Project Gotham Racing 3

"It's PGR2, but prettier."

Let me summarize this review in four words: I liked PGR2 better. Is PGR3 just a graphical powerhouse to show off to your friends? I think so. PGR2 is my favourite racer ever - mainly because it provided a challenge, and it was traditional - you start out with a poor car, and get the Ferrari's and whatnot near the end. In PGR3, it took my less than three hours to get the best car in the game (McClaren F1, imo). Even the best car to start off with will probably get you through the pathetic career mode easily.

This "170MPH Club" annoys me, flat out. I'll just leave it at that. So, what are some redeeming features of the third incarnation of Project Gotham Racing? Let me start with the best feature in any racing game ever, in my opinion (and the only reason this game got anywhere above an average score), the new in-car view is astonishing. Turning your head to the side using the right analogue stick and watching the streets of Las Vegas blurring past you is...lovely. Infact, that's the word that suits PGR3's graphics down to the ground - lovely.

I'm sure you heard the "100,000+ polygons per car!" boasting from Bizarre - and yes, the cars do look extremely nice - permitting you have a High Definition TV. If not? Well, they still look okay, but...not next gen. For instance, one of my cars I have bought in PGR is diagonally raised lines going across the car - on my PC monitor, these are easy to see, and the game does truly shine here. When I put it on my 40" CRT TV? Very, very...average.

I know, a game isn't based on looks - but is that what this game was intended to be reviewed upon? It seems so. The gameplay is nothing different from PGR2 (the "career" mode is spookily similar, too) - yeah, the cars are nice to drive, but it can be a fair bit annoying spinning out from the slightest touch. What this does encourage, though, is getting to know the track - but this is very, very difficult to do. PGR3 boasts a custom-route maker - where it is possible to create 100m+ tracks, if I remember correctly. Nice option, but I rarely found myself using it. Online would be a blast with it, though.

GothamTV is a really cool feature - watch the best PGR3 players duking it out is always good to watch. Aside from that and the Route maker? Not much else to do apart from get bored with the repetitive career mode. I've had a quick go online at a friends, and it was great. Then, I met they players who find it a good "tactic" to use you as a bumper for going round corners. Not fun, and in a way, classed as cheating. This is PGR3, not Destruction Derby!

Overall, the game is a graphical powerhouse - with crap loading times, simply. The game offers very little new elements over PGR2, so if you're still having fun with PGR2, give this a miss, or rent it to see if the "improvements" are substantial enough.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/02/06