Last week’s State of Play show finally lifted the lid on Gran Turismo 7.
One of the most intriguing reveals was Music Rally, a new casual game mode that lets you relax and enjoy some upbeat tunes while you drive. Series creator Kazunori Yamauchi isn’t just besotted with cars and motorsport – he’s also passionate about music.
What is Music Rally mode in Gran Turismo 7?
Think of Music Rally as a novelty checkpoint mode with beats replacing the countdown clock. The goal is to listen to a music track from start to finish before running out of beats. If you run out of beats, you lose the rally. Passing through coloured gates replenish beats as you drive.
Different music tracks also have different BPM (beats per minute). If a song has a higher BPM, you’ll need to drive faster to keep up. While Music Rally is meant to be a fun and lighthearted mode, it sounds like it will offer a challenge for experienced players. There’s also a competitive element for players who want to beat their friend’s score that could get addictive.
As reported by TechRadar, Music Rally was added to GT7 in response to demand for a new mode that lets players take in Gran Turismo’s scenery in a "relaxed manner" as you do on a soothing Sunday drive.
"The biggest objective of Music Rally is we want people to enjoy the music," Kazunori Yamauchi explained during a preview event. "The other important point, we wanted people who are playing for the first time - may never have played a car game for the first time - we wanted it to be something they could enjoy."
Kazunori added that some players like to listen to music while driving and hearing the engine sounds. Since the music drowns out the game audio, most players turn the music off. Music Rally was added as a solution, combining the best of both worlds.
GT7’s Music Rally mode looks bizarre, but it’s great to see a mode that embraces Gran Turismo’s signature eccentricity. From what we’ve seen, the offbeat Music Rally looks like a fun diversion from GT7’s traditional races. It also looks like a more relaxing way to take in GT7's intoxicating scenery.
Music Replays return
Gran Turismo has always had excellent replays with TV-style cameras that make races fun just as fun to watch as they are to play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abYNqXlQnQQ
Last seen in GT3, Music Replays return in GT7. This mode randomly generates camera angles and cuts that match the background music. Every Music Replay will have different camera angles.
Gran Turismo 7 soundtrack
It’s not clear if Music Rally can be played with any song and track in GT7. What we do know, however, is that the Gran Turismo 7 Find Your Line soundtrack features over 300 tracks from 75 artists including Nothing But Thieves, London Grammar, and Idris Elba. That makes it the largest soundtrack in any GT game to date.
No GT game soundtrack would be complete without the iconic Moon Over the Castle theme song. GT7 features a new version of Moon Over the Castle covered by Bring Me The Horizon.