The implications of a "Shift Influenced" Project CARS

Now here is a title I haven't comprehensively covered on the blog since not long after it came out; Project CARS. As 2018 was drawing to close, news of the next instalment of the popular simulator began to emerge on GTPlanet as Ian Bell responded to users on the forum. This was the most notable statement he made:

“I’ll let you know that pCARS3 will be more ‘focused’… More ‘fun’… We went to insane lengths with variation in pCARS2 and with that comes infinite balancing issues. We’ve learned a lesson here and although we have no intention of reducing content, we know what we need to fix, where we made design decisions that were, let’s call it, ‘sub-optimal’…

“pCARS3 will be more of a spiritual successor to Shift, but with all of the sim goodness everyone appreciates… The key focus though is on fun and not biting off more than we can properly chew and digest.”

For those who don't know, Shift was intended to be the professional racing division of Need For Speed, setting its sights directly at the Race Driver: GRID series. Being a Need For Speed title, the overall aesthetic of the game emphasized the thrill and immersion of circuit racing more than the realism. This was also reflected in the physics, which are far more basic than what Project CARS 2 provides. Here are some key things to note with this announcement:

What Will Change

The primary goal of making Project CARS more like Shift is to provide a structure better suited to gamers. Right now, pCARS best thought of as a Sandbox game which gives the player access to wide range of cars and tracks from the get-go. However many players (myself included) would obtain a greater sense of enjoyment if the game had a structured career mode which gives you access to more cars and more events; that's one area where the Shift series surpasses Project CARS. As well as the fact you own your cars and have the ability to upgrade them from road cars into high-tier racing cars.

The rest of what's changing is more down to speculation, but if we look at some defining characteristics of the Shift series, we would think of the race day atmosphere. Like the GRID series, the track environment is full of cheering crowds, thumping music and sponsored props. This all adds to the fun atmosphere the Shift series created. Furthermore, the game was renowned for its immersive cockpit camera which would adjust its focus and field of view according to speed and violently react to impacts.

What Will Not Change

Upon hearing the name "Shift", what got a number of people worried was that the entire game was changing its focus towards a more casual experience, which would include the dumbing down of physics. That will also certainly not happen, as confirmed by another quote by Ian Bell himself:

"It's more 'Shift' in terms of us giving you less of a 'sandbox' and more of a fun game. Aside from that we plan to really go to town on sim goodness..."

Another fear of reducing the focus of pCARS being a sandbox is the reduction in the variety of disciplines. The first quote states the team have no intention of reducing content, so as well as your traditional racing cars, you will probably be able to find your go-karts, pickup trucks, rallycross vehicles and any quirky vehicles you've grown to love in earlier games.

The Bottom Line

From what we know so far, it sounds like what fans have come to love about the Project CARS series, which is likely to include the attention to detail, quantity of cars, diversity of disciplines and number of course variations, are likely to remain intact as they make the transition into Project CARS 3. What is likely to happen is all that is now finally going to be presented in a structured, more linear progression system, rewarding the player with accomplishments and an ability to feel a sense of progression and ownership. If anything, that has filled me with confidence for the next title and look forward to hearing more news about the next Slightly Mad Studios racing simulation!

Stay tuned for more gaming and automotive news, hope you have a safe and happy new year of 2019!