Gran Turismo has been one of console gaming's premier driving titles ever since it burst onto the scene on the PS1. Known for highly detailed car models, realistic driving, and polished graphics, the series has however seemingly had one significant weak point even on the game's eighth iteration.

That would be Gran Turismo 7 (since GT Sport wasn't a numbered entry) and its AI. Unfortunately, one of PlayStation's flagship series just hasn't ever had especially good AI. Over the years, fans and reviewers have complained that AI drivers seem like they're on a fixed route and don't seem to take any notice of the player, among other criticisms. The latest complaint showcases the AI's struggles in the rain.

Over on the Gran Turismo subreddit, a user has shared a hilarious replay video of an AI driver having great difficulty in the rain. The AI driver's failure to handle the wet road occurs on the 24 Heures du Mans circuit. Check out the spinny woes in the video linked below and it's clear that this could be Benny Hill rather than Damon Hill:


The video shows the AI driver, in a GR.3 Mazda Atenza, spinning and attempting to right itself for six mintues straight. While drivers can struggle with a wet track and especially if they have the wrong tires, most amateur drivers let alone professional racing drivers would probably die of embarassment to struggle this much.

One user on the thread quipped that Gran Turismo's AI should really stand for "Accredited Idiots". Another even claimed that the AI has got worse since the original games, saying, "every race in GT7 starting you last and having to pass the fixed line dodgems evenly spaced out down the track got beyond tiresome".

While this may be overstating things, as Gran Turismo 7's AI does engage in behaviours that weren't present in earlier iterations, such as being more aggressive and bumping you, it is still the case that Polyphony Digital doesn't appear to pverly focus on the artificial intelligence of its signature game. But it could be a case of being careful of what you wish for.

It's known, for example, that Sony has developed a special racing AI known as Sophy. This AI agent, which has been trained on Gran Turismo, is so good that it can beat even esports Gran Turismo players. This AI could well be implemented in future Gran Turismo games, but it's probable that we won't see it in GT7. So better brush up against the incompetent AI while you still can.

Posted: Feb 17, 2023 9:11 am
Related Forum: PlayStation Forum

Source: https://www.thegamer.com/gran-turismo-7-ai-struggles-in-the-rain/