Gran Turismo 2 is a 1999 sim racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is the sequel to Gran Turismo, the second installment of the Gran Turismo series, and the first video game to be developed by Polyphony Digital.
Gran Turismo 2 was a critical and commercial success, shipping 1.73 million units in Asia, 3.96 million units in North America, and 3.68 million units in Europe for a total of 9.37 million units as of April 30, 2008, Ami Blaire (SCEA's marketing director) had high hopes, stating, "the overwhelming and continuing popularity of Gran Turismo clearly positions Gran Turismo 2 to be one of the hottest titles available for the holidays and beyond". Jack Tretton (sales vice president of SCEA) had similar enthusiasm, expecting Gran Turismo 2 to "fly off the shelves faster than the original, continuing the momentum of this incredible franchise".
Upon the game's release, players shortly found various errors and glitches. SCEA did not ignore the outcry, and offered a replacement if any problems occurred. For example, certain cars would appear in the wrong races. This was most significant in the 30-lap Trial Mountain endurance race, where a 680 bhp Vector M12 LM edition may appear despite a 295-horsepower entry restriction, effectively making the race nearly impossible to win. The reason for the maximum completion percentage falling short is due to two races meant strictly for the European version of the game, and two others being dummied out at some point. As a result, the game incorrectly expects 223 events for 100% completion, whereas only 219 are available.
The game's soundtrack features the 1998 song "My Favourite Game" by The Cardigans.
Reception
Gran Turismo 2 received "universal acclaim" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. In another review, Uncle Dust said, "Even though Gran Turismo 2 shows its age (and its system's age) and Rally Mode doesn't live up to the rest of the game, GT2 is still as close as you can get to the real thing and always worth the drive."
Upon release, the game sold 815,430 units in Japan during its first week on sale. In the UK, it sold 130,000 units and grossed or in its first weekend, surpassing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to become the UK's fastest-selling title, and it sold about 250,000 units in its first week. It was a bestseller for two months in Japan and the UK. In the U.S., it sold more than units within six weeks, and had sold units by early 2001. In total, it has sold 9.37 million units worldwide. Official UK PlayStation Magazine listed the game as the 4th best of all time. It also received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 600,000 units in the UK.
Gran Turismo 2 was a finalist for "Console Game of the Year", "Console Racing Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Game Design" during the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.