Due to the heavy emphasis that it places on realism, Gran Turismo 7 can be a little intimidating at first, at least for those who are new to the racing sim genre, anyway. It’s not the kind of game that one can just pick up and play, with players first needing to wrap their heads around how all of the different driving mechanics work. With a little perseverance though, it actually ends up being a pretty good introduction to the genre.
That said, during the opening few hours of Gran Turismo 7’s single-player campaign, novice players may find themselves getting frustrated; both with the game and with themselves. These tips and tricks should help to make the experience a little more palatable, however, while also helping players to avoid some of the more common beginner mistakes.
Stop Auto-BrakingÂ
No matter what anybody says, there is nothing wrong with using difficulty settings and accessibility options to make a game easier. That’s exactly what they’re there for, after all. That said, some of the ones found in Gran Turismo 7 can arguably make things just a little too easy. This is especially true of the auto-brake system, which, though useful for novice drivers early on, can quickly become a hard-to-shake-off crutch.
For those who are new to the series, having the game automatically handle braking as they head into sharp bends can be an absolute godsend. That said, the game is very aggressive with its braking, meaning that there’ll probably come a point where it starts to hold players back. With this in mind, players should get into the habit of braking even when the auto-brake is on and then gradually start to crank up the difficulty.
Don’t Always Follow the Racing line
The racing line shows players the optimal route for any given track, but this doesn’t necessarily make it the best path for players to follow. This is because it fails to account for the positions of other drivers, which is actually a pretty big pitfall given that players are typically going to have to overtake as many as 19 other vehicles in order to make it to the top spot of the podium.
Sometimes, cutting inside another racer can provide players with a chance to overtake, while deviating from the racing line can also help players to avoid congestion. If anything, the racing line is most useful for predicting where other racers are going to be, though it is worth noting that, like the very best players, not all AI-controlled racers stick to the racing line either.
Find a View that Works for You
Gran Turismo 7 has four or five different views (players can press R1 during a race to cycle between them), though most players will probably end up gravitating to just two of them. The first-person cockpit view really helps to crank up the immersion, while racing with a third-person behind-the-car camera angle can make the experience feel a bit more like some of the classic arcade racing games of yesteryear.
Given how drastic these differences can be, some players might be able to find a lot more enjoyment in the game simply by switching away from the default setting. Both of the aforementioned views can be further tweaked in the options menu too, with players given control over things like field of view and the heads up display.
Drive Clean
If players are able to finish a race without leaving the track or being involved in any major collisions, they’ll receive a Clean Race Bonus. This, in turn, will increase their total prize money by 50%. Initially, this will only equate to a small rise, but, as players get further into the single-player campaign, Clean Race Bonuses will start to be worth tens of thousands of Credits.
Unlike certain other areas of the game, Gran Turismo 7 is actually very forgiving when it comes to these bonuses, with players having to work pretty hard to actually lose them. Side-swipes are unlikely to cost players their bonus, nor is cutting corners providing that the entirety of their car doesn’t leave the track. As a result, cautious players should have no trouble getting the bonus for most, if not all of their races.
Don’t Be Afraid to Spend Credits
While it’s true that pretty much all of the cars required for collection-based Menu Books can be won as gift cars by securing a podium finish in the right races, many are also available for sale at the Used Car Dealership. This means that players can save themselves quite a bit of time by spending their hard-earned credits instead of racing. It may seem wasteful, but, what are Credits for if not spending?
Once players start to unlock events with three or four laps, completing a three-car set can end up taking about half an hour. Buying the cars, on the other hand, will take only a matter of seconds and, in some instances, could actually end up saving players money as they won’t need to tune a car just to be competitive in those three races.
Be Cautious When Tuning Cars
More than any other Gran Turismo game, GT7 players will find themselves switching cars on a fairly regular basis. This is because most races have very specific entry requirements relating to the player’s car’s country of origin, engine type, and drive type. With this in mind, players should be cautious about how much they spend souping their cars up. Each race has a recommended PP and players should aim to match this rather than beat it.
Sure, having a ridiculously overpowered car can make races a lot easier, but, considering most cars will only be used for two or three races, any excess tuning usually ends up being a huge waste of Credits. To be clear, tuning can be necessary at certain times, but players should focus on buying cheap items that offer big PP boosts, like air filters and tires, rather than just buying everything that the tuning shop has to offer.
