REVIEW
079REVIEW
with 50-plus locations and
more than 130 track layouts,
that means a lot of driving fun
if you just want to drive the
200-strong list of licensed cars.
There’s also a very enjoyable
Rivals mode in which you can
enter a time-limited community
leaderboard challenge, with
daily, weekly, and monthly
events, each with a different car
and track, and 30 tries in which
to beat the world. The game
shines whenever it’s you versus
the road, so this is a highlight.
This calendar-based approach
is also evident in the GT
Sport-like online subsection,
where you need to register for
a race and qualify to decide
your start position.PROSAIC MOSAIC
An unbalanced but otherwise
purring game might be
permissible, but Project
Cars 3 is a technical mess
at times, with shocking
dynamic resolution scaling
of independent elements ofthe action, which can see
you squinting to read your
dashboard because it’s just
a kaleidoscope of squares,
followed by the track turning
jaggy and cars looking serrated.
Wet weather can see the
framerate plummet to sub-
30fps, reflections in the track
are sometimes a garbled mess
(but great in your bonnet,
oddly) and glitches, draw-in,
and flickering are common.
If you can ignore the visual
frailties, balancing issues, and
gutting of beloved simulation
elements, Project Cars 3 is not
completely disastrous. But ‘not
completely disastrous’ is hardly
a quote to put on the box, is it?
Look elsewhere.VERDICTTHE OPM BREAKDOWN
Right With such
short races,
the weather
has to change
unrealistically
quickly.Below See the
checklist? After
lap one you may
as well park up
to get space.Above left The pad handling’s superb but it still feels great with a good wheel.A patchy, unbalanced, and
shallow racer with obvious
technical issues on PS4. Chasing
lap times is fun thanks to the
superb pad control and track
list, but everything else is
disappointing. Justin Towell15% Restarting
a three-lap Pace
Setter event
because you
exceeded track
limits by 6mm.24% Squeezing
the throttle
deliberately too
hard to get the
back to step out.
Mmmmm. Slidey.20% Pondering
whether to try to
finish the checklist
on the last lap.3% Trying not to
let your choice of
upgrades tip your
car into the next
performance tier.WHAT YOU DO IN... PROJECT CARS 333%
Mastering
corners like a
boss. Even when
you didn’t. Like
a... boss?5% Scouring the
menu for the old
race weekend
career mode.ROAD WARRIOR
The ability to pick any car and track
and go racing, right from the start.
Career mode needs unlocks, the
other modes don’t.SUNDAY DRIVER
The poor show from the PS4
version. The PC version isn’t exactly
a looker (even on Ultra), but our
version’s shocking at times.LOVING/HATINGHOW TO... MAKE PROGRESS FASTYour first car can be
upgraded cheaply and
easily, allowing you to
enter many races and
even clear the first few
tiers of events. Upgrade
weight reduction and
turbo mods without
pushing the bar into the
next tier and you’ll be
very competitive.NO
New Grid is another
underwhelming
reimagining of an
old game, but it’s
far slicker.YES
Project Cars 3 has
better handling and
control, more
ambition, and more
involved gameplay.IS IT BETTER THAN?GT Sport is technically
rock solid, has more
realistic movement
and better visuals.
Better racing too.NOSTAT PACKTrack locations,
though a handful
of those are
historic/modern
duplicates. Like
old Hockenheim!The total number
of cars available
to choose from
in Quick Race
mode, right from
the get-go.The highest
number of cars
that can compete
in one race. It’s
impressive – and
actually works.234 211 51 32
Accolades to
unlock. Each has
a bar that fills up
after you race,
giving a sense of
achievement.079REVIEW
with50-pluslocationsand
morethan 130 tracklayouts,
thatmeansalotofdrivingfun
if youjustwanttodrivethe
200-stronglistoflicensedcars.
There’salsoa veryenjoyable
Rivalsmodeinwhichyoucan
entera time-limitedcommunity
leaderboardchallenge,with
daily,weekly,andmonthly
events,eachwitha differentcar
andtrack,and 30 triesinwhich
tobeattheworld.Thegame
shineswheneverit’syouversus
theroad,sothisis a highlight.
Thiscalendar-basedapproach
is alsoevidentintheGT
Sport-likeonlinesubsection,
whereyouneedtoregisterfor
a raceandqualifytodecide
yourstartposition.
PROSAICMOSAIC
Anunbalancedbutotherwise
purringgamemightbe
permissible,butProject
Cars3 is a technicalmess
attimes,withshocking
dynamicresolutionscaling
ofindependentelementsof
theaction,whichcansee
yousquintingtoreadyour
dashboardbecauseit’sjust
a kaleidoscopeofsquares,
followedbythetrackturning
jaggyandcarslookingserrated.
Wetweathercanseethe
framerateplummettosub-
30fps,reflectionsinthetrack
aresometimesa garbledmess
(butgreatinyourbonnet,
oddly)andglitches,draw-in,
andflickeringarecommon.
If youcanignorethevisual
frailties,balancingissues,and
guttingofbelovedsimulation
elements,ProjectCars3 is not
completelydisastrous.But‘not
completelydisastrous’is hardly
a quotetoputonthebox,is it?
Lookelsewhere.VERDICTTHE OPM BREAKDOWN
Right With such
short races,
the weather
has to change
unrealistically
quickly.
Below See the
checklist? After
lap one you may
as well park up
to get space.
Above left The pad handling’s superb but it still feels great with a good wheel.
A patchy, unbalanced, and
shallow racer with obvious
technical issues on PS4. Chasing
lap times is fun thanks to the
superb pad control and track
list, but everything else is
disappointing. Justin Towell15% Restarting
a three-lap Pace
Setter event
because you
exceeded track
limits by 6mm.24% Squeezing
the throttle
deliberately too
hard to get the
back to step out.
Mmmmm. Slidey.20%Pondering
whethertotryto
finishthechecklist
onthelastlap.3%Tryingnotto
letyourchoiceof
upgradestipyour
car into the next
performancetier.WHAT YOU DO IN... PROJECT CARS 333%
Mastering
corners like a
boss. Even when
you didn’t. Like
a... boss?5% Scouring the
menu for the old
race weekend
career mode.ROAD WARRIOR
The ability to pick any car and track
and go racing, right from the start.
Career mode needs unlocks, the
other modes don’t.SUNDAY DRIVER
The poor show from the PS4
version. The PC version isn’t exactly
a looker (even on Ultra), but our
version’s shocking at times.LOVING/HATINGHOW TO... MAKE PROGRESS FASTYour first car can be
upgraded cheaply and
easily, allowing you to
enter many races and
even clear the first few
tiers of events. Upgrade
weight reduction and
turbo mods without
pushing the bar into the
next tier and you’ll be
very competitive.NO
New Grid is another
underwhelming
reimagining of an
old game, but it’s
far slicker.YES
Project Cars 3 has
better handling and
control, more
ambition, and more
involved gameplay.IS IT BETTER THAN?GT Sportis technically
rocksolid,hasmore
realistic movement
and better visuals.
Better racing too.NOSTAT PACKTrack locations,
though a handful
of those are
historic/modern
duplicates. Like
old Hockenheim!The total number
of cars available
to choose from
in Quick Race
mode, right from
the get-go.The highest
number of cars
that can compete
in one race. It’s
impressive – and
actually works.234 211 51 32
Accolades to
unlock. Each has
a bar that fills up
after you race,
giving a sense of
achievement.