Project Gotham Racing 3

"A Terrific Introduction to Next-Gen Racing"

Project Gotham Racing 3 is a beast all its own, somewhere between the sim-heavy Gran Turismo games and the arcade thrills of Need for Speed. Bizarre tries to be the bearer of good news for both camps, and in many ways succeeds...

PGR3 is the XBOX 360's prologue, arriving at the system's launch, alongside the likes of Need for Speed: Most Wanted and Ridge Racer 6. Without a shadow of a doubt, it is the better of the three, with impressive graphics and a great sense of speed.

FEATURES

PGR3 isn' as loaded, feature-wise, as its XBOX predecessor, but it gets the job done. You have your standard Career Mode, along with Play Now, where you can jump into any of the cars and careen about each track. Or you can go to the meat and potatoes of the game, which is its on-line play, through XBOX Live.

Career Mode isn't as meaty as past games, and on its Medium setting can be completed in a scant 7-8 hours. Of course, for you completists out there, unlocking all the cars, getting the best times, and all the achievements will come as welcome additions.

The on-line portion of PGR3 includes your requisite 8 player races, divided into categories such as Street racing and Elimination. None of the goodies from PGR2 are though. You can't even race offline and have your ghost car uploaded to the on-line servers... stuff like that. It's a bummer, but the launch window was what Bizarre aspired to, so those are the breaks.

The on-line portion also includes the ability to upload personal replays so your friends can watch how you've done in races. You can also follow along live in any race that is taking place, which a neat, but frivolous, addition.

All in all, PGR3 will live and die with it's on-line implementation, which is satisfying, but could've been so much more.

GAMEPLAY

PGR3 plays as well as any driver out there, pitting you against smart and aggressive competition at higher difficulty levels. The controls are spot on, with each car offering something unique that plays to the player's strengths. if I could offer a suggestion, though, it would be to make the game a bit faster. Though I guess I would also have to just sit myself in front of Burnout if I want that true whip appeal. But that being said, careening around narrow corners, using a drift straight out of Ride Racer gets no easier and no less rewarding.

GRAPHICS

This game stuns mostly, with startling bloom effects and magically realistic locales, with texture mapping like you've never seen. I especially like the New York sections, with reflective windows on every single scraper, fully-rendered bridges, and outstanding overal architecture. The car models are fantastic, even played on a SDTV, with the in-car view so beautiful as to obstruct gameplay.

There are some hiccups, though. The trees in this game are a couple steps bac to the age of PSX. There is a disconcerting pop-in effect of some textures on buildings. The Las Vegas level, specifically, feels like an afterthought, with lazy art and cheesy effects. All in all, this one can be improved SUBSTANTIALLY. This is in no way a complete product, but one I can appreciate nonetheless.

SOUND

Custom soundtracks are, for me, always the best way to go. That being said, however, there is a lot to be said for the varied selection Bizarre offers, from Mozart to hip hop to rock pop- it's all here. I would've loved a little more commericial, but that's what my HD or IPOD is for.

BUY or RENT

Buy. This is by no means a no-brainer, but it is a beautifully competent game. It plays well, feels good, and should last until Forza or the sequel hits...

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/20/06