Stunning. Out of all the words in the English dictionary to write a review for this game with, that is the only one needed. Well, perhaps two words: truly stunning! But in case you've been living on Mars for a while and haven't heard of this game, I'll use a few more words to elaborate!

The release of the original Gran Turismo on PSOne came and went unnoticed. It was running about 6 months late and when it was released sales were slow. Word of mouth spread about its greatness though and by the time Gran Turismo 2 was released it was one of the most popular games on the Playstation. The PS2 version was originally planned as an update to be available at the launch. People rushed to the shops and pre-ordered their PS2s in anticipation of playing the originally titled GT2000, drooling at screenshots in magazines. Then came the delays. First it was Christmas, then it was March, then May and though this was frustrating for the PS2 owners, they were consoled that GT2000 had developed into a true sequel, renamed GT3 and promising a lot more than was originally expected.

All is forgiven for the many delays as soon as the disc goes into your machine. The hypnotic intro sequence of fuel circulating inside an engine draws you in before slamming into in-game graphics that slap you in the face and give you that warm feeling you get when you know you're about to play a truly great game.

Straight into arcade mode and there's around 50 cars to choose from, with 6 tracks. You grab your favourite from GT2, choose a course and press go. The graphics are simply beautiful. Over 3000 polygons to every car, massive tracks with miles of draw distance. Heat shimmer, lens flare, real time reflection in body panels, even the brakes glow orange when it's dark! The first corner approaches at high speed and you slam the brake and take it on the racing line. You can literally feel the car clinging to the road. It's more real than any racing game has ever been on any console, ever.

Euphoria sets in. You play through arcade mode on easy and get gold in the first 6 tracks, then another 6 become available. You keep going through 34 tracks in total, 19 different ones with the rest being a mix of reverse order and changes in weather. The graphics hit you again as soon as you get in the wet. Everything feels right. The cars handle like you would expect and they sound great too with each car was digitally sampled from the real thing. Music comes from GT2 veterans Feeder, with other well-known bands thrown in for good measure.

Out of arcade mode and into Gran Turismo mode, you buy a car, win races, spend the money on your car and win more races, then win more cars to enter different types of races and so on. The lure is that there are around 190 cars to unlock or buy, not as many the 500 plus in GT2, but still plenty and all are modelled from the real cars exactly to manufacturer specs, so if you ever fancy driving a Tuscan now's your chance. In GT mode, there are another 5 tracks, time trials, championship races, series races, racing class driver licences and all manner of modifications available for you car.

It's only after you spend a while in GT mode that it dawns on you just how massive this game is. You could play it every day for months on end and still not have it 100% complete (there is a % complete rating in the game status menu), and because it's such a great game, you will want to play it that much too.

If all that isn't enough for you, then there is a dedicated steering wheel for the game too, incorporating Force Feedback technology. This is console racing like you have never played it before. The feeling of the car hanging on the edge of a corner is perfectly interpreted by the wheel and it pulls and fights you like a real car does when you're giving it some grief! Then there's the fully extensive replays, the full use of the Dualshock 2's analogue buttons, and more great stuff than I could mention here! It's not perfect and there are a few niggles here and there, but all of them pale in comparison so much against the game that they aren't worth mentioning.

Everything about this game in every way makes Gran Turismo 3 a must-have. If you don't have a PS2, you need one now, if you have one then this is the game you've been waiting for. It's so much more than just a racing game, it's gaming at its very finest and regardless of your usual tastes no PS2 owner should be without Gran Turismo 3 as the jewel in their collection.

Reviewed by AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).