Project Gotham Racing makes its second appearance on the Xbox 360 in the shape of PGR4 and this time it is bringing the weather with it, but is there enough change to justify paying out for this game if you already own PGR3? I think so and here is why.
At first you will be hard pressed to notice the difference in PGR4 over the previous version as all five of the cities from PGR3 make reappearances, however they are also joined by four new ones in the shape of Shanghai, Quebec, Macau and St Petersburg which all look incredible and each offer a different challenge. The track which I have enjoyed racing on the most so far has been Quebec, with its long winding roads and steep hill climbs this circuit provides a challenge for anyone and it is a great track to learn to race on given that it is present near the start of the game.
Although the new tracks are all very challenging, just as you are getting used to them you are likely to come up against the weather thanks to the new system that Bizarre have in place for this, there is no doubt that racing in Quebec when it is covered in snow makes it a different challenge entirely. So effective is the weather that when driving in fog you are made to rely on your opponent’s brake lights to give you a clue when to turn at corners, and if you happen to take a corner wrong in the rain, snow or ice then your cars bodywork will almost certainly pay the price for it. The weather also looks fantastic, during races it will begin to effect the race by leaving puddles in your path or covering the ground in snow, sometimes it even feels like you are racing in black and white due to how dull the environments get, try taking an in game picture in this scenario and you will see what I mean, it really is a job well done from Bizarre in this department.
Racing against AI and Human opponents has now been made a different beast entirely thanks to the inclusion of motorbikes. When I first played an earlier version of this game I wasn’t particularly impressed with the bikes to be honest, to me they felt like a tacked on afterthought, but now after playing the game for a long period of time I just don’t think that the game would be the same without them, the handling of the bikes is just excellent and they really do look and feel fantastic, though there are a few drawbacks to them, like any opponent in a car being able to knock you off, which is particularly frustrating should you have just got into first place, but then this is what happens when you are on two wheels instead of four. Other than that though the bikes really do bring a lot to the game, they are very fast and take corners much easier than cars, which is were you can make up for time in a mixed (cars and bikes) race. The best thing I found about the bikes is the ability to pull wheelies and other stunts, this is great fun and helps you earn plenty of Kudos, although get carried away and you are guaranteed to lose the race.
The cars themselves don’t really look or feel much different from PGR3, all the models from the previous game are included, however this is no bad thing as there wasn’t that much wrong with them then and when you throw in the weather system to the equation you have a whole lot more to get used to again.
As far as customization goes, PGR4 doesn’t really offer many options, you can change the colour of your car but not much else, however one option that has been included is the ability to choose your drivers sex and colours, this then acts as your representation when in races online or offline.
The single player mode offers up a few ways to play, first off there is Arcade Mode, in here you work your way through each challenge using bikes and cars, as you win each race you will then earn a medal (silver, gold and platinum), the more medals you earn the more challenges you will unlock, which in turn allows you to proceed. You have to complete each challenge on bike and car to complete this mode. The other option is Gotham Career, choosing this option will see you compete against AI drivers and riders of all skill levels in a complete racing season (46 championships, 3 majors and several invitation events). The whole point of the Gotham Career is to work your way up the rankings (Amateur, Professional, Hot shot and Master) and become the best, the greatest thing about this mode is the variety you will face on the way, such as the invitational’s which have you competing to win a car by providing tough challenges.
As well as the single player modes you also have online multiplayer, this years online mode provides a good variety such as single player championships, multiplayer championships and team championships which all consist of multiple races, this provides a great way of racing online and means you can also team up with your friends easily should you wish to.
One of the things I enjoyed most about PGR3 was Project Gotham TV, I thought that this was a very good feature which was quite unique, therefore I was surprised to see that it had been replaced by PGR On Demand, however a further look into this had me very pleased indeed as not only does it allow you to upload screenshots and videos to the new PGRNATIONS website but it also allows you to download and vote on your favorites, this is a great feature as it means you can keep them on your hard drive to show off for as long as you wish.
Finally it’s not only PGR that has had a makeover, should you have a quick visit to your garage and play on the Geometry Wars Waves arcade machine then you will notice something slightly different, the clue really is in the name, a long line of enemies scrolls up and across the screen, as usual your mission is to get them before they get you, it’s all self explanatory really but it’s a nice twist on a classic game.
PGR4 is probably the best racing game that the Xbox 360 has to offer, although it doesn’t have the customisation of Forza 2 or the adrenaline rush of Sega Rally, it does offer a wide variety of challenges, is great online and looks fantastic, the bikes are a great addition to the game and the weather just tops off the brilliant new tracks, if you own a Xbox 360 then you must own this game, if you don’t then you are missing out on something quite special.
