Project Gotham Racing 3
The concept for PGR originally started way back on the Dreamcast with a little game called Metroplis Street Racer (MSR) thanks to developer Bizarre Creations. As things stand with ownership and such, SEGA actually owned the name of the series, so that's why the developer made the switch to calling the game PGR. Some things changed over the years and some haven't, but what we're left with is a great series that doesn't show sign of slowing down for the yellow light.
The PGR series took more from that MSR than a nod to DC comics thanks to the "Gotham" in the name (similar to "Metroplis" in the original game) it also took the Kudos system that the game utilized. In case you are unfamiliar with either franchise, the Kudos system basically rewards you for racing like a pro. The real addictive nature of the mechanic comes from the stringing together of combos to form a better score. You could almost compare the series to an automotive Tony Hawk though with the obvious arcade racing element.
The original PGR came out back in 2001 with a sequel nearly exactly two years later. The second in the series became yet another hit thanks to it building off of the original's mechanics but offering more content and even online play thanks to the support of Xbox Live. Now, yet another two years later, the third game in the franchise has come out for the 360 and if you are a fan of PGR you can expect to see just about all of the bells and whistles, plus more. The question remains though, is this "next generation" racer really advanced enough to be called that?
Gameplay:
Having a selection of different genres available for a new game console has become a part of the battle plan. With the release of the 360 you have a bunch of sports titles, some first person shooters, some action, and of course the racer. The biggest complaint that I have seen so far about the first wave of 360 games is that they just aren't all that far ahead of what the Xbox could have done. This may be true in many cases and for the most part the graphics and online features have been the only real differences between the generations. I don't know what many people were expecting though because unless you institute a radical change like the Revolution is doing, most games will basically "feel" the same.
When the 360 launched there were two games available for the system though in my personal opinion when it becomes a choice between the Ridge Racer (RR) series and PGR it's a no-brainer; go with the latter. It's not really that the RR series is bad; it's just that I feel that the PGR series plays more intuitively and has more going for it as a whole. I've always found RR to be a little unfriendly to newcomers and unless you stuck with the series from the very beginning, you'll be frustrated in no time. I know I was anyway.
The nice thing about the newest installment to the PGR franchise is that it's so easy to get into it's not even funny. If I had to say one thing about the game, it's that it's very accessible to newcomers and refreshing for returning players as well. I dabbled with the first PGR a bit and played with the second until I had a blister on my thumb, but I have to admit that it's been a while since I hit the track. Right away you get tossed into the action with very little handholding, but Bizarre Creations control scheme is just about as intuitive as ever with the 360 controller. My suggestion to new owners that may not have played previous PGRs is to just jump right in and get a feel for things. You'll like it, trust me.
So we've all played racing games before and you should know the drill by now. You enter an event and race to win. If you win you're awarded credits to buy stuff with. The kicker here is how the Kudos points come into play. The more Kudos you rack up, the more credits you'll get, the higher your rank will be and the more stuff you'll unlock. It's really that simple on paper but becomes much more difficult when the AI and the intricacies of racing are involved.
Just like the previous PGR games, the third installment features some ruthless AI opponents that will chew you up and spit you out if you make the slightest mistake. Yeah you can adjust your difficulty, but who really wants to play the game on the novice setting? Just prepare yourself for a lot of trial and error when it comes to some races and you should be alright. I suppose that the difficulty is one of the attractions to the game, especially for hardcore gamers that love a challenge.
Incase you happen to be returning from the last game, you'll probably notice right away that the modes are a little different this time around. First of all, since you will most likely be spending the bulk of your time playing Career Mode, you should know that online and offline careers are basically totally separate. Kudos that you earn online can't be used off and vice versa. The goals of each are also different with the obvious addition of online gamers added in to spruce things up. This is pretty much the best of both worlds so depending what your particular flavor is, you'll most likely bit into it.
Some other things to fiddle around with include a Custom Track editor where you can work on a route that will test your friend's nerves. These tracks are only available for multiplayer and feature some limited options, but the functionality of the system works well. There are also tons of races to take part in online with plenty of modes and opponents to face. A Live ranking system is in place to track the best racers in Gotham and there are a couple of cool features to tinker around with that as well. All in all there's enough to keep you playing for a while and the 80 cars or so to acquire will keep your hands on the wheel.
Graphics:
While the gameplay isn't exactly what I'd call "next gen", the graphics are above and beyond what PGR2 was capable of. Having a high definition system will definitely pay off in the end when you start racing, because the difference is like night and day. The textures are phenomenal and the attention to detail absolutely blew my mind. Just everything captures the reflections from other cars or the environment and no stone was left unturned when Bizarre Creations developed this bad boy. A nice touch is that the various cities that you'll visit are basically photorealistic so you may find yourself lost in the world around you.
The car models themselves are a thing of beauty with the inside of the machine being just about as detailed as the outside. My only real beefs with the graphics are that cars just don't get damaged enough when you start smashing them up and the crowds along the tracks look kind of bland. Other than those petty complaints, this is one of the best racing games that I have ever seen and is reason enough to go out to buy an HDTV if you don't have one already.
Audio:
You can't really have a racing game without a rocking soundtrack and realistic sounding engines. Fortunately the guys at Bizarre Creations agree with that assessment and included everything but the kitchen sink. The music in the game varies wildly and there is no doubt something to suit your taste somewhere among the mix. If for some reason you don't appreciate the effort in that regard you can always just load up a custom soundtrack and go nuts. All of the sound effects in between are wonderful as well and with a great surround system you'll swear that you were sitting in the driver's seat. Aesthetically, this game definitely presents one of the better experiences to be found among the launch titles.
Conclusion:
Project Gotham Racing 3 provides a lot of racing bang for your buck. The modes here will keep you entertained for a long time and the gameplay is just as good as ever. That's the biggest issue with the slightly lower score because the game really plays like an expansion for the second PGR instead of an actual sequel. Visually and audibly the game is undoubtedly stepping towards the next generation quality that we were all looking for. If you love racers and are looking for something to sink your teeth into with your new 360, you can't go wrong dropping the cash for this game. Highly Recommended