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Gran Turismo 7 is one of the best racing games of all time, but as good as it is, it's not perfect.

It seems like only yesterday, gamers and gearheads crowded around their PS1s and CRT televisions seeking the fastest lap times with Sony's original Gran Turismo offering. Now, 25 years later, Polyphony digital have upped the ante, big time.

Despite the GT7 title, there have actually been eight games in the popular racing series, 2017s GT Sport the only title not to have a number in its name spawned its own driver academy with real world race contracts for the truly gifted. Gran Turismo 7 then has a big reputation to live up to. The best racing game ever? Very possibly, barely three months after its launch, patches, updates, and downloadable content has improved on Polyphony Digitals masterpiece, and with no end in sight things can only get better from here on in. The prefect racing game? Not quite, GT7 still has a couple of niggles we'd like to see improved upon, but we love it all the same.

Sony's eagerly anticipated PS5 and Gran Turismo launch brought a host of new tech to the world's most accurate racing simulation. Traditionally, to get the ultimate driving experiences, gearheads and serious gamers would need to shell out for an expensive third party steering wheel/pedal combination.

The PS5's much vaunted Dualsense controller provides an alternative, gone are the days of feathering the throttle and brakes via a series of on/off button presses, GT7 makes excellent use of the new controller's adaptive triggers, squeeze gently to apply just the right amount of gas out of Spa-Francorchamps first hairpin for that perfect lap.

What else makes a great racing game than huge amounts of cars to hoon around in? While Gran Turismo 7 launched with 420 cars, gearheads can expect that number to grow over time, Sony, as in previous GT generations, produced seasonal downloadable content to bolster even the most avid gamer's virtual garage. By comparison, GT6 holds the lead currently, boasting 1279 cars.

Entering the game's main dashboard, heading to "Brand Central" where hundreds of carmakers, mainstream and specialized await, neatly divided between America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Great as the choices are, there are a few annoyances Sony has introduced since GT7s initial launch.

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Making a welcome return to GT7, driving licenses, or tests as they are in reality, serve two purposes. In a sneaky roundabout way, stopping casual first time players from jumping in the fastest car (credits permitting) and missing out on much of what the game has to offer. However, they also offer up some driver training.

In all, GT7's licenses consist of five categories, National A+B, International A+B, finished off with a Super License all made of ten challenges apiece. Series gearheads will only be completely happy with gold across the board.

High-performance machinery would be nothing without some stunning, if challenging, circuits to go wheel-to-wheel on. At launch, GT7 boasts 34 circuits, a mix of fictitious and real world, the latter adding even greater realism.

Fancy taking on Laguna Seca's infamous Corkscrew complete with a 59-foot drop? No problem. How about Spa-Franorchamps, an F1 favorite boasting its own microclimate and heavily undulating layout? Thankfully, Sony has seen fit to include some of the best drivers' circuits the world over, digitally recreating every corner down to the last detail.

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Early on in GT7, it quickly becomes apparent to land yourself that dream supercar you need to earn it, making frequent trips to the used car section a necessity in order to boost your chances of earning big bucks and possible a rare ride.

Craving something bigger, better or faster, you're going to need more credits, digital rewards for winning races, in turn fueling the need for used cars. However, just like in real life, grab the bargains while you can, listings are set to update at midnight each day with some cars vanishing.

Crammed full of advanced physics, Gran Turismo since its inception has always erred on the serious side of racing, going fast around predetermined tracks with a minimal fuss. Polyphony Digital combines terabytes of data backed by real world race driver feedback on real cars and tracks, if it sounds a bit too geeky don't worry GT7 has you covered.

Easily our favorite new add on, drifting, where tires take a pounding and engines bounce off their respective rev-limiters. Despite the clouds of smoke, getting the back end out demands more of both man and machine. For wannabe Tokyo Drift drivers, GT7 also has something for you.

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The original Gran Turismo flaunted dozes of Japanese sports cars, Nissan's Skyline one of the dream rides gamers aspired to, uniting gearheads, gamers, and tuners alike thanks to the innovative and detailed inclusion of tuning and modding.

Back with a vengeance for GT7, tuning taking center stage in both online and offline racers, going faster requires gearheads to get their digital hands dirty. It's here that Gran Turismo engages on a higher level, gamers drooling over the fastest lap times can tweak gear ratios LSD settings, tires, and suspension.

Built by Sony exclusively for the PS5, you just know the visuals are going to be stunning, AMDs Radeon RDNA 2 GPU pushing out 10.3 teraflops of ray-traced 4k goodness. A Tera what? Forget the techno jargon, sit back and enjoy the racing game this century, all in ultra-realistic high definition graphics.

We've seen weather effects in previous GT games, but not on the same level as GT7. HDR displays making the most of a fuller color range so that rain, clouds, and sunshine will have gearheads reaching for their umbrellas or shades depending on the game's dynamic weather settings.

Skipping past the slew of new machinery on offer, and under the legendary cars headings you find some stunning past masters, Ferrari's iconic F40 sure to be on every gearheads wish list. A high-profile Sony/Hagerty tie in adds an air of realism to proceedings, and who wouldn't be tempted by a low mileage 1992 F40 packing a 478 hp twin turbo V8? And for just 1.35 million credits.

Hold on to your horses, all video games receive post lunch updates, GT7 is no different, with version 1.15 mandatory for all would-be racers brought an unwelcome tweaking to just how cheap/expensive legendary rides could be had for. Post update, the aforementioned bargain F40 doubled in price, thanks Sony/Hagerty now driving the dream got a lot harder.

Gran Turismo's long used Real Driving Simulator tagline takes on a new meaning with GT7, rare machinery pricing forcing gamers into long grinding sessions trundling around in everyday cars where a clean race would maybe land you 50,000 credits versus the 18.5 million needed for McLaren's f1 GTR BMW legend.

The bane of every gamer, more so for those without the free time to endlessly grind, Sony offers the chance to shortcut the path to glory in the form of microtransactions. However, before reaching for your credit card, stop and think how much you need to splash out to grab your dream ride. The F1 GTR costing 18.5 million will set you back $199, ouch.

Raised in a car-obsessed environment from an early age ensured a keen interest in anything car-related. first and foremost an F1 fan, but also an avid follower of other motorsports. Professional background working closely with a well established UK based Supercar manufacturer in recent years.