Wednesday, February 2 brought the latest episode of PlayStation’s State of Play live stream. The intermittently broadcasted State of Play event often focuses on a single upcoming PlayStation game or produce, offering fans an in-depth look at a major release.

The focus of Wednesday’s episode was Gran Turismo 7, which releases for the PS4 and PS5 on March 4. The stream showcased plenty of new gameplay footage and offered fans a look at some new features in the upcoming racing simulation game.

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The gameplay showcase opened with Gran Turismo 7 Director Kazunori Yamauchi introducing the upcoming game. He goes on to say that GT7 not only marks the series 25th anniversary but that developer Polyphony Digital sees it as the “most complete” in the series so far. According to Yamauchi, his team developed Gran Turismo 7 to be a racing simulation that appeals to car experts and newcomers alike. While that’s an ambitious goal, the shown gameplay gives some reasons to be optimistic.

The latest Gran Turismo 7 showcased a series of clips as Yamauchi goes over Gran Turismo 7’s various features. However, there was still plenty of gameplay to show off, including footage from both third-person cameras and the driver’s viewpoint. The latter showed a few of the highly detailed car interiors, which are always appreciated by those who get into Gran Turismo’s simulation aspect.

The same fans will likely appreciate the developer’s attention to detail regarding realistic weather. According to Yamauchi, the developers compiled “vast amounts” of meteorological data to accurately simulate weather patterns in each region. This is more than just a visual change. Factors like temperature, humidity, and precipitation will have a noticeable effect on a car’s performance and handling.

Fans also got a brief look at some of Gran Turismo 7’s alternate race modes, including drag racing and drift trials. Both have different requirements than racing a standard circuit, so players have to choose and tune their cars accordingly. Drag racing, for example, requires a higher emphasis on raw power and throttle control to overcome the standing start. The game also offers a variety of multiplayer modes and the ability for the player to create custom races. The latter allows the player to tweak everything, including the weather and AI behavior.

Gran Turismo 7 cars at sunset

State of Play also covered several other features beyond just the races themselves. The showcase offered a quick overview of the game’s career mode and emphasized Gran Turismo 7’s over 400 cars and 97 track layouts from 34 locations around the world. Among the game’s more unique features are the cafe and museum. The former includes conversations with the real-world designers of Gran Turismo 7’s most iconic cars. The latter, meanwhile, lets players explore the history of the vehicles and brands featured in the game.

Gran Turismo 7 is still more than a month away. Unfortunately, that means it will still be a while before fans learn if the racing simulator lives up to Polyphony’s promises. Still, the developer’s passion for cars comes through loud and clear, which is a good sign for Gran Turismo 7.

Gran Turismo 7 releases March 4, 2022 for PS4 and PS5.

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