Project Cars (Video Game Review)

If there is one thing most gamers like, that would be cars. Being able to control a wide range of cars in a variety of realistic environments is amazing, and that’s exactly what Project CARS tries to accomplish. However, unlike many other car racing games that focus on bringing in an arcade experience, Project CARS has a single goal, and that is to bring you the ultimate simulation. And that’s exactly what the title does, it brings us the utmost realism that you would like from a racing game, and it provides us with the ability to race in controlled environments such as racing courses, with the main purpose being to win races. What makes Project CARS very interesting for me is the fact that it comes with a sandbox approach when compared to other types of games, and this makes it more appealing. You are not restricted to a certain car type or motorsport, not you have to acquire currency in order to get the car you might want. Instead you have complete control over where and how you want to play, making the game as open ended as you want.

Campaign
The most important piece of Project CARS comes in the form of its main campaign, which is basically a career mode where you strive to deliver the best possible results in races. The career is divided in stages and, as we said earlier, there is no restriction when it comes to how and when you want to play, you can start with the hardest stages if you want, and the results will be well worth it.

What I enjoy the most here is that the racing events are not simple races, instead you will be able to see how the event spans over multiple days, with preparations, warmups and all that stuff. This is exactly what makes Project CARS so impressive, the fact that you actually get to be a real driver and see the authentic experience. You do progress as you play, and there are a ton of arenas and circuits to explore, so this is where you will spend most of your racing time!

Community events
These are available in the driver network and they just allow you to explore a wide range of events that are created by and for the community. I liked the fact that the community is very active and there are always events to enroll in, but do remember that these require a lot of time, especially since you can usually find tournaments. In some way, I find Project CARS to be pretty much like an RPG, the more you play it, the more you get better at it and want to play more, which is really cool. I did have a few issues when it comes to the connectivity, but the way races are created is pretty solid, and I liked this mode overall.

Solo races
This is what I enjoyed the most, alongside multiplayer. This is basically the singleplayer experience where you have fun with the AI and I have to say it that the game does a stunning job when it comes to offering all the race courses as well as the cars you might want. The variety of car types you can use in this game is astonishing, from old school formula 1 cars to carts or racing cars, all of them are portrayed in a very realistic manner. Not only that, but the way they drive is amazing. I only drove with around 10 of the whole set of cars, but each one of them drives very well. I drove with keyboard, which is the worst option to be honest, as well as racing wheel and gamepad. The Xbox gamepad is fully supported and controls are very responsive, but for me the racing wheel is the best control option.

During the races, I spotted that there are many changes in the light and weather condition, but at the same time I couldn’t just observe how good the physics and the AI really are. Even in a simple race, the AI is very hard to beat, so you do need to give your own if you want to be the first. The courses are game depictions of real life ones such as Spa Francorchamps for example, and there are a few dozen which add a lot of variety to the experience.

You do have a garage where you can manage your car. Not only that, but I have to say that the cars have a lot of information about gears, traction, motor and just about everything that you might have wanted to see. It can be quite hard to figure out all of this if you are a newcomer, but as a car expert this just takes the simulation aspect to the next level.

Online
The online portion of the game is good, you can literally take all more than 60 cars and drive them against people all over the world in a competitive manner. I did experience lag issues, but other than that the game does a great job when it comes to bringing a competitive factor into the mix. The same rules as in singleplayer are here, the only thing that can be seen as a plus is the unpredictable human touch that can take the experience to the next level or just fall it apart.

When it comes to the game’s population, I have to say that there are many gamers online playing it already, so you won’t have a problem finding a match, because there are always a few laying around here and there. It’s nice to be able to gain experience as you race against others, and thankfully with many driving styles out there, Project CARS played online is a continually learning session. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that you can setup your car before you enter the race, so there’s a whole lot for everyone here.

Sure, the cameras are only first person so to speak, so you will not be able to access the arcade, third person view of the car, but this is understandable considering the simulation aspect of the game!

Graphics and sounds
The music in this game is rather epic and totally unexpected considering the premise of the title. The sounds on the other hand are very realistic and they do fit the way the game shows and works. Graphically, Project CARS is one of the most beautiful car games that have appeared in recent years, and this clearly tells a lot when it comes to the overall quality of the game. The cars are designed in a realistic fashion, the race tracks are just amazingly created, and everything clearly shows that the game spent a lot going through polish. You can see that the title had the community to back it up, and the results are amazing because of that.

Conclusion
Project CARS impressed me right from the start, but only when I entered the career and online modes I saw how good this game really is. There’s a ton of content here, and everything just manages to blend in together to create a stellar experience. I loved this game, and even though it does require a pretty powerful computer to enjoy it at full details, I think that it’s well worth the investment! Check it out right now, especially if you are a racing fan, because this is something you do not want to miss!

Score: 8.7 out of 10
Reviewed for PC