PS3, £25. Age 3+

Gran Turismo (GT) is the best known of all the racing games, and new editions are so eagerly awaited that the maker trails each launch with a “prologue”. Previously these have been glorified demos but this one is a title in its own right. You don’t get all the events and courses of the full game, yet to be released, but it packs in six tracks (each in two layouts), over 70 cars and at least 30 racing events.

The crisp HD graphics are superb, with views of the Ferrari F430 and Aston Martin DB9 coupé that will make grown men swoon, plus the most detailed digital Shaftesbury Avenue you’ve ever sped down in an Audi R8. The handling is better than ever, particularly if you switch off the driving aids and try the new “professional” mode.

At last the GT team has realised gamers want competition, not just a polite procession of supercars. This is the first GT to offer online racing: you can test your mettle against up to 15 other gamers, which adds the thrills the single-player game lacks.

One niggle: while the computer-controlled cars are vastly improved over GT4, they still lack a killer attitude.

Weblog: At the launch of GT5 Prologue

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