Project CARS 2 vs Forza Motorsport 7: Which style of racing simulation is best for you?

If you are a fan of simulation racing games, then this time of year has proved Christmas can come early. In such a short space of time, we have three AAA simulation racing games releasing, and if that wasn't good enough, each of them takes a different approach to the genre so you will find something new to discover when switching between each title. As of writing, two of the three titles have been released: Project CARS 2 and Forza Motorsport 7 (The missing link being Gran Turismo Sport). These two titles will be the main focus of today's blog post and after my hands-on experience with both titles, I'll present the strengths and weaknesses of each title and recommend which game you should go for based on your interests.

Both titles were played on a 1TB Xbox One System.

Let's start with the title that was released earlier out of the two, which is Project CARS 2. While the intro movie does give you an idea of how diverse the racing categories are and the intense close racing you can look forward to, the graphics are not what you would call ground breaking. pCARS 2 features dynamic resolution to keep the frame rates running at an acceptable level. It's not a silky smooth 60fps, but it usually holds above 40 and screen tearing is not as much of an issue at it was in the last game. Visually, it just about holds up well enough to provide an immersive experience. A few more problems arise when you try to get going on pCARS 2 with a controller. Granted, it is far more playable with a controller than the original, but you do need to tinker with the setting before you can get comfortable with driving at a competitive speed.

Now with the bad stuff out of the way, we can talk about where Project CARS 2 shines. First of all, that track list is heavenly. You get over 60 environments from around the world spanning from real world circuits, point-to-point highways to rallycross tracks and snow circuits. What's more, the time of day, weather conditions and even season can be adjusted on every circuit. It feels like an almost infinite number of combinations to try out.

The variety doesn't end with the tracks; although 180 cars may seem lacking compared to Forza's 700-strong vehicle roster, it has a mixture of enticing road cars and motorsport legends which doesn't leave you asking for much more. Take a spin in any of them and you realise Project CARS 2 is a racing simulation through and through. The learning curve is steep and the AI really know how to put up a fight, but it makes getting it right and winning races feel all the more rewarding.

Now if you prefer a less serious approach to Sim racing, let me introduce Forza Motorsport 7. Like Project CARS 2, you have an intro movie, but it feels far better executed in this game, mainly as the clip shows off Forza's exquisite lighting, smooth edges and highly detailed car models. Though if you have played Forza games in the past, it all feels very familiar; you are strapped into a high performance car (although FM7 lets you also experience two other motorsport races) for a one-lap race around a circuit before you select your first car and begin your campaign.

While Forza Motorsport 7 has a very thorough career mode as you progress up multiple racing championships to win the highly coveted Forza Drivers Cup, the career mode in Project CARS 2 places you in the seat of a racing driver as you begin in entry level motorsports categories and win championships to sign new team contracts in more advanced disciplines and be invited to special events.

And with that, conclusions can be drawn on the sort of experience both games offer. Project CARS 2 is a hardcore simulation which aims to recreate the feeling of being a professional driver over a race weekend with the added opportunity to trash exotic road cars down coastal lanes and create rather unique car and track combinations (yep, you can take your 1000 horsepower trackday vehicle on a rallycross circuit!) Meanwhile, if you are familiar with the Forza Motorsport series, the 7th instalment sticks to what it best at doing and expands on its offerings. The handling models offers the optimum balance between authenticity and accessibility, while the generous selection of cars and progression structure will have you wanting to build your ideal car collection.