Any PS3 owners with even a passing interest in driving games should own Gran Turismo 5. It has been over a year since its release and yet I still play it on a regular basis. Amazingly I’m also nowhere near completing it, but am not the least bit frustrated by this fact.
The only question is whether you should buy a cheap (possibly pre-owned) copy of the original or splash the cash on the new Gran Turismo 5 XL Edition.
Gran Turismo 5 XL Edition is essentially a re-release in the spirit of the GOTY editions most publishers push. Gran Turismo 5 XL Edition is the original game, all of the free updates released to date (up to and including Spec 2.0), and a voucher for more than $20 worth of premium DLC such as courses, cars, clothes, and paint.
Polyphony Digital and Sony aren’t exactly milking gamers here as the RRP is just $40. If you use the voucher then that’s effectively $20. However, it’s important to remember the updates are all free for owners of the original release of the game, so those with an Internet connection and space on the PS3 hard drive would probably be better off avoiding the XL Edition.
Gran Turismo 5 XL Edition is released Jan. 17.
