The trend in race games lately is to hone in on a specific part of the sport and being very thorough about it. Project Cars 3 tries to be a jack of all trades while still maintaining that thoroughness.
New-ish style
The previous installments in the series have been well received and hailed for their excellent simulation of the sports. Project Cars 3 seems to take the same route but adds a bit more of non-serious fun in the mix. I won’t say the game is feeling more arcade than before but it’s clear some elements feel arcade-like which is actually a good thing in my opinion. Since Slightly Mad Studios been acquired by Codemasters it’s a bit logical to make Project Cars less full-on simulation and a bit more general fun. Codemasters have their other race franchises like Formula One, Colin Mcrae Rally/Dirt, and Toca for those seeking ultra-realism in one specific branch of the sport. All in all Project Cars 3 stays true to it’s known formula but feels like it is mostly intended for a wider audience than Codemasters other titles.
More cars, fewer locations
A game named Project Cars 3 should obviously be about the cars and Slightly Mad Studios definitely delivered with 211 cars to experiment with. Every major manufacturer (and then some) is featured with at least one model – and often more – in Project Cars 3. The number of locations/tracks to use those cars is slightly lowered in comparison to the previous game. Some locations are returning and some didn’t make the cut anymore. Luckily there are about 12 totally new tracks added. There is a season pass available which will most likely even add more tracks in the future for those who won’t have enough with the 121 tracks featured in Project Cars 3 from the start.
Make your car the hero
Single-player makes use of 10 different classes of races which all need to be raced with a specific type of car. Herein lies Project Cars 3 biggest change. You buy a car and can then apply upgrades and customizations to it. Upgrade enough and your car will be eligible for higher classes to race in. This means you can take your first car and keep with it for a long time instead of just ditching it after each class upgrade. This way, you get a real connection with your car which is something car enthusiasts can relate to. Your road form car can be upgraded to a full-on racecar if you want to. The types and numbers of upgrades available really makes your experience very customizable.
Besides the performance-boosting upgrades, you can now tune and customize your car to really make it a thing a beauty in your own personal style. Again augmenting the connection you feel as a player to your car. From the standard paint jobs to a vast array of patterns and even more decals you can get the look you want. More detail customization by adjusting the rim, the wheel type, and many lets you get even more in detail in Project Cars 3. My personal favorite customization was the ability to not only change the style of license plate but to also let you change the letters. 3P3CN1C fitted perfectly on my cars!
Handling
Project Cars 3 further tries to be the racing title for the bigger public by making excellent use of a new feature called First Time User Experience. This feature takes all the guesswork about toggling driving assists out of the equation. It’s great for first-timers or rusty race fans to let the game adjust to your own level instead of having to go through a bunch of options which won’t make much sense in the first place. This might sound like the game is more catered to beginners but veterans can rest assured. Toggling all the drive assists off will require you to bring out the best in you (and even might be best suitable for those with a driving wheel peripheral)
XP and credits
While some of you just want to get to the multiplayer part, Project Cars 3 has a great new career mode to let you experience the full potential of the game. Starting from the lowest class and making your way up to the top of the cars-foodchain will surely be a great investment in your own driving skills. Each race earns you experience and credits (playing with fewer drive assists even gets you more rewards). The experience will give you all sorts of bonuses when customizing. The Credits can be used to pay for parts, cars. Races can be unlocked by simply playing the game and completing the challenges but if you don’t want to grind too much, you can also spend your credits here, leaving less to buy awesome cars and parts…
Multiplayer, Rivals
As some of you might already know, the Project Cars series is also a popular game for esports. Project Cars 3 obviously likes to continue on that path. Multiplayer is where you can really test your skills against other players and fully boost your skills. With quick matches and ranked matches to choose from you’ll have plenty to do online. As if that wasn’t enough, Project Cars 3 offers many special events all year long to make things even more interesting online. If you’d rather race solo but still have some sense as to where you stand amongst the best racers out there, “Rivals” is just for you. This game mode features “Hot Lap”, “Pace Setter”, and “breakout” type of games to set a score. Scoring the highest on these can earn you extra rewards based on your standing at the end of the timed event.
Dynamic weather
Project Cars 3 handles really well and excels in simulating actual driving. Another thing Project Cars 3 does very well is making everything look stunning. Every detail in the game adds to the overall awe of it. The cars look amazing in-game and even more when you switch over to “photo mode”. The locations and tracks are all very well recreated to make them look like their real-life counterpart. If you can catch some of the scenery whilst driving at breakneck speeds you’ll surely appreciate the work the developers did to add it in. The dynamic weather makes some tracks look (and feel) totally different. A track can even start out sunny and suddenly start raining halfway through which is awesome.
Conclusion
Project Cars 3 focuses on a bigger audience. Everyone from starter to veteran can enjoy this game right from the start with the highly adjustable race assists available. The amount of content (cars, tracks, customization, and game modes) available in this game is a great bang for you buck if you’re into cars and racing in particular.
