Tourist Trophy

Anyone expecting a purely frenetic racing game should pass, but this should provide sim racing fans with a satisfying game. There’s a lot to tinker with here, and gaming gearheads will be in heaven.

Bottom line here is that the polish and attention to detail has transferred well to make the gameplay solid and something to keep coming back to.

We get all the same great physics and real-world handling that we’ve come to expect from Polyphony Digital combined with the challenging nuances of racing on two wheel instead of four.

It’s harder, faster, and more realistic than its true competitors (motorcycle racers), but has what it takes to stand alongside the greatest racing games.

The bike is relatively easy to learn how to operate but it does respond very realistically which is where the sim factor comes in.

Immensely deep.

The game definitely has been slimmed down from the massive bulk of Gran Turismo 4, making sure to not drown this new audience in confusion, but at the same time it's deep enough that those who've come to expect a seemingly never-ending game should be satisfied even though it definitely lacks the depth Polyphony is known for.

If Tourist Trophy uncovers the fourth dimension of racing, then the fifth dimension needs to be turning Polyphony's obvious passion for mechanical engineering into a passion that everyone can relate too. [May 2006, p.100]

A beautiful and realistic motorcycle simulation. Not as deep as its parent game Gran Tourismo 4, though. With four drivers at most, the races can get a little bland, especially if you have a superior (or inferior) bike. [June 2006]

The actual driving mechanic is fantastic, and the way that the game manages to instill the sense of speed, weight, stability and so forth from a bike is phenomenal.

The lack of online play really hurts Tourist Trophy and the limitation of only four other racers on screen kicks it in the shins a little more.

The sound effects do a great job of selling the experience. You’ll hear the wind moving past your bike as you hit top speeds.

Lovely, well-executed, and extremely polished motorcycles, racing through rather familiar territory.

There is plenty of fun to be had here, but there is also plenty of room for improvement.

The game maintains the compulsive drive for authenticity that the Gran Turismo series is known for, but with a much narrower focus. So while it may just be Gran Turismo with motorcycles, it's still a great racing game in its own right.

Tourist Trophy probably won’t have the universal appeal of "GT4," but it is a competent racer in its own right. If you’re a fan of motorcycles, you’re sure to enjoy it.

It just takes a little dedication, a little perseverance, and a deep love of bikes to discover it. But if that's you, then this could be time well spent indeed. [July 2006, p.62]

Tourist Trophy is highly customizable, and provides a chillingly realistic riding experience. While it may lack a few obvious features, this is still a strong start for the first real extension of the Gran Turismo franchise, and one that can only get better with time.

The control is tight and responsive, making any fatal face plants entirely your own fault, while the tutorial/licensing helps quickly acclimate you to competitive racing. All in all, the difficulty might turn as many casual gamers away as it will attract hardcore racing fans, which isn't always a bad thing if you're looking for racing authenticity.

You'll cry for training wheels at first, but the elation of mastering the game's techniques is its own reward. This is a great start to a Gran Turismo off-shoot.

A well-made game, especially when you consider that it was put together in an almost unfathomable 10 months.

The handling is downright beautiful and innovated over a series of bikes, and the presentation rocks. However, the game's incredible difficulty curve, somewhat average career mode, and complete lack of online play may leave some less than satisfied with the ride.

There's enough core racing here to entertain for a while, but unlike Gran Turismo, there's not enough universal appeal to make it a buy to anyone but serious riders.

The highly acclaimed developer works their magic on the bike racing scene with this extremely addictive sim. Not quite a Gran Turismo for bikes, but close enough.

Although Tourist Trophy has some real substance behind it with a wide range of bikes, licensed accessories and the particularly neat "Rider Form" feature, motorbike fans would be advised to wait for THQs "MotoGP 06" which promises to offer a more conclusive experience on the actual track.

TT isn't so much a racing game as a fantastic driving experience and one that deserves better than the reduced copy and paste options and tracks that have been bolted onto it.

TT has been three years in the making and you can't fault its beautiful looks and attention to accuracy.

It's just that - a racing sim. Which for the most part means it's lonely and dull as you fight corners. [Issue#139, p.98]

Tourist Trophy delivers to motorcycle fans the same sort of thrill that Gran Turismo delivers to auto aficionados. The only downside is that there’s far fewer bike makers involved in Tourist Trophy than there were auto makers involved in even the first Gran Turismo.

The best way to describe Tourist Trophy would be to say that it’s the motorcycle expansion pack taken to the extreme.

Those who are up for a challenge and don’t throw their controller in frustration easily are going to have a good time with Tourist Trophy.

A well-made game, but one that lacks any kind of excitement for the casual gamer or non-enthusiast. As much as I love racing games, I had trouble mustering up any kind of genuine enthusiasm for this title.

Tourist Trophy is an incredibly technical racing sim and a well-executed vanity project that will appeal to a very small group of people. [Jun 2006, p.114]

While many gamers will be turned off by the daunting gameplay, the true superbike diehard can be sure they'll get their money's worth — though Namco's "MotoGP" series does the genre better on whole.

You'll need to know what you're doing before you'll have any hope of enjoying it, but once you've made it, the effort will pay off.

At its core, Tourist Trophy is a very nice game but it's totally bogged down by ripping off too much content from "Gran Turismo 4" and not going far enough with the riding simulation.

Regardless of the fact that the game doesn’t quite replicate the sheer precariousness of hurtling down a track at breakneck speed to the degree it should, the refreshing risk/reward balance merits the perseverance of anyone willing to give it a go. [May 2006, p.108]

It doesn't live up to the Gran Turismo creators' standards, and it doesn't even live up to the standards of the best motorcycle racing games on this generation of hardware.

True motorcycle fiends should hop right on without being let down. [Jun 2006, p.84]

Gran Turismo's flaws plus imperfect handling make this hard to love. As a glossy bike catalogue, it's lush. As a game, it's not quite right. [May 2006, p.78]

With one eye on GT for PS3 its easy to see why Tourist Trophy is not as good as GT4 but considering this is the game that bike fans would have been hanging out for, its a shame that it doesn't live up to its older brother.

All in all, Tourist Trophy is very close to being the game Gran Turismo loving bike fans would have wanted.

Much of Tourist Trophy feels like a duller version of Gran Turismo 4 and that game wasn't exactly packed with thrilling racing. Polyphony really does need to rework its racing games to include some racing. There's fun to be had in TT but not nearly as much as there should be.

Tourist Trophy isn't the "GTA with bikes" that we'd hoped for, and the physics lack the realism of the top driving sims. Still, it's the best game with real bikes yet. [June 2006, p.54]

It may not pack the depth we’ve come to expect from the Gran Turismo games or offer online content, but that’s mostly made up for by the solid, fun gameplay, a nice selection of bikes, and smooth, clean visuals.

Tourist Trophy is never anything more than you, a motorcycle, and the quest for the racing line. It’s more than accomplished enough to fulfil fanatics of bikes and simulations, but too dry for anyone else. [Apr 2006, p.86]

Tourist Trophy is far from the real riding simulator it claims to be; it misses out on one of the most fundamental things of riding bikes: fun. There may be some hardcore racing fans out there that will get some satisfaction from this game, but for the majority it will be a very frustrating experience.

Tourist Trophy started as a sort of side project for Polyphony Digital, and it was driven by some members who are hardcore bike racing fanatics. The problem is, that's exactly what the game feels like--some sort of half-baked mission pack for GT4. [Jun 2006, p.96]

Simply put, this is a re-release of Gran Turismo 4 with motorbikes instead of cars. Technically more than competent, but not a whole lot of fun for people without a strong interest in bikes.

The result is a game that doesn't really offer motorbike enthusiasts the same attention to detail that petrolheaded car nuts get out of GT, and takes hours and hours for the rest of us to warm to.

There’s nothing of note here – nothing thrilling or stirring, or any part fuelled with even a hint of passion for the sport it wants to portray. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Tourist Trophy represents something of a watershed for me. This is the first time I’ve looked at a PS2 title and seen that the system just can’t keep up with the current generation.

But there's just too little substance to recommend this to anyone but the "gotta catch 'em all" motorcycle nut. [July 2006, p.87]

Although the bikes are fast during the races, they are overwhelmingly underpowered when pulling off at the start of a race. Twist the throttle all you like, but lift-offs provide all the G-force of a gnat.