Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
2001
- racing
- simulator
- non-fiction
- single player
- multiplayer
- split screen
The story
More than two years in the making, Gran Turismo 3 A-spec features over 150 detailed cars -- each composed of more than 4,000 polygons -- 60 beginner, amateur and professional championship races, as well as ten endurance races and ten rally races. In addition to all-new special effects, such as sun glare, heat distortion and reflections, Gran Turismo 3 A-spec also offers up a soundtrack of more than 20 licensed tracks, and an even better replay mode with TV-style camera views. Two players can go head-to-head via split-screen and up to six can duke it out by linking multiple systems together via i.LINK. Released worldwide in 2001, Gran Turismo 3 a-Spec was designed by Polyphony Digital.
What it’s like
Bright, sun-bleached daylight over sun-glare-streaked tarmac, with heat haze shimmering off the asphalt and lens reflections flaring across bodywork, all rendered in the clean, glossy polygon style of an early-2000s console. The palette leans on saturated paint jobs against grey tracks and blue-sky circuits: Mediterranean coastlines, dusty rally stages, and quiet hillside roads at dawn. The sound is a licensed rock and electronic playlist that rises under the engine note, with the snarl of each car and the squeal of tyres doing much of the emotional work between races. The vibe is focused, mechanical calm: a steady, almost meditative hum of progress, punctuated by the sharp thrill of a late-braking overtake. Sessions suit a long weekend afternoon, a solo evening with headphones, or a split-screen bout with a friend. Pacing is patient and methodical, built around earning credits, tuning cars and climbing championship ladders, and the arc is one of a novice slowly becoming a disciplined, confident driver. Intensity is minimal: no violence, no gore, and no fear beyond the odd crash that ends a race. It suits players who want realism, car obsession, and gentle competitiveness.
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