[REVIEW] Project Cars 3 - Exciting Changes That Lose the Big Name of the Series

The decision to change the direction of the Project CARS simulation racing series was a risky move for Bandai Namco and Slightly Mad Studios. Moreover, this game series already has a fairly strong fan base, especially since this game itself is built with a community foundation. Because Project CARS itself was originally an abbreviation of Project Community Assisted Racing Simulator.

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We finally understand why so many negative reactions are voiced by the community to Project CARS 3. The game does move away from what it should be from this series. But what if we look at the game from the side without compromising on what the previous series had, because we know that the developer Slightly Mad Studios has made it clear from the start that the next game will be more arcade?

So the following is a more in-depth discussion of Project CARS 3.

Beautiful graphics that are getting old

As a new series, especially after the acquisition by Codemaster, it turned out that Slightly Mad Studios did not switch to using the Ego Engine and continued to stick with Madness Engines that had been used since the first game. As a result, there are no significant changes to the graphics brought in this Project CARS 3.

You will still be shown stunning graphics typical of the Project CARS series, especially when we run it on a PC with right-aligned settings. Starting from the details of the car, the streets, to the various tracks are displayed well. Although in some tracks it looks less polished and so it doesn’t feel as beautiful as other tracks.

Another fact is that these engines have been in use for a long time, thus making some visual elements feel outdated. For example, a rain simulation that feels less interacting with the car and its track environment. The environment that is present still feels static even though the game itself has a dynamic weather feature.

It’s a shame that the graphic aspect of the latest Project CARS is no longer the main plus point of the game, but at least it still provides a presentation that is quite decent for the current generation of racing games.

The roar of the engine is the main music of the game

If the previous graphics were not satisfactory, then for the sound business, we give praise to the team from Slightly Mad Studios. Because as a racing game that focuses on the cars in it, the Project CARS series finally managed to give an epic presentation of the sounds of the cars.

Seriousness can be seen from the sound of each car that is now displayed differently and can even be said to be close to the sound in the original world. Not to mention that each car will have a different sound variation when modified into a racing car. This will certainly please you if you really like to enjoy the roar of the engine when racing.

Music that accompanies when racing is certainly not the main concern in racing games. But strangely, in the default settings the background music that is played feels very loud and even tends to interfere with the running of the race. So maybe we suggest turning down the music sound or completely eliminating the sound of the music.

For those who don’t think much about the details of the sound, then at least you will get a not boring experience to try each car. And will not hear your car sound like an artificial machine that is processed through the computer while playing.

180 degree turn around gameplay

Perhaps the main concern of all gamers is the gameplay which has made the fans of Project CARS angry since this game was announced. From the point of view of old fans, this latest gameplay does not reflect the previous series at all. Features that simulate a race such as wheels that can run out and pit stops are absent in this new series

Moreover, the game progress system has been changed to be more casual and does not require you to take part in a series of early-level racing, namely karting. Practice and qualifying sessions are also absent so that in each race you will immediately race and start from the middle / end position. The sponsorship and objective system also does not exist and is replaced with certain objectives in each track.

This is indeed a little annoying for those who grew up knowing the Project Cars series is a racing simulation game with its own charm. Developer Slightly Mad Studios’ decision to change the direction of the game suddenly is quite confusing.

However, for those of us who are never fanatics of racing simulation games, Project CARS 3 offers a fun gameplay that won’t be intimidating to get to know racing on the track. At the same time, you can learn about the “correct” driving technique through the line assist provided by the game to get the best lane while driving.

Mode variations are also provided even in career mode which will make players not bored to go through race after race. There is a hot lap mode that requires you to record the best time in one try. There’s also a Breakout mode that feels like minigames for crashing into objects which will earn you points.

And lastly, if you feel like you want to progress quickly. For example, if you want to go to class immediately, you can directly bypass the class by paying a certain amount of money. So if you have enough money you can immediately open events that are still locked. Quite a unique way that maybe other games can imitate.

Upgrade and customize as a sweetener

Another change that is worth talking about in this latest game is the career leveling system which will be divided into several classes. You will still climb your career from the lowest class. But if previously the car was only one of several options provided, in this game you will buy and upgrade your car to be faster. You can even make your car enter the class level above it.

To upgrade your car, of course, you need to complete the existing races to collect money as well as get EXP which can get you a discount for upgrading your car. If you are bored or don’t fit your car right now, you can also go directly to the showroom to buy a new car which will also have a “discounted” car every week.

If you need to work hard to improve your car, it’s different from the customization provided. Because visual modifications in this game can be chosen for free, but they are limited when compared to other games such as Need For Speed ​​and The Crew 2. At the beginning of the game you can customize your character with several choices of styles and colors.

Visual modifications for the car itself revolve around body color, livery without a livery editor, sponsor stickers, and plot numbers. The wheels themselves get more attention because you can choose various types of wheels from various well-known brands, adjust the size, and even choose the tire design that will be used by your car later.

The body modification itself is not available in this game, but you can buy upgrades to make your car a racing car which makes it get a body kit upgrade to make it different.

New handling that is the focus of innovation

We separate handling from gameplay because this is indeed worth discussing further. Slightly Mad Studios completely overhauled the handling in this game, and made it more controlled and friendly. Even so, you will not feel the handling that is too “imaginary” like in arcade racing games like Need For Speed ​​Heat.

The good news is this makes playing this game no longer have to use steering wheels. If the previous 2 series are very difficult or even almost impossible to play with a joystick. So Project CARS 3 offers car handling that is very suitable for use with joysticks. You will still get oversteering in some cars when going fast. But that doesn’t necessarily make you lose control like in the previous series.

Those of you who may already be familiar with other racing games such as Gran Turismo, GRID, and also Need For Speed: Shift will certainly find it easy to adapt to the handling provided by Project CARS 3. In fact, we’ve also tried it with a keyboard and you can still play it.

Even though it has much different handling from the previous series, it doesn’t mean Project Cars 3 ignores support for steering wheels and even virtual reality (VR). Unfortunately we haven’t had time to try out how to handle the game when using steering wheels, but from the existing settings both steering wheels and VR still have the same support as the previous series.

Enough content to keep you pumped

We already know how the races that you will meet in Project CARS 3 earlier. So what exactly is provided by this game? In it you can collect a total of 211 cars which are divided into 6 classes. The majority of these cars also feature a conversion to a race car which makes it look different from the standard version.

There will be 51 tracks that can be played with variations of official race tracks from various famous countries such as Silverstone, Laguna Seca, and even the Nurburgring. These tracks are combined with street tracks that are set in various locations around the world. Quite enough to make you chain when you start to get tired of racing on the official track.

Another mode offered besides the Career mode is Rival which makes you compete in contests with various challenges that change daily, weekly, and monthly. There is also a multiplayer mode which unfortunately we haven’t been able to try when this review was made, and also a custom event for those of you who want to try out the tracks or cars provided by the game.

Verdict

As an arcade racing game, Project Cars 3 actually appears capable with a variety of things that make it fun and won’t make you bored quickly. The leveling and progress system that is presented will also keep you motivated to keep going up classes and unlocking new cars.

Major improvisation in handling is certainly a double-edged sword, where casual players can quickly adapt and enjoy this game even if they are still using the joystick or keyboard. On the other hand, this handling may be a little disappointing for old players or simulation racing game lovers because it doesn’t match the expected handling.

The use of the old Madness Engine also causes problems because the visual effects which now also feel less updated may be a little disappointing. Although, overall the visuals of this game are still qualified for today and can still be enjoyed and appreciated.

And from all the things we discussed above, it can finally be concluded that the biggest problem this game has is the title issue. Name Project CARS already big in the simulation racing community because it was developed in that direction from the start. Slightly Mad Studios’ decision to make this series the main series and a direct sequel to Project CARS 2 instead of making it a spin-off series really makes longtime fans hurt.

Maybe the community wouldn’t have reacted this violently if the series had been given another title like Project CARS: Shift or maybe Project Shift. Moreover, the evolution of this game from the previous series outside of handling is not too significant. Which in the end prevents this game from appearing as an arcade racing game that can really please many people with its appeal. Because honestly, we who are just casual gamers enjoy what Project CARS 3. has to offer.

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