Gaming

Gran Turismo 7: For car enthusiasts

Car simulator extraordinaire

Published

March 2, 2022

Gran Turismo is considered the de facto racing game for the PlayStation console. I know I’ve played my fair share of the franchise on the original PlayStation. As a dumb child-person-thing at the time, I only saw it as nothing more than a racing game. It wasn’t super appealing to me as I preferred the more bombastic, anime-inspired Bakusou Kyoudai Let’s & Go!! Eternal Wings. But times have changed, and so the Gran Turismo franchise and I grew up as well.

For its 25th anniversary, the franchise is making a grand comeback with Gran Turismo 7. It’s the first main line game since 2013’s Gran Turismo 6. There was a Gran Turismo Sport for the PlayStation 4 in 2017, but it didn’t offer the full experience expected of a GT game.

GT7 is a triumphant return, offering top-notch racing and driving mechanics, while offering an expanded experience. An experience that I think car enthusiasts or even just car curious people will enjoy.

Racing and driving still at its core

There are no ifs and buts about it. The racing and driving experience is still the main draw of Gran Turismo 7. The sound of the engine, the way each car handles, and the diversity of the terrain. Polyphony Digital, the game’s developer, took its sweet time making this and it shows.

The game is friendly whether you’re a beginner who’s not used to racing or driving games or you’re a seasoned pro. There are plenty of controller options and settings that you can tweak to your liking to really make the game work for you.

When getting started, I picked the beginner mode on normal difficulty. Beginner mode turns on driver-assist settings that I wish were present in today’s smart vehicles. It’s especially helpful for someone like myself who has road trauma. Not only are there braking assists, this mode also turns on road indicators warning you of turns, where to brake, and where to position your vehicle.

I got smug after a handful of wins on the racetrack and decided to turn-off driver-assist. The controls are easy to pick up. You hold down R2 to accelerate, L2 to brake, and the left stick to steer. You press the cross button (X) to go up a gear, and press square to go down a gear. If you’re not at all used to driving, mastering this while knowing exactly when to change gears or hit the breaks is a nice challenge to overcome.

Ultimately, I went back to beginner mode because I’m a noob and I suck. But I’m not putting this game down until I get good at driving, so long as my work schedule allows.

A guided campaign

There’s a lot of handholding in the beginning of the game. Gran Turismo 7 takes great care in making sure no player is overwhelmed from the get go. What initially feels like a lengthy tutorial slowly turns into some kind of an educational tour of what the game has to offer.

You begin by buying a used car. You then make a go round at the Café where you’ll get most of your campaign objectives. These are called menus and they’re tightly organized. Each menu introduces you to a different mode of the game as well as teach you about the cars available in the game.

The game slowly opens up until you learn what each mode has to offer. From there, you can slowly climb up the ranks, upgrade your licenses, modify your cars, and the really fun part – build your car collection.

Car Collection

I imagine this will be the most rewarding experience for anyone who picks up Gran Turismo 7. Nearly every facet of the game is geared towards the player building and completing the Car Collection.

There are a multitude of brands and cars here including those from top brands we know and love. You have Ferrari, Audi, Totoya, Ford, Lexus, and many, many more. The Car Collection can be sorted by country, manufacturer, and more.

When you go into the collection, you can click on each car to learn more about it. This whole learning about cars is actually integrated into the campaign through the menus. You’re given objectives to complete and a lot of times it involves races to win cars. These cars are grouped together in a common theme and you learn about them after you complete objectives.

Naturally, you can acquire cars in different ways. There’s the used cars store mentioned earlier, and then there’s Brand Central where you can buy them shiny and new. If you don’t have funds yet, you can always add certain cars to your wishlist.

An audio and visual treat

Part of the allure of the game are the many locations in which the races take place. While this isn’t Forza Horizon levels of visual prowess, there’s more than enough here to make you feel that you’re actually playing a next-gen game.

You can choose Performance or Ray Tracing Mode but the game takes it upon itself to choose which one suits certain modes best. During my playthrough, I found Performance mode to be most ideal while shifting to Ray Tracing every so often to take in the view.

The photo mode is rather unique. Instead of pausing during your gameplay, it offers the option to take your cars to a selection of scenic locations. From there you can customize the look and feel of the photo like you would in other games. Photo mode fans might feel limited by this, but the breathtaking locations are truly eye candy.

The music of Gran Turismo 7 is chef’s kiss. Every track fits every game mode, location, and situation. During races, you’ll be treated to alternative pop rock tunes to get you pumped. There are even tracks that are reminiscent of background music in sports animé where the protagonist is about to bounce back. It truly gets you in the right mood, especially when you’re trying to overtake to win the race.

This kind of consistency remains throughout. Museums in Brand Central offer regal and majestic music. Meanwhile, the café will treat you to some jazzy tunes to get your mind at ease.

Is this your GameMatch?

There’s a lot to love about Gran Turismo 7 even if you’re not super into cars. The game draws you in slowly and teaches you everything, every step of the way. Before you know it, you’re looking up more information online about the cars that really caught your eye.

Performance-wise, it’s a truly next-gen game in presentation and experience. I already gushed about the visuals and music, but the controls and DualSense utilization are all on point.

Gran Turismo 7 is an easy game to get into. It’s a game you’re going to want to keep installed as sort of an in-between game when you’re taking a break from story driven titles.

Related Topics:Gran Turismo 7 PlayStation 5 PS5

Gaming

Dune: Awakening is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

The spice flows to consoles

Published

June 6, 2026

GadgetMatch

The spice must flow, and this September, it flows into consoles for the very first time. Fresh off its standout feature during PlayStation’s State of Play, the highly anticipated open-world survival epic Dune: Awakening is officially launching on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on September 22.

Funcom also premiered the first PlayStation 5 gameplay footage at Sony’s event, giving players a first look at the console experience ahead of its late-third-quarter launch.

Brought to the region in collaboration with Level Infinite, this major console release promises to deliver an unforgiving, cinematic sci-fi experience directly to your living room.

A full single-player adventure

While Dune: Awakening is set in a massive shared world, solo players won’t be left out in the heat. Players can experience the entire game flawlessly as a deep, single-player journey.

You can choose to survive the brutal desert, build your legacy, and experience the dramatic grand finale of Book One entirely on your own terms.

Step into the cinematic universe

Created in close collaboration with Legendary Entertainment, the game is directly inspired by Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster films.

Players can expect movie tie-in content right out of the gate, seamlessly blending the film’s distinct aesthetic and massive scale with deep survival gameplay.

The journey continues on the Polar Cap

The journey doesn’t end when the credits roll at launch. Funcom has already promised ongoing massive updates to keep the experience fresh.

A brand-new survival region called The Polar Cap will arrive later this year as a completely free content update, bringing a shifting, icy pole full of hidden secrets to Arrakis.

Additions, improvements

New players on both PC and console will also get to enjoy a refined experience with a massive wave of additions and improvements.

Funcom has fundamentally shifted how the game plays based on community feedback, starting with the introduction of optional PvP.

In multiplayer, the entire game can now be played in full PvE, which extends even to the vast, open Deep Desert and participation in faction-versus-faction conflicts.

The endgame has also received a massive overhaul. The late-game loop has been rebuilt from the ground up to provide a much more balanced, immersive, and content-rich experience.

Moreover, players no longer have to worry about losing their hard work during extended breaks. Thanks to the newly implemented vehicle backup tool and base reconstruction tool, your progress remains safe.

Lastly, rounding out the updates are self-hosted servers for PC players. These allow anyone to host and fully customize their own server without rental fees.

Countless quality-of-life improvements have also been integrated, including character re-customization and the total removal of in-game taxes, making life on Arrakis just a little more manageable.

Gaming

Final Fantasy VII Revelation arrives in Spring 2027

The journey ends

Published

June 6, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Square Enix has officially unveiled Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the third and final entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. The game launches in Spring 2027 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox PC.

Revealed at Summer Game Fest Live

The announcement debuted during Summer Game Fest Live. Director Naoki Hamaguchi and Vincent Valentine voice actor Matt Mercer also showcased the game’s first trailer and an extended gameplay presentation.

Revelation picks up as Cloud Strife and his allies race to stop Meteor and prevent the destruction of the planet. Sephiroth stands closer than ever to godhood, while the party takes flight aboard the iconic Highwind airship for the trilogy’s final adventure.

For the first time in the Remake series, players can freely explore the entire world using the Highwind. They can parachute into locations, tackle objectives in different orders, and make decisions that affect parts of their companions’ stories. The hybrid combat system also returns with new playable characters and expanded abilities.

Major locations revealed

The gameplay showcase revealed several major locations, including Wutai, Mideel, and the Northern Continent. Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind will also join the playable roster. A new FITS system lets players equip outfits that unlock different abilities inspired by classic Final Fantasy jobs such as Black Mage and Warrior.

Producer Yoshinori Kitase described Revelation as the culmination of 30 years of Final Fantasy VII storytelling. Director Naoki Hamaguchi added that the game’s central theme is “resolve” as Cloud and his companions move toward the battle that will decide the planet’s fate.

Remake and Rebirth available in multiple platforms

Players can prepare for the finale by playing Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, both of which are already available across current platforms. Save data from those games will also unlock bonus summon materia in Final Fantasy VII Revelation.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation launches in Spring 2027.

Watch the trailer:

Gaming

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH physical Switch 2 edition out now

REBIRTH expands its reach

Published

June 4, 2026

GadgetMatch

The FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH physical edition for Nintendo Switch 2 is now available in Southeast Asia.

As previously announced, the award-winning, critically acclaimed RPG made its way to the Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox on PC (complete with Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming support).

The new physical release brings the massive adventure to retail shelves across the region.

And with FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE already available on the platform, the physical and digital arrival of REBIRTH means the first two entries in the remake trilogy are now available across all modern platforms.

No matter where they play, fans can catch up and prepare for the third installment — which is currently in production.

To make diving into the massive sequel easier, Square Enix has highlighted the optional “Streamlined Progression” feature. Originally introduced in REMAKE INTERGRADE, this option allows players to focus entirely on the narrative without worrying about the grind.

When toggled, it grants players unlimited HP (hit points), MP (magic points), limit breaks, and a constantly maxed-out ATB gauge during combat.

It also boosts attack power to a flat 9,999 damage and simplifies weapon ability acquisition. For those who want a smoother ride, the feature is also available on the PlayStation 5 and Steam versions via a free update.

Free demo

For players still on the fence, a free playable demo is available on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox. This demo covers Chapters 1 and 2 of the main game.

Players can control a younger Cloud Strife alongside the legendary war hero Sephiroth during the infamous Nibelheim incident in Chapter 1.

Afterwards, Chapter 2 opens up into the expansive Grasslands region, offering several hours of open-world exploration, hidden treasures, side quests, and early matches of the popular Queen’s Blood card mini-game.

Best of all, all progress made in the demo seamlessly carries over to the full game.