This year has been very successful for fans of driving simulators. Just think: already out Forza Motorsport 7, F1 2017, and not far off the release of Gran Turismo Sport. On 22 September, went on sale Project CARS 2 game from the British Studio Slightly Mad Studios. Two years ago I told you about the first game of this franchise and called it “a recognition of developers in love car sports”. Well, the sequel brings the level of quality of this simulator to a whole new level and offers players a significantly larger number of various content. Now let’s talk about all under the order. And to tell here is really about.
Game: Project CARS 2
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Genre: Racing Simulation
Release date: 22 Sep 2017
Developer: Slightly Mad Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
If you forgot, I remind you that the franchise Project CARS was born solely due to people’s love crowdfunding and a very friendly community of users. In the creation of the first game people have invested more than 3.7 million euros. This developers was enough to create a truly realistic in all respects car simulator, able to win the hearts of fans of the genre. The game sold an impressive circulation of over 1.5 million copies, which was the starting point for beginning work on the sequel. But doing just “boring sequel to” the developers strongly did not want. They had to jump over your head, because hundreds of thousands of fans was waiting for another revelation in the genre.
The second game was not created only with the help of crowdfunding, but with the support of a major Japanese publisher Bandai Namco. The management of the company saw the potential in the first game and readily agreed to invest in the development continue, and to help to organize large-scale advertising campaign. Not without the participation of dedicated fans of the series. On a voluntary basis they help developers to test future game, shared his thoughts on how to make it even better, and strongly supported the employees of Slightly Mad Studios during the production process. We can say that Project CARS 2 is, as before, the product of love of a large group of people to motor sport.
To start the story I would like with a great career mode, which was noticeably deeper than in Project CARS. Career consists of six stages, each of which contains a variety of automotive disciplines. For example, Formula Rookie or races on the cards Kart One, the Championships are established by the various car manufacturers like Renault UK Clio Cup rally races on off road terrain, the drive of prototype cars and GT racing in supercars. Only 29 subjects, which are able to satisfy the most demanding connoisseur of Motorsport. Rules and regulations of each competition is unique and requires thoughtful consideration. To complete the picture missing here is that the F1, but the developers just couldn’t afford to purchase a license to use it. Very much it is expensive.
You can work your way up the career ladder in different ways. Road to Olympus in this game does not have a clear structure, and for each player it could become unique. However, to win in some disciplines you will have to compulsorily. And here, for example, the 24-hour race of Le Mans and Indianapolis 500. The player just breaks into auto racing, and must have to create a virtual avatar, choose your country and then sign a contract, signaling its readiness to participate in the race. You can jump from one Motorsport to another, gaining access to new cars and tracks like in the first game. This series has always been different from peers: the developers don’t force players to “grindeth” money to buy a new car.
A pleasant novelty for career mode was the presence of the races Drives Manufacturer. They represent a variety of jobs from 14 manufacturers of cars. The player will have to test for these cars in special landfills. Many complained that the original game had too little of classic cars. Well, the developers listened to them. You will be able to get behind the wheel of the Group 5 GT cars, Group A Touring, Group C Prototypes and to ride on the legendary roads that once made them famous all over the world. Historic racing made its debut in Project CARS, the game also provides in the form of several individual events.
In the first part of the game we were offered a choice of 60 different cars. In Project CARS 2 the developers have done an incredible job. You will be able to sit behind the wheel of 182 cars from 38 manufacturers, which are divided into five classes. Good progress for two years, agree? Among novelties it is possible to allocate the Honda Civic, Jaguar XJ220, Volkswagen Polo, Nissan R89C, and for the first time in the series you will be able to drive a car brands such as Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Jaguar and Nissan. All this became possible thanks to financial support from Japanese publishers. Because the license to use each car in the game is purchased from the manufacturer. And don’t forget the right to use the names of automobile areas also worth decent money.
The number of available tracks in the game increased from 30 to 46 pieces. Each track has several variations, like in the first game, which essentially results in the presence of a huge number of tracks. Each track was carefully scanned by laser cameras, so the game actually existing locations fell with minimal differences from the original. From new lifts to mention Fuji Speedway, Knockhill, Long Beach and Dirtfish rally. The developers are also very proud of a brand new weather system. Physics engine 3.0 LiveTrack allows rain to accumulate in a realistic puddles that dry up right before your eyes, if from behind the clouds the sun Peeps out. Lightning during a thunderstorm and the ice crust on asphalt completely transform the appearance of the track. All this is happening all the laws of physics and looks just amazing! Add to this another shift the time of day and seasons – then you will imagine that I mean.
Of course, weather conditions, coating and humidity of the track directly affect the behavior of your car. In this, the developers have remained true to yourself. The threshold of entering the new game remains at a very high level. And if you’ve never played a realistic racing game – you have Oh, how hard times. The exhibition IgroMir 2017 I had the opportunity to play on expensive hydraulic chair, worth 1.5 million rubles, which was installed three screens with a total resolution of 12K. The feeling is indescribable, I tell you. But as soon as I marveled at the surroundings and got on the wet part of the track, which is still wet after rain, immediately lost control over the car and allowed opponents to put myself in the tail race. The game does not forgive mistakes, but encourages players for the hard daily training.
The developers for many months of close contact with car manufacturers from all over the world to perfectly align the behavior of their cars on the track. I must say that they managed to achieve in this regard is very high realism. Every car feels truly unique. Each car needs the right approach. It needs to be beat like a wild stallion, before proceeding to the check-in. In this respect, the game is about on par with the series Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo. Here at last is the truth behind years of experience and hundreds of millions of dollars of budget. And Slightly Mad Studios just took it and made my own simulator from scratch with the money of ordinary people. Miracles, and more!
Control of the game sold significantly better, than the original. The developers have managed to tidy up the model of management by using game controllers. In the first game with analog sticks many players had a rather strained relationship. Now the situation became better. Unfortunately, the game does not support all without an exception of model rudders. Therefore, by connecting to your console, HORI Racing Wheel Apex, I came to the conclusion that it does not work in booster mode, and as a regular DualShock 4. Dig deeper in the game settings, which, as before, can scare the unprepared viewer with the abundance of sliders and all kinds of switches, I set the control under your driving style. However, the full support of my helm in the game would not hurt. Surprisingly, the developers have not considered this point and left behind thousands of owners cheap official steering wheels for the PlayStation 4.
Of course, not without a pinch of criticism. Many players, including myself, agree that some of the slot cars felt too light. Sometimes not very strong, it would seem that being hit in the side, the car goes off to the side like he was hit by a train, rushing at full speed. I would recommend you necessarily use a test and the qualifying rounds to adjust to each specific car and feel it on the track. A large part of the settings the game puts you alone, but at any moment you can intervene and subdue any aspect of the behavior of the “iron horse” on the road, based on personal experience.
The multiplayer component of the game is carefully tailored to the concept car of eSports. Updated matchmaking system works surprisingly adequately and quickly. It not only picks up opponents of your skill level, but also tries to take into account such a parameter, for example, as a courtesy on the track. If you behave like a road bully – get ready to encounter on the track with the same upstarts who wanted to spit on the rules of etiquette. Karma as it is. Changes have been made to the ranks, which has become much more nuanced and deep. Anyone can take part in numerous online leagues: from very simple to extremely pretentious and long-lasting. In other words, after you spend a couple of hundred hours in single-player career mode, you will have something to do.
Music Project CARS 2, as, indeed, in the first part, answered by the British composer Stephen Baysted. He at one time wrote music to such games as Need for Speed: Shift, Shift 2: Unleashed, World of Speed, and many others. Instrumental acoustic song interspersed with tense electronic motifs with occasional vocal accents. Music is in harmony with what is happening on the screen and not cause any negative emotions. And this in such a tense game where any mistake can cost you ten to fifteen minutes of pereprohozhdeniya track, just like gold! Very pleased I also use the official trailer of the game one of my favorite tracks of the musical collective Delerium – Silence. Trailer you can watch below.
Visually the game looks very, very dignified. On the PlayStation 4, it almost always gives a stable Full HD picture and tries not to drop the frame rate below 50 fps. Of course, most of the game will be able to owners of top-end personal computers. This is where you can Unscrew the sliders in image quality to full and plunge into the world of professional motor sport with his head. As I wrote above, you will be able to hook up to the computer to three monitors and resolution is set to 12K. I had already tested myself, so if you have such an opportunity ought to use it. Several frustrated me the lack of support in the game’s PlayStation VR headset (support HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift developers to incorporate). But this is not such a bad thing, because soon will be released Gran Turismo Sport with built-in VR-mode. That’s when I come off!
Pros:
- More interesting and structured career mode.
- Wonderful graphics, especially in game version for PC.
- The realism is off the charts, so that may scare inexperienced players.
- In the sequel three times more cars than in the first game.
- Developers worked directly with the manufacturers of cars.
- A bunch of new tracks to race on which can be months.
- Impressive changes to the multiplayer mode.
- Wonderful new weather system and changing seasons.
- Improved model management with gamepads.
- A very pleasant and unobtrusive electronic music.
Cons:
- The barrier to entry is still extremely high.
- The game does not support all wheels.
- Some cars are implausibly easy.
- There is no support for PlayStation VR helmet.
Who can I recommend the game Project CARS 2? For those who haven’t sees no genre real driving simulators. If you like “arcade pokatushki” — in this game you have to forget what they taught you earlier. The game is relentless to beginners and unforgiving, even for professionals. A unique system of weather conditions and changing time of day and year transforming raceway unrecognizable directly, making them and inspiring you to new achievements. A huge number of new cars, sport disciplines, as well as the best opportunities for multiplayer races can keep you busy for days, weeks, months. Most importantly do not forget to periodically distracted by sleep, food intake and other physiological needs of the body. Otherwise there is a risk that you lose yourself in the game without a trace. I give her 9 points out of 10.
Review game Project CARS 2
Sergey Grey