the rear of the car like glue. This has been an issue since GT5. Reducing the chase camera sensitivity helps, but it’s still too stiff. Damper settings would help reduce the jerkiness.
And while we’re on the subject of camera views, an option to remove the wheel from the cockpit view or a closer dashboard camera would improve the experience for wheel users.
Reduced Legend Cars prices
Getting GT7’s in-game economy right is a tricky balance. On one hand, grinding is a fundamental part of the GT experience. You start with a low amount of money and can only afford to buy a cheap crummy hatchback before working your way up. This gives a satisfying feeling of reward when you can finally afford your dream supercar.
However, fans were outraged when credit rewards were significantly reduced in an update. Although more recent updates have improved the economy since then, the ludicrously expensive Legend Cars feel unobtainable for even the most dedicated players.
As part of Polyphony’s partnership with Haggarty, Legends Car prices have increased in line with real-world inflation. GT7 strives for realism, but this is taking it too far.
The Ferrari F40, for example, has increased from 1.35 million to 2.6 million credits. Video games are about escapism, but most players will never be able to afford these Legend Cars in real life or GT7.