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Project Gotham Racing 3 Review
Jon Wilcox
01/12/2005
Bizarre Creations` iconic Xbox franchise arrives on 360 as TVG says good-bye to PGR fave, Cat and Mouse...
Itās the game that many here in TVG Towers first cut their Xbox Live teeth on when the online network arrived in Europe back at the end of 2003; Bizarre Creationsā Project Gotham Racing 2 not only managed to completely overhaul the franchise begun with the original PGR (and the proto-PGR Midnight Street Racer on Dreamcast), but created a standard of Live gameplay that many subsequently failed to replicate. With an added dimension of collecting Kudos as well as competing in a range of race types including Cone Challenges, Head-to-Head Races, Speed Camera Challenges, and of course straightforward Street Races, there was plenty to experience. During the course of 2004, Bizarre released two download packs which continued to expand on the brilliance of PGR2 with a raft of new tracks and cars, but itās taken until the release of Xbox 360 for fans of the series to get the next dose of PGR action theyāve all been waiting for.
One of the cornerstone launch titles for Xbox 360, PGR3 features over 80 of the worldās most prestigious speed demons, with races taking place in London, New York, Las Vegas, Tokyo, and the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife. Though the desire to win as much cash and gain Kudos remains, there has been a significant shift away from the car class structure of its predecessor the actual structure of the game, which in theory, should accommodate a wider range of gamers. Rather than employ a strict, rigid car class based series, Bizarre have made the decision to revolve the Solo Mode around the specific cities, including globe-trotting world series. That said, all of the race types reappear in PGR3 including a few new challenges such as Time vs. Kudos races where players have to gather Kudos to stop the clock and complete the lap before time runs out.
Even after playing the game for a short time it becomes blatantly clear that Itās a lot easier to gain access to the fastest, most desirable cars in the game such as the Enzo Ferrari, the TVR Cerbera Speed 12, and the Pagani Zonda compared to either of its predecessors. Whether this will be a decision that will please stalwarts of the PGR franchise will have to be seen, however it does mean that gamers wonāt have to trawl through a dozen car classes before reaching the top-end machines. The number of cars is quite a drop from the 100 plus figure of PGR2, but is perhaps down to the fact that every car in this latest iteration is the very creamiest cream of the crop ā“ thereās very little chaff.
The longevity of the Single-Player mode in Project Gotham Racing 2 always revolved around the players sense of achievement and the drive to complete all of the races on the most challenging āPlatinumā difficulty. Such a drive is sure to continue with PGR3 thanks to the retention of the different difficulties. In the previous game the rewards for getting the higher medals included some premium cars such as the aforementioned TVR Cerbera Speed 12, but with that vehicle included in the main pool of unlocked cars, what can Bizarre offer gamers this time? Thatās where Kudos comes in with the continuation of RPG style driving levels and locked concept cars.
Speaking of Kudos, the system has been on the receiving end of quite the overhaul for PGR3 with a raft of new Kudos-building manoeuvres implemented into the game, and breakdowns of already established Kudos earners into more components pieces. For example part of the new system looks at how well the player slides around the track based on entry angle, speed and position, and thereās bonus Kudos to be had with skilful use of braking too. Air, two-wheels, 360s, and other such manoeuvres return to the Kudos making system too, which in turn excite the crowdā¦
Whilst itās great that the cars in the game are all high-spec (letās face it for most of us, this is the closest that weāll ever get to driving a majority of the vehicles in the real world), the decision to drop some of the slower cars has meant that a favourite PGR2 fan-made gametype can no longer be run: Cat and Mouse. For those of you Live gaming PGR2 owners out there, there are very few games out there for the Xbox that match the titleās user-friendly interface, not to mention the strangely social aspects of racing online available in PGR2. As such, thereās a lot of pressure on Bizarre to deliver an online experience that matches the near-perfection of the previous instalment.
One key area that has undergone development in the transition from PGR2 to PGR3 is the multiplayer mode, which now features actual gametypes (though sadly Cat and Mouse doesnāt make the grade.) Of the standard Street Race and Eliminator modes, the Capture the Track mode is perhaps the one that will create the greatest level of competitiveness in players; racing around a track, two teams (red and blue) have to gain control of the entire track by āwinningā sections of it. How do you do that? By recording the fastest split possible. The thought of shaving hundreds of seconds off a split to win a corners section already gives us a stress headache ā“ we canāt wait to beat our friends list come launch day. The multiplayer mode also features career progression, which again follows the same racing series template laid down by the Solo mode; winning races against AI is one thing, but racing against others is another thing entirely.
One of the PGR3 features trumpeted by Bizarre in recent months has been Gotham TV, which enables gamers to (amongst other things) watch the best of the best race around the gameworld. Set around a number of āchannelsā, Gotham TV also allows players to see their friends perform on the track, as well as watch their own saved replays and photos, and keep up to date with the latest PGR3 news thanks to a live news ticker. Like the first time you use Live, Gotham TV feels a bit strange at first ā“ watching unknown drivers race around a track sounds an even less exciting spectator sport than Formula 1 ā“ and does seem more of a novelty than a strong feature of the game. Having said that the ability to watch friends is a tad more exciting, not least because actually you know who youāre watching (expect much banter to arise from this channel.)
A Photo Mode in a racing title isn't exactly new (a certain development team called Polyphony Digital did that earlier in the year), but it's certainly a first in the PGR franchise. Enabling gamers to immediately pause the game and set up a shot (something that wasn't possible in Gran Turismo 4) with a range of effects, angles, and other such photographic options before taking the shot and returning to the race is a seamless process and brilliant. Although saving some of the nicer photographs is quite a neat option for players to have, it does seem that itās a way to show off some of the detail missed when a race is in full flow.
Forget having to look at your precision vehicles with the concrete confines of a featureless garage, in PGR3 the cars are placed in settings far more befitting their status. Beginning with a āsmallā four car garage, which illuminates the vehicles thanks to the massive skylights in the roof, through to a converted barn and more, gamers can now treat their purchases to glorious settings that allow them to be seen as they were intended. Walking around the garages to survey the cars is an experience in itself, and itās a testament to the hard work put in by Bizarre that these are the most realistic looking car models seen in a videogame to date. In fact the garages themselves look highly-realistic and are just as impressive ā“ thankfully the ability to take photos from within the garage is available.
With a diverse soundtrack list from Aphex Twin to Mozart, PGR3 has something for every player, and with the Xbox 360ās ability to stream music across from a host PC, there will never be a reason to turn down the volume. This is game that sounds as good as it looks; besides the licensed music, Bizarre has also gone to town to ensure that the cars sound exactly as they should.
Of all the different areas of game development in Project Gotham, none has received a greater upgrade from PGR2 than the visuals, which are nothing short of stunning. Although they look jaw-dropping enough on standard TVs, the jump to HDTV lifts the game to even higher levels. Crisp lines, and greater detail are the order of the day with some of the more subtle visual effects (such as the heat from the exhaust) even clearer to see. Weāve all been bombarded by polygon counts throughout the development of PGR3 with stats such as the number of polygons in the Brooklyn Bridge in PGR equals the same amount in the whole of New York in the original PGR, and itās not until you actually play the game that an understanding of such statements is made. Damage modelling is far more limited than in PGR2 with bent spoilers and side-mirrors seemingly the only visible indication of a collision, but this is a game where true simulation is not the order of the day ā“ this is fast arcade action. The locations are stunningly replicated from the Las Vegas strip through to the neon lights of Tokyo, and the skyscrapers of New York all looking about as near to photo-realistic as youāll have seen to date.
The much touted reacting crowds of PGR3 do feature (with flash cameras in tow) through the game, but with the speed of the cars it can be difficult to spot them actually doing what theyāre supposed to; replaying the races does show them a little clearer but its more of a case of blink and youāll miss them. Their addition isnāt wasted however (especially if you take a snap in the photo mode), and at least the city streets donāt feel like the sets of 28 Days Later.
One thing that doesnāt seem to have been messed around with much is the control system, which PGR2 veterans will take to like duck to water. In this respect the main soul of the game hasnāt changed to the previous instalment, which is where some gamers may feel some disappointment; if however, you felt that the feel of the cars was spot on in PGR2 then you can relax ā“ itās very much as you were.
Although the full version of the game is available via the Xbox Live Arcade, Project Gotham Racing 3 allows players to experience the delights of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Time Attack mode courtesy of the in game arcade machines. Unbelievably this light fantastic shooter actually uses all three of the Xbox 360 core processors thanks to the complexities of the new gravity grid embedded into the background, and whilst itās there as a break from the vehicular action, itās certainly one game where the full version on Xbox Live Arcade needs to be unlocked. With stronger effects, more enemies, and the implementation of scrolling backgrounds, Geometry Wars has certainly become the very essence of Retro Evolved.
Breaking down PGR3 into its component parts, and putting its visuals to one side, what does it offer to players that its predecessor doesn't? Looking at it like that, very little. In fact, Project Gotham 3 is a good example of a lot of sequels that emerge today: evolution not revolution. Ok, so the interface is (astonishingly) even more streamlined than in PGR2, which quickly enables gamers to access the various options in record time, and the additions such as Gotham TV and Photo Mode are two nice touches, but there's little in gameplay innovation here. The expanded multiplayer modes is sure to hold its own in future months, especially the Capture the Track gametype, and itāll be interesting to see what future downloads the team at Bizarre will release for PGR3. Overall however it's been a time of refinement for the guys up in Bizarre, which has meant that their key franchise for the Xbox family continues to just get better.
