Difficulty:

Very Hard

Time Spent:

40 to 100 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Revolutionary"

...the 2nd being Wipeout XL.
When this game was released there was nothing like it on the market-it was truly revolutionary.It's the blue-print:it set the standard for all racers to come.It represents the revolution-the others are just evolution.
GT1 is a beast & you need to tame first it in order to fully understand it later.A lot of patience is required+the existence of numerous modes, options, settings events etc keeps you occupied for weeks, months.It's an entire Universe here, a labyrinth you just cannot play for 1 hour & that's it you think you can already judge it.It definetly requires nerves of steel as it is one of the hardest games ever made but despite this, i think it's gameplay is unmatched even to this day when it comes to simulators.GT1 offers you the best feeling possible from the entire genre, when you play it you really feel like you're driving a car despite having..."Mickey Mouse Graphics".Yes:i've heard someone saying that, not here on GS but elsewhere.For me, realism is not the standard in gaming, it's exactly the opposite & unfortunately nowadays games are judged by this factor-if a game looks very real then it represents a standard-i hate that.For me, i find no fun in playing GT4 or GT5 or FM3.I'd rather go drive a real car than play those games.The fun has dissapeared.
So this piece of "Mickey Mouse" revolution is 12 years old but it still has the best soundtrack, the best overall feeling & probably the best intro too.The only thing that has evolved in all these years are the graphics, in fact all the other things went downhill.It's like a blonde that looks amazing but has nothing in her head.GT1 has soul-the others lack it.
So...even with these "Mickey Mouse Graphics", when you look at replays sometimes you feel like you're watching a PS2 game, it's a bit ahead of it's time.During the races, the cars don't look so bad either they look quite decent.Just think at the NFS games from that period:3, 4 & 5.Now these are racers that look bad, not GT1.
The music rocks!It's so upbeat & awesome, made by artists like Chemical Brothers & Garbage.Unmatched OST indeed.
There are 2 main sections:Arcade & Simulation.The Simulation is all the fuss about.There are 11 tracks & 4 racing modes:GT League, Spot Races, Special Events & Time Trails.At the GT League there are 4 Cups but you need to get the proper licence in order to compete.In order to get a licence you must first buy a car from a total of 11 manufacturers from USA, Japan & Europe.You start with a total of 10.000 credits & to make a lot of money to afford buying a highly competitive car & upgrade it, customise it you need to waste many, many precious hours of your life.It has fantastic replay value & it's very rewarding.
GT1 may look laughable nowadays but it represents the most important racing game of all time all things considered.