Being one of the landmark titles for the PSOne, Gran Turismo set the standard for racing games. The second incarnation was almost too much of a good thing with over 500 cars and just too much to do on those two CD's! Alas the third installment arrives and with open arms gamers everywhere are welcoming it into their home. Was it worth all the hype and anticipation? Well.....

Visually this game is unparalleled by any other in it's class. The graphics are far superior to any racing game seen to date! The car models are excellent and the frame rate never even thinks of chugging below a rock solid 60 FPS. The lighting effects and reflections are some of the best I have ever seen, just take a ride on the wet track at night to see the full beauty of this monster! The tracks are a bit uninspired but there are a ton of them so it doesn't hurt the overall appeal. Some of the tracks are making a return in GT3 such as Trial Mountain. These are welcome and good for players of previous games to get on tracks they remember!

The music is hand picked and very good, ranging from artists such as Goldfinger to the likes of Motley Crue there are some good driving tunes on this title. Hearing the engine rev at 185mph is incredible, especially with the dolby digital sound blasting! Whether you pick the inside or outside view of the car actually changes the dynamics of the sound! Inside the car you can hear the wind whistle through the trannies of your rally car and outside even the music gets quieter! A marvelous job by the sound team!

The mechanics and handling of this game are far superior to the early demos. The precise control of the first GT returns in full force! Making a powerslide is difficult but at the same time so rewarding you just must do it! The game also controls exceptionally well with the analog sticks. But the real treat (if you can afford it) is the Logitech GT Wheel. This bastard is downright incredible and I hate steering wheels! This gives the user the best control possible!

In the end GT3 is well worth the $50 price tag. If you own a PS2 you should own this game, it is the reason most of you bought a PS2 and it is a great sequel to an already amazing game! GT remains the king of the racing ring, will it ever be de-throned? Only time will tell that story but for now Gran Turismo sits high above the rest as the greatest racing game of all time...this is ZT out!