5 ways Project CARS 3 brings fun to Sim Racing
It has come as a shock, but we got our first look at Project CARS 3 earlier this week with a trailer launched a bit earlier than anticipated on the Playstation YouTube channel. Unless Slightly Mad Studios got a hold of a memory-wiping pen from Men in Black, you can't get people to unsee the footage so the full unveil followed shortly afterwards, and here is why you should be looking forward to the next instalment of the popular sim racer.
There is no denying Project CARS 3 has received a mixed reception since its unveiling. While SMS is quick to point out the third game is as much of a sim as its predecessors, changes have been made to the assists and overall vibe of the game, to make it more appealing to users more used to playing arcade racing games. Slightly Mad stated pCARS 3 would be a spiritual successor to the Need For Speed SHIFT series and I wrote a post on the implications of a SHIFT influenced Project CARS game back in January 2019.
From an aesthetic perspective, Project CARS 3 runs on the same madness engine as earlier instalments. To show off its new persona, contrast has been dialled up and more post-processing effects have been added to create more visceral drama while racing. On the sound front, you have the impressive car sounds from the last game accompanied with intense music and an emphasis on crowd cheers when you successfully execute overtakes and pull off other crowd-pleasing stunts.
2) Career mode with a greater sense of achievement
Creating a more accessible experience also means giving the single player campaign a complete overhaul. In Project CARS 3, the player starts out as a rookie and has to buy an entry-level road car, compete in events with progressively faster opponents before reaching the pinnacle of motorsport categories with high-end race cars. There are plenty of cars at your disposal to collect, including new additions to the series such as the Corvette C8, Alpine A110 and Toyota GR Supra. In total, over 200 cars are included from launch.
If spending time to progress up the ranking to drive your favourite cars isn't your thing, Project CARS 3 also features a sandbox mode like older games where every vehicle and track combination is available to the player, allowing them to race on their favourite combinations right from the get-go.
3) Own, customise and upgrade your cars
You have more choice than ever before in choosing the vehicles you use to progress through the single-player campaign. I've already mentioned the large car roster, but you also get to buy and own vehicles. You can also upgrade your car and increase its performance index rating to make it competitive in events you unlock deeper into the career mode. You can literally build a project car in Project CARS! If you like to give your cars a personal touch on the visual front, you will be pleased to know the game has wheel customisation and a livery editor to create designs to your heart's content. For those who haven't got hours to spend in the livery editor, preset designs are also available.
The customisation doesn't just stop with your vehicle; your driver can be tailored to your liking with a range of characters, outfits and helmets to choose from.
4) Race all around the world
If there is one advantage Project CARS has over its competitors such as Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport, it would be the track count. That will still be the case with the third game as 140 tracks will be available from launch, including new additions to the series: Interlagos, Havana and Shangai circuit, to name a few. As with the last game, dynamic weather and time of day are present for all environments.
5) Share the fun with other players
With the prevalence of eSports in Sim racing, Project CARS 3 has to put as much effort into the online side of things as it has done with the single-player. This is where the new Rivals feature comes into play, which dishes out daily, weekly and monthly challenges and rewards players based on their ranking. Just so the average joe doesn't get paired with a lobby full of meta gamers, gamers are grouped based on their skill level, which keeps the game fun for everyone.
If you are curious to see how the new approach the series is taking plays out, Project CARS 3 is set to hit shelves this summer on the PS4, Xbox One and PC.
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