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Project Cars 2 Review

Project Cars 2 is finally here

Project Cars 2 returns bigger and better than ever, with a simple promise of delivering the ‘Ultimate Driver Journey’. To come good on this promise, Slightly Mad Studios have included 189 cars, 63 different track locations with 146 available layouts. There’s also 4K, 12K (triple screen) and VR support on the PC, plus PS4 Pro and XboxOne X support. There’s also rallycross and ice racing, LiveTrack 3.0, day/night cycles and dynamic weather. On paper and in practice the features are incredibly impressive, and culminates into a seriously serious sim racer.

Project Cars 2 focuses on the intricacies and nuances which make the world of motorsport unique. It’s worth mentioning that it is not a car collecting game, it is a proper simulation of the real world of motorsport. You will get the most out of the title by embracing everything motor racing offers. That means spending time getting to know the track and the car in practice sessions, using the detailed tuning options to tweak setup and shave vital seconds off your lap timings and finding those limits on track before taking on the race proper. If you’re not used to these concepts, it won’t be uncommon to find yourself locking up and spinning out of control on almost every corner you attempt. But if you take it slow and gradually build up the pace, your lap times will plummet, apexes will be nailed and you will find yourself enthralled with what Project Cars does best and this is how PC2 is designed to be enjoyed.

Project Cars 2 focuses on the intricacies and nuances which make the world of motorsport unique.

The main attraction in PC2 is the life-like handling and the career mode. Fans of the series will be familiar with how this operates, but for the uninitiated, the career mode allows you to create your own driver profile and enter the world of competitive motorsport. You have complete freedom to start at any level or race category you choose, but the real fun is had if you decide to take the zero to hero path. Starting from the lowest racing tier (Tier 6), you race your way through each season and aim to be champion, and performing consistently will open up opportunities for better contracts in faster race categories. You’ll attempt to improve and impress on each race day until you reach the dizzy heights of Tier 1, which includes race categories like LMP1 and, new for PC2, indy cars.

The career mode is more than just racing though, to maximise performance and improve each race weekend there are the free practice sessions, qualifying and race events to participate in. PC2 also allows a lot of customisation and control of each session, as both season and session length are up to you. If you like a fast-paced game, there is the short season option which will modify the season to include fewer rounds and shorter session times for practice and qualifying, while each race will be a fraction of the full length. The long season option allows for a full roster of race rounds in each session and full length races. Performing well will gain you affinity with the manufacturer you race for and will eventually unlock invite-only manufacturer events. These are short races you can participate in alongside the career mode, and if you do well in these events you can become a brand ambassador and unlock further opportunities to excel in your career.

The technology behind the game works hard to provide a realistic racing simulation experience, it’s easily one of the game’s biggest features. It turns racing in PC2 into more than just throwing cars around a circuit, it’s a huge lesson in physics, car control, engineering and even weather forecasting. These skills will be learnt overtime, so if you do not possess them already there will be a significant learning curve to overcome, but once you start to put the pieces together, the racing is not just fun, it’s rewarding and addictive too. Newcomers that are not so familiar with the more intricate details when it comes to the engineering side can make use of the game’s engineer wizard, choosing from several different aspects on the car (like downforce or suspension) and answering some handling questions and the game will then recommend some adjustments. It’s something I think will be popular with those new to this aspect of motor racing, allowing for the same advantages on the track that are usually reserved for the more experienced player. If you are still unsure there is also an option to upload and share setups online, giving you the ability to copy the setups of the pros.

During a race it will be important to monitor the current weather conditions, not just for correct tyre choice but for all sorts of available car tweaks. You can exploit certain conditions to gain seconds on track, but you can just as easily get it wrong and end up overheating your car, ending your chances of race victory (been there, done that). The weather systems in PC2 are masterful and exhaustive. Every possible weather scenario is available including sunny clear days, light fog with rain, hazy and dim mornings, ferocious thunderstorms (complete with crazy lightning) and even ice and snow. Each condition renders some sensational trackside landscapes and racing in the snow or ice is a real challenge out on track. One of the most impressive features is when you see rain coming down for the first time, it looks mindblowing for one but it’s not just for show. Over time the track will wash out and any previous rubbered-down race lines will vanish, grip will become a premium and water collects in the low points of each and every laser-scanned track. These hazards aren’t just cosmetic either, aquaplaning becomes a real nuisance, and it will be absolutely necessary to find an alternate race line in order to find as much grip as possible. Add all this with the game’s full day/night cycle and you will take part in some of the most spectacular races ever committed to a racing game.

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You will take part in some of the most spectacular races ever committed to a racing game.

Physics in game is managed by Livetrack 3.0, responsible for executing tyre physics, surface deformities and dynamic on-track physics such as road surface transitions (like from tarmac to gravel), allowing for a realistic feel through the wheels over any surface. This is especially true when you try the new rallycross category, which has been added for the first time in the series. Couple this with the incredible detail found on track, and every single bump and incline is captured from its real-life counterpart and put into the game. It creates some immersive and ever-changing racing out on track as you are forced to consider how the circuit develops over the course of the race. The track rubbers up with grip, debris gets deposited on the circuit and even gravel and dirt which is brought onto the racing line might cause you to go wide or spin out.

Esports is a huge part of racing games today, and Project Cars clearly wants to be a part of this, offering plenty of pportunities and modes to battle real human adversaries. There are the usual planned events which are open to the public and will see you take part in countless scenarios against anyone who posts a time on the leader boards, and each track during the loading screen shows the current world record, just as an extra incentive to push harder. Then there is the ability for fan groups and leagues to create their own online lobbies, for both single events and even a full roster of championship rounds. This is all complimented with an improved broadcast and replay system allowing full control of an online stream with some professional and realistic visuals. In a welcome shake-up of the online portion, everyone who participates online will be not only ranked but also judged by their driving behaviour. For those who loathe an online race where players intentionally ram each other off track, PC2 plans to combat this by rating each driver by behaviour and performance on track. This is a huge deal and one I personally can’t wait to see in action. It’s an addition I’ve really only seen implemented in iRacing (to good effect), and there’s no reason why it can’t work here as well. Players will now be racing others online who are similarly skilled, plus racing against those who employ similar race craft.

Another update (which is certainly a noticeable one) is the work done to make playing with a controller more enjoyable and intuitive. For anyone who had reservations (the original Project Cars kind of dropped the ball on controller support), it’s a much better time in PC2.

PC2 offers a vast collection of cars and liveries that will feed any rev head’s appetite for choice. There is also the addition of rallycross and ice racing, which makes an appearance for the first time in a Project Cars game. While ice racing is a fairly niche pastime, it does create an immense challenge and something everyone should experience. The rallycross is not bland either, it’s fast paced and handles as well if not better than other titles which focus purely on rally alone, but it probably won’t fully replace them for now as the choice of tracks and cars here are limited.

Multiclass racing also makes its first appearance too. Races now no longer need be against cars of the same category or class. For fans of the World Endurance Championship, you can now emulate that experience in PC2. What that means is you could essentially be racing a GT Car, while also sharing the race with an open wheel category. This means it’s possible to be leading your class but not the race overall and it allows for anyone to really test their skills against much faster cars out on track.

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Nothing in PC2 is half baked, so this naturally extends to the game’s graphics and visuals too. They are a truly great spectacle, and everything is rendered and modelled with careful detail, especially things like each car’s dashboard/interiors, small debris and track objects, rain drops and sun flare (and the list goes on). While not super photorealistic, the game looks fantastic and won’t leave players disappointed. Sound design is also highly engineered too; car exhaust, engine grumble, tyre squeal and things like dirt and gravel hitting the cars underside create a highly realistic package, adding to the game’s mantra of being ‘The Ultimate Driver Journey’ and a proper racing simulator.

AI has also seen a huge revamp since Project Cars. Controlling the difficulty is done using a slider from 0 – 120. When the difficulty reaches over 80, the AI will make use of tweaking race setups, allowing them to extract the fastest possible speeds from the car. Not only that but they make mistakes now, and you’ll see them sometimes out-brake themselves on corners or spin out in the wet. Racing offline feels much more like you’re up against a human opponent now, and is a welcome change. They have also fixed the aggressiveness of the AI too, as Project Cars was plagued by some pretty aggressive and thoughtless AI. Now, how hard they push is in your hands with the addition of a separate slider for aggression, allowing you to find the balance that suites you.

Final Thoughts

Project Cars 2, it’s an absolute rev head’s dream, featuring a huge selection of tracks and cars, and an impressive list of liveries too. There has been some real work done since the first iteration, especially with regards to controller input and AI. While Project Cars 2 is a hardcore racing simulator, that by no means makes it dull for those not into hardcore racing sims, as gamification through the career mode, provides a platform for newer players to casually build up their skills, form an affinity with motor racing, employ proper race-craft and experience the rewarding and exciting spectacle of motorsport. Everything has obviously been worked on for a long time, and the passion Slightly Mad Studios has for motor racing has helped create the most realistic and exciting racing simulator available. While the first game was good there was definitely room to improve, and PC2 has easily achieved that and more. PC2 looks, feels and sounds so damn good, and the bar has been set so high that any racing games that follow will surely have a hard time getting out of PC2’s shadow.

Project Cars 2 Review
The Ultimate Driver Journey
Project Cars 2 promises to deliver the ultimate driver journey experience and adrenaline rush.
The Good
Addictive Career
Huge Car Selection
Massive list of tracks
The Bad
Saving setups can be frustrating
Some engineer sound files are re-used
9.5
Bloody Ripper
  • Slightly Mad Studios
  • Bandai Namco Entertainment
  • PS4 / Xbox One / PC
  • September 21, 2017

Project Cars 2 Review
The Ultimate Driver Journey
Project Cars 2 promises to deliver the ultimate driver journey experience and adrenaline rush.
The Good
Addictive Career
Huge Car Selection
Massive list of tracks
The Bad
Saving setups can be frustrating
Some engineer sound files are re-used
9.5
Bloody Ripper
Written By Josh Gahan

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