Sport Mode is spread across a trio of rotating daily races – it’s generally one every 20 minutes, rotating hourly – as well as scheduled championships (though those are yet to begin, with the first one scheduled for November 3). The good news is that it has indeed created a sturdy online racing venue. That PvP online environment, or Sport Mode as its dubbed, is where developer Polyphony Digital has gambled all its chips. In fact, besides the well-honed online environment I don’t think there’s anything in GT Sport that has seen a more drastic improvement than the sound. It’s such a step-up for the series, which has always lagged behind in the audio department. It’s not class-leading (that title is probably shared by Project CARS 2 and RaceRoom Racing Experience) but it’s so much more nuanced, with exhaust crackle layered over drivetrain whine and various transmission noises. The cars sound vastly better than previous GT games, too. The T-GT, which was developed in conjunction with GT Sport itself, is capable of some pretty amazing feedback witchcraft (delivering a wide spread of faint feedback cues simultaneously) but it does cost a kidney and change. On wheels I’m also happy the force feedback is perhaps slightly heavy by default on both our G29 and the new Thrustmaster T-GT, but knocked down a notch or two I quite like the feel (it’s just a little more sedate than last month’s Project CARS 2). Smooth, flowing directional changes are possible so, with a little finesse, you shouldn’t find yourself jerking around the track and causing bedlam online. I haven’t found myself at a disadvantage using a controller to chase the gold time limits on some of the trickier tests. Pad setup offers several straightforward options regarding your steering, throttle, and braking inputs, and GT Sport feels quite at home with a controller. Things aren’t perfect when you break traction as the grip still kind of drops off a cliff. Race cars permit more aggression, being much stiffer and capable of hugging the track surface more tenaciously, but only up to the limit of grip. Weight transfer is especially pronounced in road cars where gentle steering input and measured braking is rewarded. You can’t really hustle and wrestle the cars through corners quite like you can in Project CARS 2 and Assetto Corsa, but it’s certainly a shade more severe than Forza. ![]() The eclectic nature of Campaign Mode quickly educated me in the nuances of GT Sport’s handling model, and overall it’s good stuff. To be fair, in a year where racing gamers are more spoiled for choice than ever, different isn’t really a dirty word. However, it is very different to what everyone else is doing right now. “Is it a replacement for a championship-based, single-player racing career mode, à la Project CARS 2? No, and nor does it fill the void left by the absence of the usual full-fat GT Mode.
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