Gran Turismo 5 races home

It’s finally here. Five years after the game’s initial announcement, Sony Computer Entertainment and Polyphony Digital have released Gran Turismo 5 to retailers.

“Over the past five years, the team of designers and engineers at Polyphony Digital have worked to set new standards in graphics, presentation, and gameplay within the Gran Turismo franchise,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Product Marketing, SCEA. “With Gran Turismo 5, the development team has set a new bar in the racing genre with more than 1,000 vehicles, new racing modes and features, and a robust online community. We are excited to offer loyal fans a racing experience that remains unmatched.”

Gran Turismo 5 includes a load of features, including the ability to create tracks, kart racing, NASCAR cars and tracks, an “extremely deep” online community, an arcade mode, a photo mode, weather effects, over 1,000 cars, over 20 tracks with over 70 variations, and so much more.

If you’re still considering whether or not to bite, here’s what the critics are saying:

• Destructoid – 10/10
• Cynamite – 8.5/10
• CVG – 8/10
• GamerFitNation – 10/10
• GamePlayBook – 10/10
• GamePro – 9/10
• GamePro Germany – 9.1/10
• GameReactor – 7/10
• Eurogamer – 9/10
• IGN.com – 8.5/10
• JeuxVideo – 7/10
• Joystiq – 4/5
• Metro – 8/10
• PressFire – 8.3/10
• VideoGamesDaily – 8/10
• VideoGameZone – 8.5/10

Gran Turismo 5 is out now exclusively for PlayStation 3.