Carrying the crown of "most realistic driving simulator" is something that the 'Gran Turismo' series has been labelled with pretty much from the release of the first game in 1998.

With the current generation of consoles already having seen amazing racers like 'Forza 2' and the very arcady 'Burnout Paradise', 'Gran Turismo 5' faces some stiff competition, and direct comparisons will be inevitable.

So have Polyphony Digital succeeded in creating yet again the definitive racing simulator? The short answer is a resounding "yes". The long answer is — surprise, surprise — a bit more complicated.

Considering that 'Gran Turismo 5 Prologue' is in essence just a taster of what the full game will provide when it launches sometime in 2009, for my money, it provides more than enough to keep you satisfied until then.

It gives petrolheads a glimpse into what the full game will offer, giving them a whiff of what will be on display and laying the foundation for what will most certainly be the pinnacle of racing perfection.

As a "demo", the game might disappoint those wanting a more complete experience, but they would be missing the point. If paying R399 for a prologue to a game does not sit too well with you, then don't buy it. It's a game for fans of the series, something to tie them over until the full game's release.

The game simply looks spectacular and is certainly one of the best looking racers currently available on the market. Running in full high definition at 1080p and 60 frames per second, the game is beautiful to look at, with slight frame-rate drops only noticeable when a fair amount of traffic hits the screen.

The cars are as close to photo-realistic as you have ever seen, and the six tracks available are all faithfully recreated. Unfortunately crowds and spectators are still mostly static, with the occasional waving flag or walking pedestrian breaking the monotony.

Another feature sorely missing is the lack of car damage modelling. Polyphony has stated that it will become available at a later stage though, as an additional download via the PlayStation Network. Still, for such a high profile racer not to have it included from the get-go when its been very successfully implemented in the likes of 'Forza 2', is a bit embarrassing.

Boasting over 70 cars and 12 tracks (six of those being reverse tracks), there is certainly more on offer here than some of its full-game counterparts, like 'MotorStorm'.

Featuring cars like the Audi R8, Ferrari F430, Nissan R35 GT-R and the Subaru Impreza WRX STI-'07, there's plenty on display here for automobile aficionados and will take a considerable amount of time and dedication to fill your garage with even half of the cars available.

With four classes available (C, B, A and S class) — all unlocked once the previous class have been beaten — the single player is sizable, offering a decent amount of gameplay and challenge, especially the S-class mode.

However, no fine tuning to the cars can be made from classes C to A (barring generic changes like standard or professional physics, removing brake and steer assists etc), and only gets unlocked with the S-Class mode.

The physics are astounding. Each car will handle differently — over- and under-steer feels extremely realistic and as a result the thrill of racing has been bumped up a notch. The tiniest mistake may result in you losing the race and you may, on more than one occasion, feel the need to throw your remote against the wall.

It's definitely not a pick-up-and-play racer — it requires dedication for you to learn the nuances of the car and the track you're driving and to perfect cornering and braking to an art form. But then it's immensely satisfying to nail a victory after multiple failed attempts.

The landing page is also a welcome addition and serves as the main hub to every feature of the game. Featuring everything from your garage, car manufacturers and game options, to live weather updates on tracks all over the world, it serves as your main page.

Another addition is GT-TV, featuring HD videos that will be updated sporadically via the PSN. It includes car documentaries, unlocked video clips and in the future will also include clips from the popular BBC series "Top Gear".

It also includes 16-player online racing, two-player offline splitscreen races and an arcade mode that features Time Challenges, where your times can be uploaded to the PSN leader boards.

Online is a hit or miss affair at the moment, with some races going down without any hitches, while others contain a significant amount of errors — cars would blink in and out of existence, or you'd be hit by an invisible car. Also, private races with your friends can not currently be organised, although it has been promised for a future download, along with additional courses.

In spite of a few glaring omissions, 'Gran Turismo 5 Prologue' is still the undisputed leader when it comes to vehicle physics and uber realistic handling. If Polyphony can address the few flaws inherent in this release, we will be in for a real treat when 'Gran Turismo 5' launches.

Take it for what it is — an appetiser to a five-course meal — and you won't be disappointed.