Hopefully by now you know what GT2000’s all about – if not, check out our initial preview below. The question you should be asking is about how the game is coming along, and after having the chance to sit down in one of Sony’s plush seats to have a go at the latest build of the game, we’re here to tell you that fans of the series won’t be disappointed. Of course, the game retains the PSX versions’ play style and physics modeling, which almost feels arcade-like after trying out the ultra-realistic F355 Challenge on the Dreamcast – not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, as true realism as seen in F355 is enough to make most gamers’ fingernails curl backwards. The real upgrades come in the graphics department, and according to Sony anyway, in the AI as well. We detected absolutely no difference in the AI of the racers over GT2, which is to say the computer cars ride together in a pack, chained to your car like a rubber band. Of course, this was in quick race mode, which may feature different AI than the full events. The graphics, on the other hand, look extremely smooth for a PS2 game, no doubt thanks to the recent implementation of anti-aliasing – it’s a noticeable difference that gives the game a much more refined look than most other titles on display (not to mention GT2000 itself a month or so ago). Otherwise, the game looks clean, with some highly detailed car models, though the track-side detail is still quite lacking – the trees in the game look like paper cut-outs (outline and all) and the building textures are decidedly low-res. The difference between the quality of the cars themselves and the backgrounds is a little jarring. Does the game look better overall than Namco’s Ridge Racer V? No. How about the Dreamcast’s F355? No. But it still looks pretty good, especially if you keep your eyes on your rivals. Graphics aren’t what’s most important to Gran Turismo fans anyway – what you want is the car selection, the depth of customization options, and the realistic driving. And you’ll get all that in spades, plus a smooth 60fps frame rate and some great looking cars (including some featured nowhere else, like the Chrysler PT Cruiser we saw on a system in demo mode). The game still doesn’t have a firm release date, but the best estimate at the moment is November/December of this year. Originally scheduled to be a launch title, Sony’s Gran Turismo 2000 is now listed with a date “To Be Announced”. What’s not in doubt is that this will be one of the premiere titles for the system once it is released, just as the previous games in the series have been for the original PlayStation. Featuring over ten times the number of polygons per car in GT2, environmental effects such as motion blur and visible heat waves, GT2000 is shaping up to be one of the best looking racers on the PS2. But developer Polyphony is making this more than just a graphical upgrade, focusing on tweaking gameplay elements as well. One notable new addition over its predecessor is the use of weather effects that actually affect gameplay – race in the rain, for example, and your traction will be lessened. One of the criticisms of both GT and GT2 was the AI (or lack thereof) in the computer opponents; Polyphony promises the added power of the PS2 will allow for AI opponents that drive like real humans, changing their driving styles to fit their race positions, and even showing emotion occasionally (can you say “road rage”?). The game will feature all of the courses from the previous game and will add two extras – a Monte Carlo course and a Tokyo course. Of course, you can bet every car present in GT2 will still be there, along with plenty more. The rally racing remains and will be tweaked to better represent the true feel of rally racing suspension, although Polyphony has not yet decided if the drag racing that was axed from GT2 at the last minute will make it into GT2000. Either way, GT2000 will surely be the definitive edition of the Gran Turismo series up to this point, and will more than likely be one of the most popular games on the system (possibly even the oft-mentioned “system-seller”). While a US release date has only been hinted at, the best guess is first quarter of 2001.