Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec is a 2001 sim racing video game created by Polyphony Digital and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It is the third game in the Gran Turismo series. Before its release, the game was called Gran Turismo 2000 during its presentations at E3 2000 and E3 2001.
Earlier games in the series were made for the original PlayStation. Gran Turismo 3 was the first game in the series to be developed for the sixth generation of video game consoles. The game was originally planned to be released in 2000 as a launch title for the PlayStation 2. Its development focused on using the console’s new hardware to improve the game’s quality. Although the number of vehicles included in the game was reduced to 180 (compared to 650 in Gran Turismo 2), the game made major improvements in graphics, physics, sound design, car models, opponent AI, environments, and performance.
Like its earlier versions, the game received high praise from critics and was a commercial success. It became the best-selling game in the series, the most successful PlayStation 2 exclusive game, and the second best-selling PlayStation 2 game (after Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas). It sold more than 14.8 million copies worldwide. The game is often called one of the greatest video games ever made. It marked an important change for the series and the sim racing genre. Gran Turismo 4, the next game in the series, was released in December 2004.
Gameplay
The goal of the game is to complete all races, championships, license tests, and achieve 100% game completion. Every time the player finishes 25% of the game, they receive a special car as a reward. In GT3, the Gran Turismo Mode (called Simulation Mode in the North American version) has a new layout with a more organized and step-by-step arrangement of races and challenges. Races range from short beginner events to long races lasting many hours and rally events against opponents. In addition, car shops are now sorted by country and then by manufacturer.
The Arcade Mode is divided into "stages." Each stage includes 5 or 6 tracks chosen from all the tracks in the game, including both road and rally races. To advance to the next stage, all tracks in the current stage must be completed on the Easy difficulty or higher. If a player completes a stage on Normal or Difficult difficulty, they also unlock additional cars that can be used in any Arcade Mode (including two-player battle and time trial).
GT3 includes 19 race tracks, with 14 of them having reverse versions and 4 being dirt tracks. Most of these tracks are set in fictional locations, but two real-world tracks are included: California's Laguna Seca Raceway and Côte d’Azur, which is based on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit.
Other changes include the removal of the ability to "race modify" or add downforce to production cars, the elimination of suspension damage, and the absence of torque limits for races. Race modifications were reintroduced in 2010's Gran Turismo 5 for PlayStation 3 but were not included in the next game.
GT3 introduced unlicensed versions of six real Formula One cars, labeled as F686/M, F687/S, F688/S, F090/S, F094/H, and F094/S in the Japanese and American versions. Players could win these cars through endurance races. In these versions, the car names include details like the number of engine cylinders, the year the chassis was used, and the driver. For example, F094/S refers to a 10-cylinder car from 1994 driven by Ayrton Senna, while F686/M represents a 6-cylinder car from 1986 driven by Nigel Mansell. In the PAL version, only two F1 cars were included, labeled as Polyphony 001 and 002, and they were not based on real Formula One cars.
GT3 also includes informal appearances of automakers Lamborghini and Porsche. A racing JGTC Lamborghini Diablo was included in the NTSC-J version and in the NTSC-U version's game code (but only accessible with a cheat device). A Porsche 911 GT3 was also in the game code, but it could not be obtained normally in any version and required a cheat device. These cars, along with two hidden Lancia Stratos models (road and rally versions), are not present in the PAL version. Lamborghini first officially appeared in 2009's Gran Turismo for PlayStation Portable, and Porsche first officially appeared in Gran Turismo Sport for PlayStation 4.
Development and release
The game was created by Kazunori Yamauchi, who had previously made the first two games in the series. Yamauchi worked with Logitech, a company that makes computer and game accessories, to develop the GT Force steering wheel for the game. The wheel includes force feedback technology and was made specifically for use with GT3.
A demo version of the game, which had the working title Gran Turismo 2000, was released at the PlayStation Festival 2000. Players could test drive a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V on the Seattle Circuit for 120 seconds. This demo was essentially an early version of GT3, which was later renamed GT3 A-Spec because the game took longer to complete than expected.
Compared to Gran Turismo 2, the graphics in this game improved greatly due to the PlayStation 2's hardware. However, the number of cars in the game dropped significantly because the developers focused on improving graphics, car details, and statistics. This version includes about 180 cars, compared to 650 in Gran Turismo 2.
At the game's release, a giveaway offered prizes in North America, such as a day at the Skip Barber Racing School, car payments for one month, and Gran Turismo-themed clothing like shirts and hats.
Because the game received high praise from critics, a shorter version called Gran Turismo Concept was released in Japan and other regions outside North America between 2001 and 2002. This version included new car models introduced at major Asian and European motor shows. After completing Gran Turismo Concept, players received a save file with all licenses completed and 10,000,000 credits for Gran Turismo 3.
Reception
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec received "universal acclaim" from reviewers, just like its earlier versions, according to Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews. Reviewers praised the game's graphics, realism, soundtrack, sound design, and controls. Frank O'Connor of NextGen called it "The best, most complete, and most impressive driving game so far, lapping its predecessors handily – and the first must-have for PlayStation 2." In Japan, Famitsu gave it a near-perfect score of 39 out of 40.
In Japan, the game sold 1 million units in its first three days of release. In North America, it sold 1 million units on its first day, making it the fastest-selling software launch in the region. By July 2006, it had sold 3.8 million units in the U.S. alone, earning $120,000,000 (equivalent to $218,000,000 in 2025). NextGen ranked it as the third highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country. In the United Kingdom, the game received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 600,000 units in the UK. In Europe, the game earned €64 million ($57 million) in 2001. By 2006, it had earned at least $177,000,000 in the U.S. and $57 million in Europe.
The game sold over 8 million units worldwide by March 2002 and over 11 million by March 2003. As of April 30, 2008, the game had sold 1.89 million units in Japan, 7.14 million in North America, 5.85 million in Europe, and 10,000 in Southeast Asia, for a total of 14.89 million copies. It is the highest-selling game in the Gran Turismo franchise. It is part of the PlayStation 2's Greatest Hits collection. It ranked fifteenth in the list of best-selling unbundled console games of all time, just below Wii Fit Plus.
GameSpot named it the fifth-best console game of 2001 and gave it a "Best Driving Game" award among console games. It was a runner-up in the "Best PlayStation 2 Game," "Best Sound," and "Best Graphics, Technical" categories. During the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences honored Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec with the "Console Racing" award. It was also nominated for "Console Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering," which were both given to Halo: Combat Evolved.
The game has appeared on some "Top 100 Games" lists, such as the one by IGN in 2003. In 2004, readers of Retro Gamer voted Gran Turismo 3 as the 97th best retro game, with the staff noting that "the mix of realistic handling and superb graphics, not to mention the fact that it features hundreds of licensed vehicles, has won it the admiration of car lovers everywhere. The gameplay may be a little too deep and difficult for many, but for its core followers, Gran Turismo is the be all and end all of digital racing, and GT3 has been voted as the best of the bunch."