Project Gotham Racing

"Room-a-zoom-zoom-and all that...."

Project Gotham Racing has got to be one of the greatest racing games of all time. However, those who are looking for a realistic racing sim need not look here for such. Fun, yes. Realistic, not really. Project Gotham will keep you occupied for a long while.

Graphics 10/10
Yes. This game has some of the most beautiful graphics of any racing game I have ever seen in my entire life. The team who developed this game used the Xbox to it's potential on this one. The cars are wonderfully detailed, with reflections in the paint and very comprehensive damage when the vehicle has been wrecked. All of the greats of WRC are there, such as the Cosworth Focus, Subaru WRX, and Mitsubishi Lancer..as well as some well known cars like the Nissan Skyline R and the Lotus Exige. Fans of these cars will be in awe at how they are represented in this game. The landscapes are detailed flawlessly and are taken from specifications of their real life counterparts. Everything from the tight corners of New York to the powerslide cobblestone streets of London. All are represented with such percision that you'll want to drive your own car with such madness. Diapers anyone?

Sound 9/10
The fact that you can download your own soundtrack for this game keeps it fresh. So many times before old tracks get repeated in racing games. Anyone remember those old endurance races of GT2? Not here. Even the default soundtrack is the best of any racing game in existance. The fact that you can listen to radio channels in each city is a plus, however, it will get annoying after the repitition sets in. The cars sound good, with the exception of a few vehicle's blow off valve. I mean, where is the monsterous hissing of blow off that these cars diserve? I've heard the blow off from a Skyline and it sounds nothing like that. But for the most part, the company did the cars justice.

Control 10/10
This game has the most percision control of any racing game I've played. The learning curve can be a bit difficult, but after you've mastered it, you shouldn't have a problem whipping the turns like you've stole something. Braking and sliding go in concert, and the car actually goes in the direction you steer it. You can't blame your wrecks on the drivetrain of the car, now! Rear drive will still slide out from under you in the game, where as the AWD cars will still handle as they always handled. The handling of this game compliemnts the control tremendously. If more games had this control, maybe we'd be playing more racing games right now!

Replay Value 5/10
The replay value of this game is what suffers. Just as all racing games eventually come down to, this game too will disappoint those of you who look for a solid replay. After you complete the main objective in the game, you can still play to compete with friends on their saves or you can just play them. But with no way to get more cars like in the Gran Tursimo games, the game will become boring after you master all the cars.

Overall 9/10
This game has all the necessity of being a powerhouse in years to come in the racing genre. However, there are some things that should be addressed. Maybe the possiblity to obtain cars for cash and still unlock others from Kudos. That would make this game that much better. If you like solid racing sims and love the thrill a racing game gives you, give this game a test drive. I promise you'll be taking the keys home afterwards.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/13/02, Updated 12/13/02