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| | Title:
Project Gotham Racing 3
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System:
Xbox 360
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Genre:
Racing
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Publisher:
Microsoft
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Developer:
Bizarre Creations
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Release:
Holiday 2005
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Online:
Yes
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ESRB:
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Project Gotham Racing 3 is one of the first three racers to be found on the Xbox 360. While Need for Speed: Most Wanted and Ridge Racer 6 offer up more arcade-like experiences, PGR 3 has the pseudo simulation genre well in hand. The real question is: which racer is the best on the 360? Which one is worth the money? After spending sometime with all three titles this reviewer can safely say that if you're looking for fast cars, amazing graphics, and a huge amount of replay value, PGR 3 is the only game that should be spinning in your Xbox 360. PGR3 offers up one of the most exciting and jaw-dropping experiences seen in quite awhile. It is not perfect by any means, but the faults hardly overshadow the amazing gameplay found inside.
PGR3 is designed to be user-friendly. The moment the game is put into your Xbox 360, a huge list of tracks and cars are available to try out. Most of these cars are extremely high-end and really rare. One goal the team behind PGR 3 (Bizarre Creations) had was to give the player a lot of options as soon as the game starts up, and they have succeeded in this respect. Every single car can be tested out on the test track immediately. So, those of you dying to get behind the wheel of an Enzo, need not worry. The overall feel of PGR 3 is very laid back. There is no pressing overall goal which, in some ways, removes the drive to beat the game. Sure there are numerous trophies to win by competing in various events, but not once did I get the feeling that I had to keep going to unlock the next cool aspect of the game. This doesn't hurt the experience per say, but I distinctly remember playing PGR2 for hours just so I could unlock the high-end cars. Not so in PGR3.
Speaking of things to unlock, there are cars galore to earn. This does make up for the lack of "goals" in PGR3 because every car just looks amazing to drive. This is a car nut's dream game. All the old every day cars are gone. Some may find this to be a downside but I really didn't ever feel the urge to race a Cadillac XLR convertible when a red Ferrari F50 was staring at me. The basic rule of thumb when it came to picking cars to be included in this game was: if you can't afford it, then it probably will be in PGR3. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Mercedes, Vipers, Corvettes, Lotuses, Aston Martins, the list goes on for quite awhile. Each and every car in the game handles in their own unique way. Just because you can power drift with the best of them in your Ford GT does not mean you'll do the same right away with the Dodge Viper. Learning how each car handles, its nuances, its strengths and weaknesses are key to mastering this game. The biggest beast of the bunch is the Ferrari F50 GT. This car is wicked fast. Unless you want to put your time in with this car, forget it for casual use. To put it another way, I had to spend two hours with this car before I felt comfortable even racing against the computer opponents. A great sense of accomplishment does pass over you though when a car is finally mastered. This style of gameplay does have some set backs since casual gamers cannot just pick up the controller and race like a pro.
This game is probably the best looking 360 title of the launch lineup. If people want an example as to what the 360 is capable of, they should look no further than PGR3. The cars are so detailed that it is almost scary. But for the first time in a racing game the exterior of the car is not what the big draw is. PGR3 is one of the first games to completely render the inside of each car. Each interior looks exactly how it would if a person was sitting in the car holding the steering wheel. I've always played games with the view behind the car. Not once have I done this with PGR3. I'm always playing with the inside view. Not only is the sense of speed greater, but the immersion factor is kicked up ten fold. The other amazing piece of graphic prowess that PGR3 is showing off is the cities that are raced in. Each and every building seen is exactly where it would be if you were driving in these cities yourself; the signs, the color, everything. It doesn't hurt that these cities look amazing as well. In a way, the environments are of a more graphical feat than the cars themselves.
Complimenting the visuals is the amazing sound. Each car sounds exactly how it would in real life. The Aston Martin groans while the Ferrari whines. It is amazing how dead-on the engines sound both outside and inside the car (depending on which view you prefer to drive in). Bizarre Creation made a point when they showed off PGR3 at various conventions that the sound would be one of the best parts of the game. Rarely does this turn out to be the case. The only other game known for its sound is Call of Duty 2. PGR3 easily joins the ranks alongside COD2. In a nice effect, the 5.1 surround sound really adds to the sense of immersion. Cars can be heard coming up along side you. Also the sound of the engines changes from when the view is outside the car to when it is inside (a very nice touch).
The online portion of PGR3 is one of the other main reasons why this game is considered next-gen. The community and wealth of options available to those who own Xbox Live is staggering. Enter Gotham TV. Gotham TV can be described as the ESPN of PGR3. Each day there are reports on who has accomplished what. A small ticker runs along the bottom of the screen when you aren't playing letting you know who is becoming the fastest and who is beating who. If you feel like watching the best racers in the world, just simply select the Hero Channel and then the player of choice. Novices can now study the masters and see just how the heck they are number one. But most importantly of all, despite all these cool features, is that the online community of players for PGR3 is generally a much laid back and respectful group of people. Hardly is there smack talking and if there is, it is among friends. Hardly anyone acts as a jerk. Those who do are booted immediately. There is just something about sitting on your couch, shooting the breeze with a bunch of friends while you race through New York in your Ferrari. It is an experience that can't be matched even by Halo 2.
PGR 3 is the racing game to get for your 360. It is the best racing game you can get on launch day. Sure, there are a few accessibility issues, and the drive to complete the game is not as powerful as it once was, but these are hardly important when you look at the game as a whole. It is gorgeous, sounds amazing, and for once has an online community full of people who are actually nice. Don't think about it. Buy this game.
| The Core Score |
Overall
9.5 |
| Fun |
|
9 |
| Gameplay |
|
9 |
| Graphics |
|
10 |
| Audio |
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10 |
| Replay |
|
8.5 |
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