It's been three years since Gran Turismo 4 graced us with its presence, and while PlayStation players in Europe and Japan were able to play "preview" versions like Gran Turismo 4 Prologue and GT4 Online, players in the States have been unable to play preview versions of upcoming games... until now.

Polyphony Digital Inc. and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. released the new "teaser" for Gran Turismo 5: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (GT5P) ($40 list). Finally, PS3 fans can get the GT fix they've craved for since Polyphony dropped the ball on GT4 Mobile for the PSP. Gran Turismo's simple to learn, hard to master gameplay, complex physics, stunning graphics, and true to life car models are all here. However, since this is a Prologue, it does lack the entire GT experience. Think of GT5 Prologue as a little bite to tide you over until GT5 (the full version) is released in the coming year (hopefully).

Take a look at our screenshot slideshow.

GT5P supports the new Logitech Driving Force GT wheel with 900-degree steering, as well as all of the Driving Force wheels back to the original GT Force wheel for the PS2. The new wheel includes a fine tuning wheel to adjust brake bias and traction control on the fly. This is in addition to the shift paddles, shift lever, D-pad controls and force feedback that the previous wheels had.

Play With Me!

So how does it play? Well, it's Gran Turismo. Physics are still mostly realistic: Sliding, acceleration, and handling are true to the cars portrayed, but you still can't wreck the cars (licensing agreements see to that). The lighting, reflections, and scenery are 1080p real. You can use your learned skills on the included High Speed Ring track (a GT staple since the original Gran Turismo on the PS1) and 5 other courses including a London city course. I'm disappointed the Nurburgring isn't here, but I guess they have to make you want to buy the full version. The Top Gear test track is rumored to be a GT5 addition, but is also missing here.

What's in the Box?

The car selection is good, with about 70-ish cars in the launch version. Several highlights include the new BMW M3 E92 coupe, a few Ferraris, and the 2008 Nissan GT-R. The Nissan GT-R is a good case of synergy, as the GT series is the reason you can go out and buy a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo or Subaru WRX STI in the States (yes, both are in GT5P). The Nissan GT-R in real life has Polyphony Digital-developed digital readouts, blurring the line between game and reality even more. There are also some more affordable car models like the Mini Cooper S and Volkswagen Golf GTI. Apparently you will be able to get new cars and tracks through the PlayStation Network later this year.

What's Going on?

Instead of earning different levels of licenses like in previous GT games, in GT5P makes you win races against AI competitors. These are just like the races for money (credits) you run in GT4's simulation mode. Completing the races in scoring positions earns you credits for more cars. The AI is just like the computerized drivers of previous GT titles, so if you can win races in GT4, you should have no trouble with GT5P. Other new features include 2-16 player online racing (finally!), GT-TV (an online video download service), and a news area. What's missing? Well, the ability to customize your car is a feature you'll have to wait for. The majority of the tracks and cars found in GT4? Also missing. The career mode of GT5P seems to be only about winning events so you can buy the rest of the cars in the game. If the arcade mode of GT4 was your favorite part, note that you'll have to earn and unlock all the cars in GT5P, rather than just being handed the keys to around 100 cars in the previous game's arcade mode. This adds to replayability, but it also means that you won't be able to drive a Ferrari when you first open the package.

The Bottom Line

This brings us to our verdict: at $40, this is an expensive demo game. It will tide the die-hard Gran Turismo fan over until 2009 when the full version of GT5 is released. Online updates will come shortly and increase the types of cars in your garage, hopefully. However, for the collect-'em and modify-'em GT fan, GT5 Prologue is woefully underpowered, since you can only collect cars, not modify them. For those fans I would suggest finding your copy of GT4 and getting a few more laps in, or (horrors) booting up the Xbox360 and running Forza Motorsport 2.