Project Gotham Racing 3

"Excellent Continuation of a Fine Series"

As one of the Xbox 360's launch titles, Project Gotham Racing 3 was released amidst a sea of high expectations amongst potential owners of the new console. The result was a solid, exciting new installment into the highly acclaimed Project Gotham Racing series. Questions had been asked of Bizarre, the creators of the game, and they answered with a resounding game filled to bursting point with thrills and excitement.

Single Player: 8/10

The main core of the game, the single player feature allows players to engage in an intriguing career mode in an attempt to win an impressive array of medals, with difficulty levels ranging from extremely easy to ones worthy of seasoned professionals. While this career mode in short in comparison to that of its predecessor, Project Gotham Racing 2, it is still very time-consuming and allows access to some fantastic new cars. Aside from the racing, the career mode offers a range of other events, such as cone challenges and overtaking challenges. While a few of these can be frustrating, the single player aspect of the game in very respectable and has plenty of replay value.

Multiplayer: 10/10

This is where the game really shines. Hours of fun can be spent racing against friends using split screen or system link, but the Xbox Live feature establishes itself as perhaps the ultimate online racing experience. The game suffers from almost no lag during online play, meaning that connection errors are never an issue. With new leagues being set up, this online feature is likely to become even better in the near future, allowing for a definitive online experience. The only real downside to this feature is that races are limited to eight players, although there is still a mountain of entertainment to be had.

Graphics: 9/10

Despite some criticism, Project Gotham Racing 3's graphics are noticeably improved from its predecessors. Cars now gleam more realistically and show signs of wear and tear during a race. However, it is interesting to note that these new cars, although looking convincingly realistic, no loner appear to show as much damage as in Project Gotham Racing 2. However, when utilising an HDTV, it is clear that the next generation of racing games has come.

Sound: 8/10

Although not vitally important in a racing game, all of the expecting sound effects are delivered very adequately, from the screeching of brakes and engine to the roar of the appreciative crowd. Unfortunately, the soundtrack can get highly annoying, but you can easily use your own custom soundtracks instead.

Pros:

+ Improves upon most gameplay aspects that made the other games in the series great.
+ Very attractive in-game visuals.
+ Online multiplayer is delivered beautifully.
+ Sufficient replay value to keep playing for a long time.
+ Impressive range of cars and tracks from around the world.

Cons:

- Only eight players in a single race.
- Lack of damage can ruin the fell of a race.

All in all, Project Gotham Racing 3 has many credentials that establish it as the best racing game on the Xbox 360 to date. A purchase is highly recommended.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/21/06