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Gran Turismo 3: A Spec (PS2) | 
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| From: Sony Computer Entertainment UK
Category: Video Games
List Price: £39.99
Buy Used: £0.50
You Save: £39.49 (99%)
New (9) Used (36) Collectible (1) from £0.50
Rating:  175 reviews
Sales Rank: 4107
Platform: Playstation2
Genre: car-and-truck-racing-games
Media: Video Game
Number Of Items: 1
Age: 3 - 18 years
Operating System: Playstation 2
UPC: 711719276227
EAN: 0711719276227
ASIN: B00005LW5U
Release Date: July 20, 2001
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
The most eagerly awaited PlayStation 2 game of 2001 is finally here. It's about motor racing, it's called Gran Turismo 3: A Spec, and it's utterly superb. Much has been made of the appearance of Sony's flagship title on the PS2. Detractors have complained it has fewer cars than GT2, it only has a couple of extra tracks and it's really no more than an update. But then it's easy to knock it before you've tried it. To be fair the detractors have a point and for the seriously hardcore driving fan "only" 183 possible vehicles might be a bit of an issue, but to the vast majority of racing gamers GT3 will be a fabulous gaming experience and will really prove what the PlayStation 2 is capable of. In essence, GT3 is a series of sub-games combined by a motoring theme. There are driving licences to gain which open access to racing events, which in turn provide cash to buy bigger and better motors. There's a full arcade section in which it's possible to choose from a pre-determined selection of cars and tracks on time trials, first-past-the-post and free-run races and there's a huge section of game time devoted to tuning and maintaining your garage of racing machines. Graphically, this is the best-looking PS2 title yet. It's crisp, smooth, frighteningly quick and there's no invisible scenery in evidence. Lighting effects are truly awesome--wait 'til you see the setting sun of Laguna Seca--and the engine sounds are ear-burstingly impressive. Control is smooth and precise; the DualShock controller is used to good effect but playing with a suitable steering wheel adds a whole new dimension to things. A number of top-name bands have their musical wares shoehorned into the soundtrack so expect the company of Ash, Feeder and others to keep you company during the long hours of gawping at the TV. Playing GT3, you get the feeling that the PS2 is finally starting to show its worth. This is professional games software of the highest quality. Buy it now. You know you want to. --Chris Russell
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| Customer Reviews: Read 170 more reviews...
 Great game June 10, 2008
L. Noble (England :D)
Well, this is a great game, the only reason i made an account on amazon, was so i could buy it again. i would have gone for GT4, but i already have the save files of GT3 on my ps2, i dont want to do them again, i purely want the game for driving the streets of seattle in the GT40 and trying the dodge on laguna seca, absolutely brilliant. i also follow the grand prix and where i cant handle the F1 Games, i can handle long endurance races on GT3 :D
Great Game
I wonder why this was NOT the Playstation 2's first game........... July 26, 2007
The Fault
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
.....Could it be becuase it was still in development when PS2 was launched??? Just to respond to a previous review - this didn't come out at the same time as PS2, in fact it was about a year after launch when Gran Turismo 3 was first released.
Anyway, onto the game - it's hard to imagine that this is 6 years old already. It first came out July 2001 and was the first game to really show what PS2 was capable off. Yes it has a lot less cars than Gran Turismo 2 ever did but the graphics were a huge step up and still hold up reasonably well today. There is no damage modelling, which Forza Motorsport on XBox managed, but it's still a fun game. It was realistic to a certain extent but always had that element of fun - something with Forza lacked in my opinion (it was a lot more realistic than GT3 but just felt too regimental, despite having loads of options to modify the gameplay).
This is still worth getting because it is still playable and it's available second hand for mere pennies these days. There's a great feeling of satisfaction winning trophies and buying that super-car you've had you're eye on since the start of the game. And building up a garage-full of shiny motors to gaze over and modify is still very appealing. Gran Turismo 2 probably better realised the wheeler-dealer aspect of the genre, simply due to the fact it had 1000+ cars (smething GT3 doesn't even come close to matching with a "paltry" couple of hundred), but if you have a PS2, about 2 spare in your pocket and a few hours to kill you could certainly do a lot worse than get this game second hand. You will easily get your money's worth out of this!
I wonder why this was the Playstation 2's first game... October 24, 2006
T. Clarke (UK)
3 out of 8 found this review helpful
.. could it be because of its stunning graphics? Or dull gameplay?
The game crosses a fine line. It was released with the PS2 in 2000, and so really, it was to encourage gamers to buy the console based on the graphics. But gameplay wise, it can get dull. Sure, you'll love it when you first get it. But it does become a bit repetitive and boring. Unfortunately, it doesnt really simulate a true driving expierience. Cars handle very similarly, no damage models (the car manufacturers were against having their cars seen as beeing damaged..) and the driving just feels very bland, unlike other games were you can really tell the difference between one track and the other.
A beauty to look at, but a dull one to handle after a while!
Great driving sim!!!! May 27, 2006
J. Cheung (London)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There is a great progression from the slower cars into the super cars. Admittedly it's hard at the start to get good cars and to improve their specs but once you get past a certain level (probably around 30-40%) the money you earn for races and tournaments will give plenty of credit to buy cars and parts.
To get loads of money you do have to repeatedly enter races you've won but that only improves your knowledge around the track and make it easier further on in the game. Plus you can try different cars around different tracks to see how they are for handling, speed and turning corners. By the time you're 50% everything should come to you naturally eg. natural racing line speed, tyres used for different race lengths.
The licences on the whole are very hard to get anything above a bronze but it's definitely good to use the ghost car to beat your previous times. You can get stuck entering races in the Professional league without the required licences.
There is a good range of racing tracks and having to take on most of them in reverse is a great idea, because you think just because you know your way around it the first way round it should be a breeze but it's more like learning a whole new track. Cote d'Azur (Monaco) is great as you get to race on one of the greatest racing tracks in motor racing.
The most frustrating aspect of the game has to be the tyres' conditions during a long race, the computer controlled cars seem to never need to pit and even when you have hard tyres on it'll still only last about 5-6 laps and having to pit will take away any advantage you have of winning the race.
This game tries to make driving as realistic as possible without taking away the fun of a driving sim. Different cars drive differently, you can feel they are heavier around corners and handling differs dramatically. But not having car damage takes nothing away from the gameplay and that won't be much of a problem once you get into the game anyway.
All in all this is a really fun game to play with great graphics, there are some challenges later in the game but anyone who enjoys driving some fast cars and going on some really good racing tracks will love this game.
 Good at first but then boring April 6, 2006
Sam (York, UK)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I've bought this game after reading a review in a magazine. I thought i'd give it a try. So Ok, the graphics are great, good sound, and nice controls. I liked it at the beginning, but then it gets really boring. It'll take you ages to upgrade to a proper car, and if you do, try and think of managing to drive it. It is a nightmare to get a fast car and win an tournament for instance. So the game is trying to be as realistic as possible, but I want a game that I would enjoy even after playing for a long time, and I do not want a depressingly realistic game in which a car will take ages to turn or accelerate. Another think, some tracks are horrible, you find all the other cars driving fast and with no problems, you try to do the same, but the track design won't let you stay on the road, you drift away and when you get back , you will take a long time to get your lost time.
IN a nutshill: Great graphics, good selection of cars, nice audio, good and very varied race types.
On the downside: could be depressingly hard, too long, difficult to upgrade or buy new stuff for your car, and could stop being 'fun' after playing it for a day or two...
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