This past week the creator of Gran Turismo confirmed that Gran Turismo 7's returning single-player GT Campaign mode would require a persistent online connection. At the time, no explanation for the decision was provided, leading many frustrated fans of Gran Turismo to question whether the online connection was necessary for a single-player mode. Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi has now responded to the frustration, providing an explanation for Gran Turismo 7's odd choice.
According to Yamauchi, Gran Turismo 7 will feature an always-online connection for its GT Campaign mode because the studio wants to prevent "cheating." More specifically, Yamauchi says that it wants to prevent Gran Turismo 7 players from editing the racing game's save files. As such, if a Gran Turismo 7 game mode requires access to a player's save file, it also will require an online connection. In other words, it's a type of anti-piracy feature
The GT Campaign mode, as a result, isn't the only single-player-oriented game mode in Gran Turismo 7 that will require an online connection. GT Campaign, GT Cafe, and so on are all tied to save files that demand an online connection. In fact, there's only one game mode that potentially will allow for an offline experience, that being Gran Turismo 7's Arcade mode. However, Yamauchi's response implies that he isn't entirely sure if this is true, so it's possible Arcade mode could require an online connection, too.
Another feature that will be used across game modes that requires an online connection in Gran Turismo 7 is the Livery feature. Players will be able to use custom livery via Gran Turismo 7's Livery Editor. This data will be stored and accessed online, apparently, and so requires an online connection to use.
This level of anti-piracy feature isn't new to the Gran Turismo franchise. It was also present in Gran Turismo Sport, the iteration of the franchise that preceded the upcoming release of Gran Turismo 7. Gran Turismo Sport was ultimately reviewed disappointingly, in no small part due to it preventing the player from saving if the game wasn't connected online. It was also criticized heavily for focusing too heavily on online multiplayer. Gran Turismo Sport critics are likely to be wary of these returning focuses in Gran Turismo 7.
Obviously, Yamauchi's explanation is unlikely to appease any Gran Turismo fans who were frustrated over the online requirement. Save files and livery could both be handled offline, at least for activities and game modes that shouldn't require an online connection in the first place. It also means that when Sony decides to inevitably take down Gran Turismo 7's online servers, the game will be nearly entirely unplayable. It's a disappointing decision all around, but especially after Gran Turismo Sport was criticized for the exact same issue.
Gran Turismo 7 releases March 4 on PS4 and PS5.
Source: Eurogamer