Back in September, the new FL5-generation Honda Civic Type R was added to Gran Turismo 7. As a big fan of the real thing, I was eager to jump into Honda’s hot hatch in the virtual world. But excitement quickly turned into bewildered annoyance because GT‘s rendition of the world’s greatest sport compact includes one extremely irritating function: a loud beeping noise at redline.
Gran Turismo prides itself on its ability to replicate how a car looks, sounds, and drives down the very last detail so, to be clear, this isn’t a game-only addition, but something that also exists in the real-life CTR. It is, however, very grating. Not only is it quite loud, but the specific tone of this beep cuts through the air like a sharp fart in an elevator. Just listen as the tachometer crosses 7,000 rpm:
Here’s the thing, though: it didn’t have to be this way. The Civic Type R’s that I have driven in reality have had this beep smartly turned off. The beep’s presence in the Gran Turismo 7 Type R stems from the fact that developer Polyphony Digital, a staunchly Japanese company, used the Japanese-market Type R as a reference, which seems to have this turned on as a default. Here’s that real car being driven by the drift king himself, Keiichi Tsuchiya, and pay attention to the noise heard as it kisses the top of the tach.
The rationale here is, of course, so the driver knows when to shift up. But if you’re driving a Civic-freakin’-Type R and do not know when to shift gears on engine sound alone, I don’t know what to tell you.
Infuriatingly, this isn’t the only car in GT with a similar problem. The magnificent Lexus LFA which was recently added to the game also features audible warnings as the engine spins to its maximum operating speed. Granted, the LFA’s beeps are a lot quieter and shorter than the Type R’s, but they happen three times: once at 8,000 rpm, again at 8,500 rpm, and once more at 9 grand. Kind of a mood killer especially considering the appeal of the V10 Lexus is, like, mostly auditory.
It should be mentioned that, just like in real life, these beeps can only be heard when playing in cockpit view. Use the hood or chase cam and the beeps go away—but where’s the immersion in that? At this juncture, I’d like to take the opportunity to speak directly to Polyphony Digital: Please take the beeps out. Nobody likes them, nobody needs them.
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