Hands on with GT5 Prologue's split screen mode

We've been driving around with a near-final version of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and we have to admit, we're impressed. One of the new features not found in the Japanese version of Prologue is split-screen multiplayer. We had to give it a spin.

The multiplayer mode lets you race on any of the game's six tracks, backwards or forwards. The cars you can race with are the ones you've unlocked in the campaign mode. Just like previous GT titles, earning new cars can take quite some time, so both of us were forced to race with the same car. Each player can adjust his or her settings, such as Automatic/Manual transmission, amount of steering assist, and type of physics (Standard versus Professional).

We were shocked to see that there was no apparent loss of detail in the split screen mode. The framerate was incredibly smooth, even with such incredibly detailed visuals being rendered. Unfortunately, there are no AI opponents in this two player mode: it's just you and your opponent. There's no rubberbanding, so the better racer can gain a significant lead.

After a few races, we easily concluded that split-screen multiplayer is a fantastic addition for the English language versions of Prologue. Not only does it capture the same visual fidelity of the single player mode, it does so with a silky smooth framerate that fans will appreciate. We can't wait to race PS Fanboy readers on the online circuit when the game releases in the next few weeks.

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