The sequel to arguably the best driving game ever pulls up in the Future Gamer offices, so we take it for a test drive.
James Price

Size matters, and Gran Turismo 2 is huge. In recent years, practitioners of that punter-pleasing beast that is the 'action game' - be it a driving sim or a beat 'em up - have realised that a few extra play modes are an easy-to-code addition that consumers enjoy. It's all window dressing, of course. Soul Calibur's Adventure mode is little more than many moments from its common-or-garden bouts, suitably repackaged. A little front-end trickery goes a long way, though. Which would you prefer? "Get ready for the GT World Championship!" or "Next: Race 51"? Precisely.

It's a simple device, really. Using the same basic tools - cars, fighters, backdrops, courses - a game intimates greater depths with a few choice words, pictures or rewards. And, as is its wont, your imagination does the rest. GT2, on a superficial level, has 28 tracks. The fact that these are accessed via an initially bewildering array of championships and special events makes a real difference. Success equates to rewards in the form of virtual cash and the virtual cash can be spent on better (or merely alternative) cars. You can then enter another race with differing entry qualifications. It's an engrossing alternative to linear progression and GT2 wouldn't be half the game it is without it.