Project Gotham Racing 4

"The best racing game of all time!!!"

There have been many great racing games in the last few generations of consoles. One of the best before this was released was Project Gotham Racing 2. It would take some beating to better. Well, congratulations to Bizarre Creations as they managed to better their previous best. Project Gotham Racing 4 has everything you need to enjoy a good race.

Project Gotham Racing 4 oozes with quality, whether you are picking up medals in Arcade Mode, beating your mates online or taking the time to further your ranking in Gotham Career. There are soo many game modes to try, with a large selection of cars and bikes. Options are plenty and you can never have the same race twice. Well, here is a quick review of the game and I will go through each category in more detail.

Graphics

Wow. That word sums up my feelings on the graphics. If I am completely honest, these are the best on the Xbox 360. Sure, some things are pre-rendered but the colors are strong, every little detail is present, from rain dribbling down the windows to every little scratch on the paint work. The cities are full of detail and look close to real. The presentation of the menus and hud are all conveniant and make it easy to browse. There is nothing I can fault about the graphics. These will still look good in ten years time.

Gameplay

This game is fun. Whether you pick up for a quick fix, or something for a few hours, this game will take care of you. The Arcade mode allows you to collect medals like Project Gotham Racing 2 did. The objective is to get all the medals using both cars and bikes. You can even try to get Platinums for maximum 'kudos', which buys you new game modes and cars in the PGR shop.

The Career mode is probably the most fun. It allows you to climb upn the ranking table as you win tournaments and invitationals. It will take hours and hours before you reach rank 1. Online is extremely good with daily tournaments and competitive online modes. However, this game unfortunately only has a small online user base so it may be hard sometimes finding a race.

The achievements are used well as unlockables and vary from ones needing the use of skill, to completing races and modes. My favourite ones are the puzzles where you have to work out what to do, such as parking a certain James Bond car in front of a certain casino. The most fun ones though are the ones that require you to build large amounts of kudos. This means you try to drift around every corner, while trying to beat off your competitors.

Sound

The sound effects are very detailed. From tires to engines, everything is included. If you park up, you hear the birds singling and people shouting. The music you can listen to is limited, but it only ever comes in as background music. The main menu's music is groovy and catchy. Almost perfect overall.

Price and value for money

This game is now available for half- price RRP so its quite cheap for an all time classic. Just buy the game. If you like racing games, you will like this. If you are new to the genre, this is the game to try. It has everything for both serious gamers and casual gamers alike. It is one of the most fun games you can play. This game is probably one of the best available for your Xbox 360. It's certainly the best racing game of all time.

Thank you for reading!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/27/09

Game Release: Project Gotham Racing 4 (EU, 10/12/07)