Project Gotham Racing 2 review

Along with the requisite troupe of outspoken fanboys, each new generation of consoles brings a gleaming new catalogue of racing games. It's hard to beat the visual impact of driving dream vehicles as a way to show off new hardware; assembling an appealing collection of cars - with generous opportunities to put them through their paces - guarantees that "oohs" and "aahs" will follow. On Xbox, Project Gotham Racing followed the formula with technical precision, delivering one of the best launch titles. Flash forward to the present day, where its sequel arrives amid a transfigured landscape. Whilst prior success made this follow-up a foregone conclusion, it did not assure similar results. Racing sequels already face the difficult question of how to take the same basic concepts and make a compelling new game. Today's more mature Xbox landscape - abloom with eye-catching graphics - adds another degree of difficulty to the test. Bizarre Creations answers with all the polished poise of a professional; with Project Gotham Racing 2. Or should that be PGR3? Because, chronologically, the series started life as Metropolis Street Racer, back on Sega's Dreamcast. This latest iteration reflects the refinement of its cumulative time in development - but does it finally realise the promise seen in the first game?Predictably, the first step in crafting PGR2 was to offer more: more cars, more cities and more racing. So much more, in fact, that only the most fanatical of race fans will endeavour to work through every section to the highest level of completion. The main single-player mode - the Kudos World Series - delivers all the racing action of a complete game in and of itself, but the variety doesn't end there. Three modes of arcade racing, two modes of time attack, and an instant action mode give PGR2 enough content to occupy months of competitive gaming. And that's before factoring in Xbox Live - but more on that in a bit. PGR2 whets the appetite with a broad selection of 102 cars (across 14 classes) straight out of the box. Open spaces for downloaded cars tantalise the hunger; with the mysterious allure of potential future additions. Of particular note: a collection of Ferraris, ranging from the classic 275GTB through to the latest uber-exotic Enzo, making this the finest ever assembled for a videogame. Whilst keeping with tradition, only two cars are initially available in each class - however the others are not entirely off-limits. An innovative showroom feature affords the opportunity to stroll around (in first-person fashion), inspecting the entire stable of cars as if transported to the world's most exclusive dealership. Fancy a test drive? Hop right in and wrap your taste buds around the flavour of unlockables; ownership that can only be sated through competition in the main game.Once again, Kudos return as the 'car keys' necessary for opening these tempting new vehicles (beyond the initial few). This third generation sees the system finally honing an elegant trade-off of risk versus reward. For those new to the series, Kudos are points awarded for spectacular driving. While previously only earned with "stylish" manoeuvres - powersliding, catching air and the like - sound racing technique (like drafting or taking the right line through a corner) now also pays off in points. This addition opens the door to new and creative ways of extending the combo chain (needed to score big Kudos). A little more forgiving than before, each successive Kudos-earning move adds both points to your stash and a link bonus. Crashing before your stash is banked loses only the bonus - a penalty yes, but one allowing credit for the completed moves. Even collisions benefit from the new spirit of forgiveness, with some accidental incursions into the wall (or other racers) now possible without penalties. At the successful completion of each race, earned Kudos go towards an overall total that determines your Kudos rank. Each successive increase in rank comes with the reward of Kudos tokens - which may then be used to purchase locked cars for competition.And that competition sees more of the world than James Bond on assignment. From Stockholm to Sydney, Washington DC to Moscow, a total of ten cities host the races (each with something like six to twelve course arrangements of their streets). Photorealistic describes not only their appearance, but also the manner of their creation. Three-person teams visited each location, recording both digital stills and video diaries of the intended courses. In game, the final result of this extremely arduous modelling process is breathtaking. This graphical nourishment comes with but one compromise - streets are completely bereft of life (outside of the occasional flock of birds). Sadly, zero tolerance of bystanders, opposing traffic or parked cars contributes to a landscape of almost surreal post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Although, with maniacs careening down boulevards at breakneck speed, who could blame the populace for making themselves scarce? All the globetrotting provides more than just a pretty facade. Each locale imparts a sense of character to the tracks: Barcelona's old world charm and narrow streets demand precision driving, whereas the wide pavements of Moscow lead to more open-throttle tactics. If all this were not enough, in a dramatic departure from the street racing, PGR2 provides one more track - the mighty Nurburgring (located in Germany). Perhaps the most demanding circuit in the world, experiencing all thirteen miles and 73 bends of this lovingly-recreated mountain road-cum-racetrack amounts to racing nirvana.Enthusiasts might need a gentle tap - to remind them that they can indeed drive the 'apparition' of their dreams the first time it appears on screen. As if driven off the pages of the manufacturer's brochure, every subtle contour, signature grille, badge and detail has been reproduced in exquisite fashion. A stab of the accelerator brings these still images to life. Convincingly-natural lighting plays across every surface, in concert with accurate reflections and shadows, to convey a real sense of motion. Even when clocking speeds in excess of 200 mph, the framerate remains steady. Although Bizarre's decision to lock the action at 30fps drew much criticism, it results in barely negligible lock-ups - and almost 'Zen-like' levels of slowdown-free drivability. Driving skill, as ever, remains in the hands of the operator, and at these speeds contact with walls is all but assured. However, there is no stifling the grimace at the resultant damage. Yes, that's right, damage is modelled graphically - but thankfully only for cosmetic effect, so racing continues unhindered. With PGR2, the ears have no cause to be jealous of the eyes. One growl of the F40 at full throttle reveals the attention given to reproducing each model's exhaust note perfectly. When combined with convincing tyre effects, the aural sensation of driving at speed is significantly enhanced (and thereto the immersion). PGR's signature radio simulation returns too - and adds the finishing touch to this transfigurement of driving through 'real' streets. Over 200 songs (complete with a localised selection of DJs) resides on the disk, or - for the ultimate custom experience - it supports user soundtracks compiled from the hard drive.Already holding a full hand, PGR2 plays its trump card with Xbox Live. While the service isn't exactly new, its first year of operation passed rather unremarkably. PGR2 changes all that. After years of facing only computer opponents, racing against real competitors from around the globe delivers one of gaming's historically-memorable thrills. Just as the first shots fired in Quake forever changed shooters, racing will never again be the same. But PGR2 goes beyond just online multiplayer. Unprecedented integration of Live into every aspect of the game heralds the arrival of a new era in online gaming. As a broadband-only service, every Live subscriber brings an always-on connection to the Net. PGR2 taps into that resource by establishing connectivity at the start of each gaming session (multiplayer or single). In the single-player game, this allows for realtime updating of every player's best run on each course. Complete a run and almost immediately it compares to the 'Top Ten' list; along with options to compare to scores around it and the Friends' list. Struggling to complete a challenge? Those Top Ten runs automatically upload to Live's servers and are available for download. Pull down the top two or three scores and get an instant tutorial from the reigning champs. Looking for worthy competition? Download a ghost of the top Time Trial from any circuit and try to supplant it as king.The almost obsessive attention to simulating everything else leads naturally to the assumption that PGR2 is a racing 'simulation'. It's not. Nor is it entirely an arcade racer either. Evidence of the efforts made to improve realism begin with the cars themselves. Where in prior versions they seemed to float weightlessly just above the tracks, PGR2 conveys a truer sense of appropriate mass. This in turn re-establishes the sense of connection with the ground. In motion, the handling model does an excellent job - with the impression of tyres offering only a limited amount of friction, to be used in either braking or cornering. Try and do both at the same time and they lose their grip, resulting in a slide. Inexplicably, PGR2 somehow fails to apply the concept of weight-shift - the other key component in the cornering equation. Left in limbo between simulation and arcade, the control's initially intuitive feel is deceiving; and requires an awkward struggle to artificially correct the cornering line.Practice soon fosters the skill to master the controls - however incongruous they may be - but it cannot steer around the identity crisis which faces the single-player game. Five medal, or difficulty, levels (Steel, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum) offer some relief from the high frustration of the previous two versions. Completing all the stages for Steel, Bronze and even Silver proves challenging yet enjoyable. The first signs of trouble appear at the Gold level; computer-controlled opponents revert to their old ways of recklessly ramming and disrupting races. It soon becomes clear that winning requires almost perfectly maintaining the racing line - without the "stylish" moves that earn the bulk of the Kudos. Even the most avid and skilled players will struggle on the devilishly-difficult Platinum challenges. At that level, failure to beat the pack through the first turn all but assures defeat at the hands of the demolition derby (whilst a single leader pulls away - flawlessly carving every turn).Crossing the finish line, the troubles 'transfigure' as simply an unfortunate crack in PGR2's windshield - a blemish, but nothing so crippling as a flat tyre. After learning the control regimen, it only takes a few adjustments to drive each model with aplomb - all the way up through the mighty 660-horsepowered Enzo (albeit one that appears to have Colin McRae at the wheel). So, turn up the radio, blast through the streets of your favoured international locale - preferably with a few friends on Live - and PGR2 works its wily magic. In no time at all, it becomes apparent the packaging may require one more label: "WARNING! Product may be habit-forming!"