Wednesday Surprise!

(LiteOn IHAS524 Optical Drive, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang

Today is an awesome day. My girlfriend surprised me with a present! Okay, it wasn't actually a surprise since I knew about it, because I was with her when she bought it. :P But I'm still surprised and very happy! Now that's one more item off of my PC Rig checklist! Thanks babe for my new Optical Drive and for always being so supportive! I love you! :]


And thank you DynaQuest PC (Eton Cyberpod) for my LiteOn IHAS524 Optical Drive and the hassle free transaction!

My First Overclock Attempt: AMD Duron 850MHz Spitfire

Overclocking. If this term sounds alien, allow me to share my knowledge about it. This is based on research, gathered knowledge and personal interpretation. So here it goes:


Overclocking, what is it? Overclocking is the process of getting your hardware to run faster than what was specified and tested by the manufacturer. The simplest way to describe it is pushing your hardware to it most stable limits. Overclocking is not limited to the CPU but also extends to your GPU, your RAM as well your Motherboard Chipsets (Northbridge Chipset and Southbridge Chipset, I'm not too familiar with this yet, but I do know it's possible.) But for this article, I only attempted to Overclock the CPU because my current test system has no GPU and pitiful RAM.


Now I hear the "purists" screaming "Why!? Why would you do that!?". Well, to put it simply, overclocking is done to get the most out of your current hardware (while maintaining stability of course.) with little to no cost, the little cost would probably come in the form of cooling hardware since heat will play a factor in your overclocking, more on this later on.


At this moment, I assume I'll be hearing something like "Okay, great. That's all good stuff. But what's the catch?" Well, as with anything in life, there is always some degree of risk involved. I'll list down some of the most common risks (as well as possible solutions to mitigate some of the risks) involved when one decides to overclock:

1. Overheating. When you are overclocking, temperature will always be a factor. Increased speed = increased temperature of hardware being overclocked. This can be decreased by installation of a proper system cooling.
2. Increased probability of system crashes and failures. Take note, I said probability, not certainty. This probability can be decreased (if not removed) by proper benchmarking and testing to get the most stable overclock possible.
3. Voiding your warranty. Unless it's stipulated in your warranty or specified by the manufacturer, damage caused by overclocking is generally not covered by warranty.
4. Decreased Hardware lifespan. Doubling the usual wear and tear will double the speed of deterioration (the same with most objects used in life).

These are the top risks in my opinion.

Now, with the presence of risks, there is also the presence of benefits which I will list below:

1. Increase in system performance.
2. Money saved from buying higher performance hardware.
3. Increased understanding and appreciation for your system, hardware, generally increased knowledge. (This is priceless in my opinion.)
4. Bragging rights. :] (if successful of course!)

These are the top benefits in my opinion.

Now let's get into the meat of this article. The actual overclock, as mentioned above, was only done directly to affect the CPU.

Here is a short overview of the system I tested this on:

(The Spitfire Test System, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

PC Age (approximately 10 years old, hasn't been used in 5 years)

CPU: AMD Duron 850MHz (Codename: Spitfire)

Motherboard: Biostar M7VKG

RAM: 128MB PC-133 MS3828UPP SDRAM 100MHz

Graphics: Onboard (Microsoft S3 Graphics ProSavage 8A26)

PSU: Frontier 235w

Cooling System: No case fans,1 PSU exhaust fan

Case: Closed case with very minimal airflow vents

OS: Windows XP

(No overclock statistics, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

Now that you know what I'm working with, here is the initial no overclock statistics of what my CPU is currently running at (see image, my apologies for the quality, there was interference with my iPhone's camera and the monitor). I was able to check these statistics using the freeware called CPUID CPU-Z. It's commonly used for viewing the current hardware statistics of your machine. As you can see, the core speed is steady at 850MHz. You only need to focus on the lower left section labeled "Clocks (Core #0)

Now upon restarting, I entered the BIOS menu by hitting the Delete button, I looked around to see what I could tinker with and found that this Motherboard is not too Overclocker friendly, I only found 2 customizable areas (the other one will be mentioned near the end of this article), the first one I found was under this sequence: Frequency/Voltage Control -> Linear CPU Clock Function (the default value is Disabled) -> Enabled function. Enabling this function now allows you to make modifications to the CPU Clock which has a range from 100MHz-132MHz. I've decided to try my adjustments in increments of 5MHz as it is recommended to gradually test. The CPU Multiplier is locked at 8.5 (This is a CPU limitation as well as a Motherboard limitation in this case) however I did a little research (see reference below) and I read that the CPU can be unlocked by making a physical adjustment to the L1 Golden Bridges on the surface of CPU itself which would unlock the CPU Multiplier allowing you to make adjustments here as well (I'm not comfortable enough to try this one out yet, but when I decide to do so, I will write about it, don't worry.). Another side note, apparently, adjusting the CPU Clock function directly increases the Front Side Bus (FSB) speed. The value that you set under the CPU Clock Function is the same as the value for the FSB speed, this will give you an increase in your overall Core Speed. (example: Setting the CPU Clock function value to 105MHz = 105MHz FSB Speed). Getting your Core Speed using this method is done through this simple formula (FSB x CPU Multiplier = CPU Speed/Core Speed, the example for my stock CPU: 100 x 8.5 = 850MHz)

The setting of this value apparently affects the DRAM Timing of your RAM as well, it also takes the same value set for your CPU Clock function.

For the benefit of transferring knowledge:

"Front Side Bus (FSB) - The Front Side Bus is the most important bus to consider when you are talking about the performance of a computer. The FSB connects the processor (CPU) in your computer to the system memory. The faster the FSB is, the faster you can get data to your processor. The faster you get data to the processor, the faster your processor can do work on it. The speed of the front side bus depends on the processor and motherboard chipset you are using as well as the system clock." (Source Website: http://www.directron.com/fsbguide.html)

Reference for Duron CPU Multiplier Unlocking: (http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/duron-600.html)

For the purpose of this article when I say I adjust the FSB, I am referring to the CPU Clock Function in the BIOS that has a directly proportionate change to the FSB.

(Test 1 @ 105MHz FSB, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

For my first overclocking run, I set the FSB to 105MHz and this resulted in a Core Speed of 892.7MHz, the system successfully booted to Windows. I performed simple benchmarking (opened multiple programs simultaneously, left running for 15 minutes, it's a short time, I know.) The CPU Temperature went up to 48 degrees Celsius from it's original 47 degrees Celsius. (See Test 1 image)

(Test 2 @110MHz FSB, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

Now for the second run, I set the FSB to 110MHz and this resulted in a Core Speed of 935.5MHz, the system also successfully booted to Windows. I performed the same simple benchmarking as the previous test. Upon checking, the CPU Temperature went up to 50 degrees Celsius. (See Test 2 image)

(Test 3, Threshold Reached, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

And for the next run, I set the FSB to 115MHz and this resulted in the computer freezing at the initial boot screen after the settings in the BIOS were saved. But based on the initial screen, the potential Core Speed would have been 978MHz. Upon resetting the machine, this resulted in a BSOD forcing me to pull the plug in order to reset the BIOS back to normal. This is the current threshold of my PC. (See Test 3 image)

And this is where my attempt has temporarily ended. However, I do not consider Tests 1 and 2 successful Overclocks because I need to run a complete benchmark and stress test on this to make sure that the system runs and stays stable. After that is when I can determine the success of my Overclock. I suppose you could call them partially successful Overclocks.


Just an additional side note, I also found that you can also adjust your DRAM frequency using these steps in the BIOS for this Motherboard: Advanced Chipset Features -> DRAM CLK, here you have 2 options: Host CLK and HCLK+33m, the second option means your Host Clock plus 33MHz, in this case the Host CLK is at 100MHz which means there can be an additional 33MHz boost for your RAM. 

This attempt experience was a good learning opportunity for me to get know the inner workings of a PC as well as tinker with technology which is something that I enjoy. I now have a side project apart from building my rig: overhauling this system and rebuilding it into something  and pushing its limits again. >:)


*apologies for the photo quality, there was some interference between the monitor and my iPhone camera.

I will gather some benchmarking tools and run more tests on the current system, stay tuned for that article!

Getting My Nerd On (Part 2)

Now this is where the fun begins. Step 2. Hardware shopping.

(Gilmore IT Center, Photo courtesy of Janine Lyn David)

For my first shopping trip, I invited two of my friends (Martin and Fred) to come join me in my quest. We met at my apartment for some strategic planning and final blueprinting as well as going over a checklist I had put together. After some tweaking and fine tuning, we decided to pay a visit to a known computer parts zone near in a city about 30 minutes from where I live. This place is called Gilmore IT Center, they have a multitude of shops located in the area, it's basically like a shopping mall for anything related to computers.


We stormed the place, checklist in hand, cash in my pocket.


Like I mentioned in Part 1, I went in search of what I consider the main organs of the rig first. My initial checklist for these two pieces of hardware were as follows: an AMD Phenom II X4 960T Black Edition for the CPU.


This actually changed as we scoped out all the shops in the zone. The processor I was initially looking for was no longer available, apparently, these processors are already being phased out to make room for the newer FX series aka "Bulldozer" processors of AMD. This was something I initially missed out during the intelligence gathering phase which caused me to make adjustments on the spot. But I suppose this was bittersweet, after asking all the stores, apparently the Phenom II X4 960T Black Edition was no longer available on the market. All hope seemed lost but I went back to 1 store that had very knoweldgeable salespersons and they said they had 1 piece remaining for an AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition. I said I would come back after doing a quick check of it's specifications and canvassing around in other shops (one shop actually used the same item from store I previously went to and tried to raise the price on me!), I finally decided to go back and take the last piece from the very first store I had checked.


The processor I have selected is the AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition, it is a 3.3GHz Hexa Core CPU, I won't go into deep detail since everyone reading this probably has access to the AMD website anyway. :] Unfortunately though, I went over budget for this one because I had to shell out a little more cash for the processor I chose since the original one was no longer available. I had to sacrifice purchasing my Motherboard on that same trip which was the original plan because I went over budget, but for a well worth it purchase I think. 

Eton Cyberpod Corinthian (Photo courtesy of Janine Lyn David)

Now for the Motherboard, I had originally chosen the ASRock 970 Extreme 4, and to avoid the "on the spot" adjustment, I decided to give the target shops a call to check on the availability of the Motherboard, and it's a good thing I did the day before because upon asking about the availability of this item, I have been informed that shipping is apparently on hold for this item with uncertainty of when it will be available. (I think it's just bad luck for me!) So I had to adjust again (at least I had a 1 day buffer to really think and do ample research on the adjustment I'm going to make) and I ended up choosing the ASRock 990FX Extreme3, it's about 900 bucks (Philippine Pesos) more than the original board of my choice which isn't so bad. Again I won't go into deep detail for this, just a side note, it's an ATX form factor board (I mentioned this here because this will come into play when choosing a Casing/Chassis, another tip I learned just recently). This is my second round buying parts, I brought my girlfriend with me for this trip (yes, she is that supportive. :D) this time, we head to another location known for composed of stores that sell PC Hardware which is called Eton Cyberpod. This location is nearer than the first place I went to, it's about 10 minutes from where I live and I made sure to reserve the item beforehand to ensure item availability, it took me just 10 worry-free and hassle-free minutes to make the purchase.


As of this moment, I have completed what I consider the main parts of my rig. Now it's on to Phase 2. To be honest, I'm not too sure what Phase 2 would consist of, but rest assured my mental gears are turning to identify these. My rig build checklist is pretty much set but of course, I have left room for variables such as part unavailability (this seems to be quite common.) and price hikes/drops.

ASRock 990 FX Extreme3 (Photo courtesy of Janine Lyn David)

Thank you to PCNetmiles (Eton Cyberpod Corinthian) for my Motherboard and CKY Planet PC (GIlmore IT Center) for my Processor!

AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition (Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

Stay tuned for the next part of my series which is Phase 2 of the Hardware shopping step (Step 2).


For Part 1: Check it here: http://tomhuang03.blogspot.com/2012/06/getting-my-nerd-on-part-1.html

Getting My Nerd On (Part 1)

A few weeks ago, my trusty MSI EX 460 laptop was called into Silicon Valley Heaven. It was a sad day. From getting me through some school work, to passing the time, to daily activities, to a 24 hour LAN party with friends, this laptop has been through a lot with me. I suppose you could say it served it's purpose quite well. What added to the sadness is that I now have to resort to using my iPhone 4S (which isn't a bad thing, except for the small screen size) as well the office laptop (an old Dell Latitude D630) at home for my daily activities. This sparked a thought, "Why not go back to the Grade School and High School days? Why not build my own PC rig?" and this led to me "Getting My Nerd On".


Ever since I was about 14 years old, I've always had a fascination with technology, tinkering with it, taking it apart and putting it back or simply taking it apart and appreciating all the details (also because there were times when I couldn't put it back together. -_-).  With that being said, I guess it was only a matter of time before I got back into it. And since I have decided to build my rig from scratch, that childlike excitement got renewed in me. 


And this is where my quest begins.


Step zero. Goal setting. Begin with the end in mind. My goal is to build a mid-performance, mid-budget rig. This may be a subjective category though.


Step one. Due diligence. Researching like a beast. Reading specifications. Reading reviews. Watching reviews. Comparing reviews. Comparing parts. Window shopping. It's a very tedious process, but it is a necessary evil. It could also save you a bunch of money if you look well enough. Because in the technological world, things aren't always what they seem, faster is not always better, more expensive is not always the best. This was the simple advice from Martin, a very good friend of mine who has ample experience in rig building.


The first thing I gathered intelligence for was to find the main organs of the rig. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) and the Motherboard. Finding these is like preparing for marriage, the two need to be compatible or else there will be problems. The first piece I looked for was the CPU and the motherboard. Something I learned recently (courtesy of Martin) was the wattage capacity of the Motherboard (e.g. Processor Thermal Design Power (TDP) is 125w, Motherboard only supports 95w). I had no idea about this and it would have become an issue if I hadn't gotten this tip. This certainly helped me narrow my searches for parts.


This will serve as the first part of the series I will be putting together as I progress through my build.


Stay tuned for the next part when I begin purchasing the hardware!

Battlefield 3 Video Game Review (PS3)

Battlefield 3

                Once again, my awesome girlfriend has showered me with her love by pre-ordering me the limited edition Battlefield 3 a couple of months back, today was claim day and I finally got my hands on this much awaited game! Along with the Limited edition in game freebies, I got a pretty cool free shirt too as a part of the package, too bad they only had medium, it's a bit too big but what the heck.

                Let's get to it! To anyone who has played games from the Battlefield franchise, you know that when comes to making awesome virtual warzones, Battlefield makes it to the top of the list, well, my list at least, but I’m sure many would agree. When I purchase a game, I consider 3 things, the campaign aspect, the multiplayer aspect and the replayability of the game.

                First off, let’s tackle the campaign aspect of the game, the story revolves around a conflict between the Middle-East, some Russians and the United States. Since I hate spoilers, I won’t discuss this one too much. It’s a short campaign where you are put into various scenarios with some dramatic events and effects which adds more flair to the well structured storyline, the scenes are acted out well too adding more life to the story. Although the main scenes are quite one dimensional, which kind of show similarities to Call Of Duty Black Ops (I won’t go into any more detail, buy the game and play it to see what I mean). I was a bit disappointed though because the wit and personality of the previous games in the series such as Bad Company and Bad Company 2 weren’t integrated, I think that these aspects would have given the campaign more strength.

                On to the multiplayer aspect, this is where the magic happens so to speak. There are two parts here, the Co-Op multiplayer and the real deal 12 vs 12 multiplayer. The Co-Op multiplayer is technically a two player online mission based experience, meaning you’re up against AI, yes, sadly it can only be played online and only 2 players can be utilized, and there are only 6 missions to play and replay, which are somewhat related to the campaign. To be honest, these missions are more challenging than some of the campaign missions, too bad there are only 6 to choose from. They also added a nice touch to it though, you can unlock weapons by earning points from the missions and the weapons you unlock can be used in Multiplayer. To unlock all weapons, would require multiple repeat playthroughs of the missions here. Now on to the icing on the cake, the real multiplayer, which I believe is the heart of this game. There are about 9 maps where the 24 player action can take place, each one varies in size and scenery as well, ranging from urban, industrial, military and more “nature oriented” locations. And one of my favorite parts of this game is the concept of destruction, which I first got introduced to in the Bad Company series. But in this game, it seems to have been enhanced and which makes it more awesome. Most of the structures can be damaged and destroyed using the various tools for destruction at a players disposal, this adds more dimension to a game because this can create new paths as well as remove locations to hide behind. This environmental manipulation is key in creating more strategic opportunities for you and your team and as we all know, it’s always good fun to just blow stuff up.

                Of course, one can’t forget the vehicular aspect of the game, this time around, there is more variety added and each map, may or may not have vehicles in them, each map will also have a different set of vehicles available for use. From Humvees to Buggies to Transport Vehicles to Tanks to Rafts to Helicopters and to the latest addition, Jets. Each vehicle provides a tactical advantage, if used properly and effectively, these can turn the tide of a battle in an instant. Sadly though, there is no way to practice Jet flight and Helicopter flight offline which is needed because these vehicles are one of the most complex ones in the game but once mastered, they prove very effective and useful but to the inexperienced (myself included) they prove frustrating and annoying or entertaining to the rest of the players when witnessing an out of control jet or helicopter plummeting to the earth or heading straight into a mountain or building.

                But I believe the most important aspect of the game is the one closer to the player, which is the class and loadout selection. It’s pretty much the same as Battlefield Bad Company 2 which is composed of Assault, Support, Engineer and Recon classes each having class specific loadouts. There are new items that have been added though such as the EOD Robot for the engineer which can arm charges and repair vehicles. There are class specific unlockables, including weapons and gadgets, as well as weapons specific unlockables that include accessories and attachments, you can also unlock specializations that enhance your classes, there are level specific unlocks as well. There’s one noticeable part of the multiplayer that is new and I find quite a fun challenge, it’s knife killing, in Battlefield 3, you can no longer just walk up to an enemy and slash him in the chest, it takes about 2 slashes or a sneak attack from behind which rewards you not just with the dogtag of your victim but a pretty cool short action sequence as well. Similar to the previous Battlefield games, the key to victory and progression is through the use of teamwork, because almost every teamwork related action is rewarded, from spotting an enemy to assisting in a kill. When your team is working well together, it provides an exciting and rewarding multiplayer experience.

                Going back to the 3 things I consider when buying a game, I’d say Battlefield 3 gets 2 ½ out of 3, multiplayer and replayability which is pretty good considering that the campaign isn’t too bad to play. Overall, I think that Battlefield 3 is worth the purchase, you are sure to have a decent campaign experience, then once that’s accomplished, you can move on to the intense and fun multiplayer aspect of the game or just start right there and play the campaign later on. Either way, the game holds a high replay value as well as a challenging and rewarding experience.  For those who enjoy a good first person shooter, intense multiplayer experience, I highly recommend this game, and as for veterans or fans of the Battlefield franchise, this is an automatic purchase.




Ranking:
Story: 8/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
Soundtrack: 8/10
Overall: I think this game deserves a 9/10. The campaign is short but intense and exciting. The Multiplayer is really what makes this game shine.

                

Driver: San Francisco Video Game Review (PS3)

Driver: San Francisco

                So, my awesome super sweet girlfriend just bought me Driver: San Francisco for the PS3. :) I know, I haven't written a review in awhile so please excuse me if I'm a little rusty.

                Ah, the Driver video game series, being an avid car fan and racing game enthusiast, my gaming "career" would not be complete without this series. Making its debut in 1999 on the PlayStation, I was already hooked by the concept of the game which involved epic car chases, realistic damage physics (for its time), free roaming the city environment and a gripping storyline. Although it lacked a few things such as vehicle choices and the ability to get out of your car (which was later corrected in Driver 2, released in the following year). This game represents the 5th installment of this series (Driver, Driver 2, Driv3r, Driver: Parallel Lines and now, Driver: San Francisco). There has been a huge gap between the last game which was released in 2006 on the PlayStation 2. I have actually been waiting for them to make one for the PS3 and now that there is, after finding out the Ubisoft would be behind the game, I was excited to see what they have in store for us this time around on a new platform. And I am happy to say that I wasn't disappointed at all.

                First off, I would like to thank http://gametestlabs.com for posting if not all, at least the majority list of cars that would be available for use in the game. (I usually check what toys can be used before I play a racing game, adds to the pre-play excitement.) And boy did this list excite me! Names like Lamborghini, McLaren, Jaguar, RUF, Aston Martin, Audi, to name a few, will be available for use within the game, these are just a few out of the car list that was provided.

                Now, onto the game, don't worry, I hate spoilers, so there won't be any here. There are three new interesting additions to the game. First is the "Shift" or car-hopping principle of the game which allows a player to kind of "possess" other drivers, it's pretty much John Tanner's soul floating above the entire map, you focus on a car, any car and then BAM, possess the driver in it, I know it's kind of freaky. But that's a new twist that unfortunately replaces the concept of getting out of your car (you'll need to play the game and go through the story to find out why it's no longer possible to do so.) It has its ups and downs, the upside is, you get to "shift" without consequence pretty much possessing whatever the heck you like. The downside, for me is that this kind of takes out the thrill and excitement of having to get out of your car, run around the city in search of a new vehicle because you wrecked what you're currently using. But the reason for this new feature was justifiable enough for me to go along with it. I believe it adds a new element of fun into the game though, somewhat breaks the monotony and makes it kind of stand out. The second addition is the Garage concept, which for car fanatics such as myself is a nice addition because this allows to you to purchase garages, wherein you can buy cars, store cars and upgrade your driver abilities, you also get to access movie car chase scene remakes and other driving challenges from here too. Lastly, the addition of a multiplayer area of play which includes online play as well as split screen play which is a pretty sweet addition. I believe this gives the game a huge boost because online play is interactive and with various modes to choose from, the replay value of this game is quite high and to top it off, incorporated into the multiplayer is the "Shifting" principle which can be used to your advantage in order to succeed. It adds an element of challenge and unpredictable excitement because after all, you are going against other real people as opposed to AI.

                Upon starting the game, you will be treated to graphically pleasing cutscenes that switch in and out of you controlling it and watching it which is pretty exciting, the main idea of the story is immediately introduced so you won't be lost, then after the pleasantries are out of the way, the fun begins. Being a Ubisoft developed game, I can't help but see a little bit of Sam Fisher in John Tanner, but that's just me. Although the in game graphics are not as graphically jaw dropping compared to Need For Speed or Gran Turismo, it provides pretty decent detail and damage physics. And I must say, once you get used to the whole "shifting" idea, you discover endless possibilities and get to watch and control them through an out of body experience, no pun intended. I can't really go into detail about this because I promised no spoilers, so if you want know more about it, go grab yourself a copy of the game!

Ranking:

Story: 9/10- Very enjoyable and refreshing story concept and plot

Gameplay: 8/10- Just like the original driver, fun, fast paced, intense and exciting

Graphics: 9/10- Not exceptionally great, but pleasing enough to be appreciated

Soundtrack: 8/10

Cars: 9/10 - I'm very pleased with the wide range of makes and models available in this game

Gran Turismo 5 Video Game Review (PS3)

Gran Turismo 5: Limited Edition

                Being  a Gran Turismo franchise advocate since the very beginning, I suppose it's safe to use the cliché "good things come to those who wait" because after 5 years in the making, various release date delays and weeks of waiting and resisting the urge to buy the regular version have finally paid off, I finally found a store that had a few stocks left of the Limited Edition version of Gran Turismo 5! (Sadly, I didn't get to reserve or pre-order on time for the release so all the Collector's Edition copies were off the shelves faster than a chicken on fire!) What came with this edition aside from the game of course was the Apex: Ultimate Car Guide book (pretty awesome), a DLC Redeem Code (plus a neat holographic card of the car you get, I got the Nissan GT-R GT500), a Gran Turismo decal set (various sizes and designs) and a poster. Not bad, considering the regular version and the Limited Edition only differed by a few hundred bucks (Philippine Peso).

                 Now, we have one nagging question in mind, was this game really worth the wait? I will do my best to answer this question as this review goes on.

                So upon running the game, I was prompted for a software update, naturally, I'd accept it, thinking it would simply take a couple of minutes, little did I know that the update was 608MB worth! I stared at the progress bar that seemed hopelessly frozen, after 20 minutes, I couldn't stand it, I cancelled the update and ran the game without it. As expected, Polyphony Digital and the rest of the developers will treat you to a quite long and beautiful intro movie (except for the music that didn't seem to go with it), I will not go into detail, but I will say that one may encounter a graphical overdose (trust me, this is one overdose you'd love.). After the movie, you are led into a simple menu screen. I decided to choose the Arcade Mode first to see what beauties they had to offer. I was pleased to see some very sumptuous vehicle choices, from exotics, to muscles, to supercars to daily drivers, to classics, to rally, to F1 and more, way more, real world automobiles.

                Aside from the vast vehicular selection, the game also has some new features:

1. My Home- This is the "main menu" for your career as a racer, in this area you can prepare for races, join various events, access your garage, tune your vehicle, visit the used car lot, practice, acquire licenses, etc. In this screen, you can also customize your GT Profile which is pretty much who you are in the Gran Turismo world, I liked the fact that they made it highly customizable, you can change the theme, color, wallpaper, profile photo of your GT Dashboard screen. This is where it all starts.

2. Level Up Aspect- For anyone who has played a Gran Turismo game, you know that in order to participate in certain events or have access to certain vehicles and events, you need to acquire licenses. Gran Turismo 5 has now decided to use an "experience" system wherein a player can gain experience points to level up, these in turn allow you to participate in events or purchase cars based on your level.

3. A-Spec Events and B-Spec Events- This is a new addition, it's pretty much the main events of the game. By competing in either of these events, you will earn money and experience points. The A-Spec Races are your usual, straightforward, first place wins kind of race, from here, you work your way up until you unlock more events and vehicles as you level up. Now as for B-Spec events, this is a totally new concept, this pretty much a "hands free" event wherein you no longer have to drive the car. Here, you create/select a driver and then enter him in a race. You also earn money and experience points from these events. The drivers have certain types of "personalities" that bring with them various traits and abilities, these aspects will affect how the driver performs during a race. Once you have chosen your driver, you can now begin the race, the players only task here is to "coach" the driver with 4 commands that tell him to either lower his pace, maintain his pace, pick up his pace and overtake. Now this may seem simple enough, but there are things you need to consider, excessive commanding may cause your driver "lose focus" and end committing mistakes that may cost you the race.

3. Create A Race Track- Aside from just all out racing, the game has added a feature that allows players to create their own race track and upload it for the use of the gaming community. You can create the scenery of the track, the length, the sharpness of curves and turns and the weather of the track, this feature certainly adds to the replay value of the game.

4. Online Multiplayer- Now this is the first time this feature was included in the entire Gran Turismo franchise. The concept of multiplayer is quite simple, enter the Open Lobby on the My Home menu screen, find a room, look for a race (either Free Run or Shuffle Race) then hit the gas and enjoy! Another concept added to the online aspect of this game is being able to join the Community Area on the My Home menu, here players can view their online friends, post messages and give gifts (you can give away cars! O_o).

5. Special Events- Aside from the two main events mentioned above, this is another one where players can participate in, by earning experience points and leveling up, one will be granted access to various special events, such as NASCAR, Rally, Drifting Events and Go-Karting which is a pretty good add-in to the game.

6. The Concept of Vehicle Damage- This is one thing I've always thought was lacking from the Gran Turismo franchise, finally, they have added this feature, although it is nowhere near the damage modeling that Grid possesses, I'm very pleased that it has now been included. 

                Of course, with new features come the maintenance of the old ones, personally, I'm glad they maintained the License Test feature, this was one of the defining aspects of the entire franchise. For those who've never played any Gran Turismo game, the name of the feature speaks for itself, you go through a series of driving tests in order to earn a certain license, the degree of difficulty varies, it's quite challenging but still fun overall. Also, I liked that they maintained the Used Car Lot in the Career Mode because here lies the discovery of rare vehicles that are not offered in the Dealerships, always be on the lookout, you never know what you might find. O_o Also, the usual Arcade Mode, VS mode and Practice Mode has also been retained.

                Sadly, this game is not perfect and there are some things that did leave me quite disappointed. First off, the graphics aren't that amazing, for a game that was in development for five years, I was expecting a lot more. In all honesty, if you were to compare this game to Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, graphically, Need For Speed would have a slight edge. But I'm not saying the graphics of this game aren't superb, because they are, all I'm saying is that given the amount of time it took to make, I think they could have done better. Another minor detail that I wish was worked on was the fact that Porsche isn't included in the car list, sure RUF is the closest you can get to it, but Porsche is Porsche, most car enthusiasts would share the same sentiments I suppose. Haha.

                Overall, I think that this game is a must-have for every car enthusiast and racing gamer alike. For die-hard Gran Turismo game players such as myself, this purchase was inevitable, because not getting this game would be as foolish as challenging a Bugatti Veyron using a Kia Pride. Hahaha.

Ranking:

Story: 8/10- Very enjoyable career mode

Gameplay: 8/10- Physics could use a little work, but you'll get used to it

Graphics: 9/10- Pure beauty, simply amazing. @_@

Soundtrack: 8/10

*CARS: Very vast selection, you will not be disappointed! @_@

Overall: 9/10, a very satisfying game with a high replay value, blessed with tantalizing graphics and an insane amount of vehicle choices.