Gran Turismo 6: The Subaru VIZIV GT

Normally, this looks a lot like the Subaru Viziv you've encountered from past car shows but it's not. What you're looking at is the Subaru Viziv GT, part of the Vision Gran Turismo concept cars you can drive in the world of Gran Turismo 6. And to explain what I'm on about, I'm taking on a special Seasonal Event challenge dedicated for this car. No matter what lap time you're setting at, one full lap is enough for the player to gain access to Subaru's entry to the Vision GT club but for me, I'm going on a Gold Target Time just to see how good is Subaru's high-performance concept car on the virtual world.




This concept racing machine started out in life as the Subaru Viziv 2 Concept from the 2014 Geneva Motor Show but the folks from Subaru incorporated some of their motorsport DNA and injected it to this concept. With its extensive aerodynamics and a sleek shooting brake design, the Viziv GT is a stand out among the rest in the game. Aside from its impressive aerodynamics, extensive use of carbon is part of the concept's lightweight body, resulting to the car's 1,380kg weight despite the extensive use of batteries and motors.

The engine is Subaru's two-liter direct-injected turbo engine but it's connected with batteries and motors, resulting to a power output of an impressive 591HP and 800Nm of torque. That's more than those production Subarus and thanks to the legendary AWD drivetrain, this car is still controllable and more enjoyable even when taken things seriously.



Even at the hands of beginners, the Viziv GT's grip is not quite bad at all and it still behaves like what a Subaru does. The only downside is the understeer which even the most serious cornering is not more than enough to do as exactly told. If you're acting aggressively, then you'll end up spiraling through the wrong places but with your calm driving style, it takes time until you've mastered this machine to its highest potential. After spending time with this machine, I'm starting to learn more and I managed to beat the Gold Target Time barely. I did it in 1:18.897, which is the best I can do but nevertheless, I think I'm glad to say that this car still has its Confidence In Motion, just like the Subaru slogan says.



Despite its flaws, the Viziv GT is the coup de grace Subaru has ever made for this game and even though it's a concept that is born in the world of Gran Turismo, it still behaves like a Subaru and I have to say, I am very pleased with it.



Oh man. I got pulled over by a specially-designed BMW M4 with some flashers at the top. Stay tuned as I'm going to drive this special M4 in GT6 very soon. Until then, be sure to take on the challenge while you can to get the Viziv GT!

Gran Turismo 6: The GT-R NISMO

The GT-R is one of the all time bests that was once built from a hermetically-sealed factory and always in tune to the sound of speed. It has a wide reputation of crushing the competition three times of its price tag and every speedo boy in the world wished to have one of those because...this is the ultimate in the JDM aristocracy.



With the introduction of the new GT-R NISMO, the pride of Japan has now been toughened up to continue its never-ending quest for speed and while the brand new GT-R NISMO was heavily inspired from its involvement in numerous motorsports, especially the Super GT and the FIA GT3 as well as its involvement at the Nurburgring, the reworked performance of Japan's mightiest supercar truly salivated us with the promising powerhouse we deserved from Nissan and thanks to Gran Turismo 6, we can now live the dream of driving one.



I am one of the lucky ones who can't wait to try out the full potential of this toughened version of Godzilla and this car really seduces everyone to go back playing GT6 and drive this beauty as much as they want from their heart's content.

 

So, how did Nissan decided to create a much improved version of the GT-R even though the GT-R is by no means one of Japan's biggest contributions to the world of sportscars since the Silvia and the Fairlady? Let me give you a little secret between us because while Nissan announced the development of their most extreme GT-R to date, they've sent out their hardened veterans on reserve and what are they doing? They're very busy collecting data from the world's finest exotics. After moments of data collecting from its opposition, they began analyzing what should their ultimate GT-R be aside from adding more power and be more aerodynamic than the normal one.

Moments later, they've pooled in their available resources and then trying out in the Nurburgring where it recorded a lap time of 7:08.679, which is faster than what the Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package would do. The final result? A GT-R that is proven to be track-focused and road-legal at the same time. This is it. This is the prime specimen Nissan has been looking for through the years and when the GT-R NISMO is born, the world stood still and fell silence.



Having spent nearly five minutes on this car, I'm starting to adore its GT-R NISMO newly-found characteristics not just as a track-focused road-legal machine but also a modern grand tourer the world has ever faced. This is way beyond being a modern grand tourer because it balances dynamism and precision, making it a good car to drive even at the hands of a rookie. And when the weather starting to come bad and the roads have gone wet, the GT-R NISMO laughs at the face of nature thanks to its amazing 4WD system and its incredible traction that stands out from any roads.

With the improved 3.8L V6 twin-turbo engine, race-inspired aerodynamics, clever suspension setup, its double-clutch gearbox, and several man hours spent into the development of this car, the GT-R NISMO is aimed to deliver the best lap times the most than most of its European rivals would do and that gives me an idea because...



I want to see how good the GT-R NISMO is and to find out, I need a proper rival to do the job and yes, a wild Lexus LFA appeared but this isn't the Lexus LFA we'll be using...



Yup, it's this. The LFA Nurburgring Package. A special version of the LFA heavily inspired from the one used in the Nurburgring 24 Hour Races and like the GT-R, this is a track-focused and road-legal machine that is primed and ready to take on the world's finest on the road and on the track.



So, here we are. Two prime specimens are now in place for the biggest duel of their lives as two track-focused versions of Japan's finest sports cars of all time slugging against each other in none other than Suzuka Circuit. Yes. The whole Suzuka Circuit we're talking about as both the LFA Nurburgring Package and the GT-R NISMO will be having a samurai swordfight to the death and whoever's the fastest wins.




First up, it's the LFA Nurburgring Package from Lexus. The hardcore version of the limited-to-500 unit supercar that stunned the world since its 2009 Tokyo Motor Show debut. Just 50 out of the 500 units were made with this package that comes with the added 10HP power on the 1LR-GUE V10 engine, improved gearbox, and a host of aerodynamic features. It even comes with a fixed rear spoiler for added downforce. It went round the Nurburgring in 7:14.64 and that's quicker than the recently updated 2013MY (2014MY) Nissan GT-R's 7:18.6 lap time. Incredible. On mid-December 2012, the last Lexus LFA ever built is armed with the Nurburgring Package and it's been colored in Whitest White.

Anyway, while it performed some amazing moves since this is the track-focused version, the LFA Nurburgring Package found no issues while surviving Suzuka but unlike the GT-R, the LFA is rear-wheel drive, meaning this car can get some misbehaving oversteer that costs this car some time but despite its rude behavior, the LFA gets the job done quicker than serving a pizza.



Now, it's the turn of the GT-R NISMO and not only it packs more power than the LFA because of its 591HP power output from the 3.8L V6 twin turbo engine, its track-based aerodynamics inspired by those from the GT3 and GT500 racers as well as its clever 4WD system makes it more easier to handle than the LFA. Although there are a number of downsides apart from understeering and too much grip, the GT-R NISMO tries to be "feel at home" on the Suzuka Circuit and it behaves very well in corners that the LFA Nurburgring Package misbehaved for a brief period. Remember this has a lap time of 7:08.679, which is faster than the LFA Nurburgring Package, but is it faster here?

After a hot lap round Suzuka, here are the results;

LFA Nurburgring Package - 2:20.783
GT-R NISMO - 2:12.960



So, a surprise result then, thanks to the GT-R NISMO's improved capabilities as a racing machine built for the road and track in mind, not only it beats the LFA Nurburgring Package by several seconds but...I truly believe it's ready. It's finally prepared to take on the world because that's what the GT-R NISMO wanted to be for the pride of Nissan. I guess this ends here but in the meantime, time for the GT-R NISMO to have a well-deserved break at Andalucia.



In case you haven't noticed it by now, what you're looking at here is GT6's biggest track yet. Called Circuito de la Sierra, this original track is based on the roads of Andalucia, Spain. Because this is bigger than the Nurburgring, concentration is a must if you want to survive their biggest circuit offered on GT6 but in the meantime, goodbye!

Akumajo Dracula Lords of Shadow 2

Akumajo Dracula
Lords of Shadow 2 (PS3)

Akumajo Dracula
Lords of Shadow 2 (XBOX 360)

Four years ago, Konami and developer Mercury Steam wanted to give the secret origin of Dracula a powerful revision in Castlevania Lords of Shadow (日本名: キャッスルヴァニア ロード オブ シャドウ). After Gabriel Belmont, the one-time member of the "Brotherhood of Light", battled Satan in the underworld and at the end of the previous story, Dracula's secret origin and his connection with the Belmont clan was revealed. Welcome to the sequel: Akumajo Dracula Lords of Shadow 2 (日本名: 悪魔城ドラキュラ ロード オブ シャド2)

The sequel to the 2010 reboot, available on the PS3 and XBOX 360 consoles, delivers new twists, action, adventure, and challenges, as players take on the role of Dracula, the lord of the vampires, only this time he must take on the ultimate evil while taking on a new world; a modern world. Most of the familiar faces in the Dracula story returned and looks like fans wanted to expect this game to be far beyond compare against its predecessor...and it did, just.

First and foremost, you might think that it's simple to play than the last one but once you progress further, it gets harder and harder but when you get through the hang of it, it will be more rewarding and take advantage with all of the skills to survive through the last battle.

Similar to the light and dark magic from the first installment, Lords of Shadow 2 gives players another tactic to master; mastering void and chaos magic. Depending on the enemy you're facing, mastering the void magic and the chaos magic will give you an edge on the battle. You can also absorb the enemy's void or chaos magic as well and then use it wisely in the heated battle. This is just like the electrolytes from Metal Gear Rising Revengeance. To be more powerful,, give everything you got to survive to the very end.

As you defeat numerous enemies, you'll gain experience and you'll need experience to spend on key items or even artwork from the game.

No Dracula game will ever be complete without ever-challenging boss battles that test the mettle of your battle-proven tactics. In LOS2, boss battles require your precise combat skills, either direct or area attacks, as well as guarding. If you want to unleash more powerful attacks, try for the chaos magic but if it's health restoration you're after if you're not in the time for healing items, void magic will help you. Make use of these and you can defeat even the most menacing of foes as you fight your way back to the castle.

Don't think you're done with this because even when you finished this game, there's still work that needs to be done because there are numerous achievements to complete and some difficulty settings to master. Once you've done this in the most difficult setting, you are worthy of it but if you want more challenges, you can also purchase the "Story of Alucard" DLC. In this DLC, you can take on the tale of Alucard, a vampire who wanted to end his bloodline.

The concluding tale of the Lords of Shadow story is definitely one of the must have for your PS3 or XBOX 360 and if you're a hardcore gamer, look no further.

I'm very happy that with this game, looks like there's hope for the franchise but there is one bit of problem because even with LOS2, looks like the future of this Castlevania franchise is in doubt right now. Some of the people involved in the development of the Castlevania franchise moved down south for numerous reasons and today, of course, it's hard to tell the future of the franchise because pretty soon, there won't be any other Dracula game for the next generation. And that made me sad...

Gran Turismo 6: CONCEPT 2020 vs. DP-100

Two new Vision Gran Turismo cars have joined the fray in Gran Turismo 6! The Nissan CONCEPT 2020 and the Aston Martin DP-100 has arrived and these two concept cars know how to dogfight on the virtual racing battlefield!



One that represents innovation that excites while the other one represents POWER, BEAUTY, and SOUL. Pit these two together and you got yourself an appetite of exhilaration when you try both of these newborn beauties only on Gran Turismo 6 for the Playstation3.



So, how does these two stack against each other in the racing dogfight? To find out, let's start with the Nissan first.



Although it's more than just celebrating Nissan Motor Company's 80th anniversary, the Concept 2020 serves as a not-too-distant preview to the future of Nissan sports cars. It was styled by the designers in Nissan Design Europe in London and while they didn't use the clay modelling, the folks go ahead with the virtualization using numerous man hours to stylize, renderize, and perfecting the future of Nissan sports cars. While it was aerodynamically designed to behave like a racing car, its powertrain comes with a high-performance hybrid FR-4WD system with the V6 twin turbo engine connected with three electric motors, each producing instant and powerful acceleration under any condition. Its torque vectoring and the active suspension allows this concept to corner with surgical and clinical precision.



The Aston Martin DP-100 is all in the basics when it comes to performance but from spending numerous hours perfecting this concept car, the DP-100 is the ultimate representation of Aston Martin's mantra; POWER, BEAUTY, and SOUL. It has the most powerful twin-turbo V12 engine bolted in the middle, it has the most beautiful looks for an Aston Martin, and it has the soul to become a capable track weapon in the Gran Turismo environment. The folks have spent six months for this project at the Aston Martin HQ in Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK.

So, now we know the cars, let's compare these two and to find out, I head back to the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. I've gone for the full circuit of the track and I sent these two machines to duke against each other, finding out which is the best.



Both of these concepts are working beautifully and even though they have different powertrains, their track capabilities are evenly matched in a one-on-one dogfight that determines who rules. The CONCEPT 2020 from Nissan is looking good but the Aston Martin DP-100 is eating up the miles and it blasts ahead from the Nissan everytime when they went through corner after corner after corner. This is gonna be one-sided.

At the end of the lap, here's the result of this experiment;

1:30.449 - CONCEPT 2020
1:28.879 - DP-100

Well, even though I have big respects to these two concepts, I believe that the Aston Martin has got what it takes to become one of the best even though the Nissan has the potential to take on the world since the Z and the GT-R. Better still, these two deserve to cut the mustard but it seems that in the end, the Aston Martin DP-100 is the clear winner.



The DP-100 and the CONCEPT 2020 are joining the ranks of the Vision Gran Turismo cars and there's more to come! Expect more Vision GT cars heading your way on GT6!

Gran Turismo 6: Goodwood 2014

In time for today's Goodwood Festival of Speed, looks like the Goodwood Hillclimb track on the PS3-exclusive Gran Turismo 6 has been updated with the new central feature within the game. That "Central Feature" for this year's Goodwood FoS is made possible by this year's hosting carmaker, Mercedes-Benz, reflecting the German luxury car company's 120 years of motorsports involvement.

Believe it or not, the series creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, gets to drive the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLS - one of the two 300SL roadsters tweaked for the National Sportscar Championship in the 1950's up to the famous Goodwood Hill Climb.

With the Goodwood Hill Climb in tune with the times, looks like most of our Gran Turismo 6 stars are welcomed to take on the Goodwood FoS just the way they like. It's like a red carpet premiere where celebs get their photos taken before going in the movies.




And here's the results on how they do well on GT6's very own Goodwood:

C7 Corvette - 0:54.750
NSX Concept - 0:52.108
M4 - 0:53.828
MB AMG VGT Racing Series - 0:47.461
Mario Andretti's 1948 Hudson - 1:06.134
FT-1 - 0:51.085
X2014 Fan Car - 0:34.462
BMW VGT - 0:46.816
Lotus 97T - 0:44.407
Concept XR-PHEV Evo - 0:48.453
VW GTi Roadster VGT - 0:45.872

Questionable? Oh well, those results don't really matter. What matters is, these cars are having fun down at Goodwood.