ure, the PlayStation 2 was more powerful than any console that came before it. But for many, the first game to really give you that extra bang for your buck was Gran Turismo 3. It was such an astonishing leap over the racing titles that preceded it that it became an instant classic, the game against which all other racing titles were judged for years to come.
Technologically, the game busted out with 5,000 polygons per vehicle. The blocky cars of the past were replaced by the smooth, flowing curves of vehicles that looked real. Also real? The tracks, which simulated famous race courses on multiple continents. Whether blasting through sun-dappled forests or soaring through graceful curves on the Laguna Seca raceway, you were there. Split-screen gameplay blazed at 60 frames per second, so driving -- even in multiplayer -- felt smooth.
Gran Turismo 3 'only' had 150 cars, which seems like a letdown only when you consider that GT2 had 500+. Later versions of the game (Gran Turismo 4) busted out with over 700 vehicles, old and new. While the later game had more variety -- and is probably the one you'd want to buy today -- GT3 was a trailblazer for this generation, one of those cornerstone games that made the PlayStation 2 the preeminent console of its day.
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