Project CARS 2 review

Project CARS 2 offers an unparalleled racing experience

If I had to explain Project CARS 2 with one phrase, it simply would be this, a truly amazing racing game with endless possibilities. In Project CARS 2 there really is no limit of tracks, cars, and weather combinations that can be tweaked and twisted to your heart’s content. There are virtually no limitations on what you can drive or where you can drive it.

Add to that mix, truly stunning visuals and you have the ingredients for what I would call one of the best racing games to date.

Game Details

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developer: Slightly Mad Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre: Racing simulation
Modes: Single-player, multiplayer
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

A game with many gameplay styles

Project CARS 2 is fully adaptable to whatever kind of racing environment you choose. If you want a complete and true to life racing experience, you can make sure every option is representative of such. If you want a racing game with a more arcade feel, you can turn on steering and break assist.

Or, you can create a hybrid of the two known as simcade—a driving game that has a mixture of both simulation and arcade elements and is designed to be challenging and technical to drive like a real car, but not punishing for all.

After playing this game for the past few weeks, I found the physics to be slightly more forgiving than you might expect. However, in no way does this take away from the great game that Project CARS 2 is. What makes Project CARS 2 such an exhilarating and satisfying experience is its ability to adapt to many gameplay styles.

The freedom to begin wherever you want

The racing options in Project CARS 2 are exactly what you would expect, and a whole lot more. Career mode gives you the chance to start wherever you would like. Want to start off as a car racer, and make your way up the ladder? Go for it! Is Indy car more your cup of tea? Have at it! Want to get directly into the GT series from the get-go? The choice is yours!

One of my favourite aspects of Project CARS 2 is that it doesn’t restrict you from choosing which cars you can drive right from the start. No restrictions, no levies, and no impediments. Just select a class, pick your car, sign your contract and drive.

I’ll be the first to admit, the AI drivers in Project CARS 2 could be better. Though, if you avoid entering turn one three wide, everyone typically comes out unscathed on the other side. I am optimistic that Slightly Mad Studios will update the AI, and get it fine-tuned. Even still, it works pretty well for single-player racing.

A racing experience so real it’s unbelievably awesome

New to Project CARS 2 is the LiveTrack 3.0 system, which adds a dynamic weather system to the game. In addition, it also changes the landscape of the series by changing the way your car will control depending on the weather conditions. Rain, fog, snow, and a day / night cycle have a direct impact on how you race.

I realized that the LiveTrack 3.0 system wasn’t implemented solely to enhance the game’s visual appeal, but also to bring a new level of realism to gameplay. There were instances where I would set it to rain in the middle of a race, and then be clear and sunny by the end of the race. However, what I didn’t realize was that the track would still be wet and even had some ponding in certain areas of the track.

Taking it even one step further, you can race with live localized weather and live track conditions. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Realistic visuals

Project CARS 2 is a huge step up from Project CARS, and in my opinion is the most optimized racing game available today. Navigating through the menus, settings, and more importantly the car selection screen is much faster and much improved over Project CARS. It’s easy to see that, Project CARS 2 has first rate graphics.

The textures are smooth, and the attention to detail is unparalleled. The cockpit of each vehicle is laid out beautifully, and makes you feel like you are in the driver’s seat. If you have an Xbox One X, you’ll be happy to know that Project CARS 2 is Xbox One X enhanced. And, PlayStation 4 Pro owners will see significant boost in performance over the base PlayStation 4 console.

Online racing with more options and better racing than its predecessor

If you are looking for online multiplayer fun, Project CARS 2 has you covered. The game offers 16-player online races, which you join via a PC-style server browser. It gives you all the info you need before joining a session such as number of players and allows you to use filters to customize your search.

If you are hosting a race, you’ll have an abundance of options that you can set to create multiplayer races. Nothing is locked away! You can choose weather, number of laps, and from any of the game’s 146 racing tracks and every car.

In addition to your overall skill level, you now have a player reputation rating based on how aggressive you race. Slightly Mad Studios implemented this so that you can restrict anyone who likes to fool around on the track and ultimately give you a more peaceful racing experience.

Final Thoughts

There is no doubt that Project CARS 2 gets the green flag. It’s one of the most beautiful looking racing games to date. It’s filled with options and modes that you can customize to your liking. If you like racing sim games such as Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo, Project CARS 2 is right up your alley.

+ Gameplay is adaptable to whatever kind of racing environment you choose
+ Plenty of game modes
+ The attention to detail is second to none
+ Stunning graphics

– Quick races do not allow you to race against other makes and models of cars
– Some may still find the difficulty too high, even when turned all the way down

OVERALL

Gameplay: 4.5/5
Graphics: 4.5/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Lasting Appeal/Replayability: 5/5

Overall Rating 4.6/5 (92%)

Get Project CARS 2 for Xbox One
Get Project CARS 2 for PlayStation 4