Gran Turismo 2

1999 · Racing · PlayStation

About Gran Turismo 2

Gran Turismo 2 (1999) is Polyphony Digital's first game as a studio, a PlayStation racing simulation with nearly 650 cars and 27 tracks that shipped 9.37 million copies despite a rushed, buggy release.

Gran Turismo 2 in Depth

The player races against computer-controlled drivers in two modes. Arcade Mode allows any available car and can enable damage. Simulation Mode, called Gran Turismo Mode in PAL and Japanese versions, is a career in which the player earns driving licences, buys cars and wins trophies to unlock new and returning courses. Nearly 650 cars and 27 tracks are included, among them rally stages.

The physics, handling and graphics are very close to the first Gran Turismo. The most noticeable change in driving is the brakes, which are much less likely to lock up and cause oversteer. The main differences are the greatly expanded number of cars, tracks and events in Simulation Mode. Players can now enter individual races without taking on a whole tournament, and there is no longer a separate qualifying session before each race.

Making Gran Turismo 2

After the unexpected success of Gran Turismo, Polys Entertainment was spun off as Polyphony Digital, and lead developer Kazunori Yamauchi set out to make the sequel "an even better product". Sony's American executives expected it to "fly off the shelves faster than the original". In the UK it sold 130,000 copies in its first weekend, overtaking Ocarina of Time as the fastest-selling title, and about 250,000 in its first week, and it was a best seller for two months there and in Japan. In the US it passed a million within six weeks.

It received universal acclaim. Next Generation's Dan Egger wrote that "the rushed production of this game botched what could have been a near perfect sequel" but that it was "still the best racer ever made". Famitsu gave it 34 out of 40, and it was a finalist for console game of the year at the Interactive Achievement Awards. By April 2008 it had shipped 9.37 million copies: 3.96 million in North America, 3.68 million in Europe and 1.73 million in Asia.

Gran Turismo 2 Trivia

Players found glitches soon after launch, and Sony of America offered replacement discs.
In the 30-lap Trial Mountain endurance race, a 680 bhp Vector M12 LM could appear despite a 295 hp limit, making it nearly unwinnable.
Full completion is impossible: the game expects 223 events but only 219 are available.
Its soundtrack includes The Cardigans' 1998 song "My Favourite Game".
It sold 815,430 copies in Japan in its first week.