Project Gotham Racing 2

Great value for money? Yes Project Gotham Racing 2 has it all great tracks, cars, graphics and detail. and remember recommend this to your mates.

Project Gotham Racing 2 is good fun arcade racing on-line, but quickly becomes dull in single player mode. It's mind numbing having to drag through each of the classes in regimented order, and many of the "tasks" you have to complete to progress become dull and repetitive well before you get to the end. I would prefer to be able to explore the different parts of the game more freely.

Not to be overlooked though, if only for the stunning visuals and the X-Box Live aspect of the game.

I love Project Gotham Racing 2 it is very addictive but can also drag on. Multiplayer is brilliant. Definitely better than Gran Turismo on PS2. But very hard to unlock last two cars(Merc and TVR)on gold and platinum.

Project Gotham Racing 2 - This is a great game for people who love cars. Superb graphics and it feels like you're driving the actual cars. They have got loads of cars like Ferraris, Bentleys, Porches and Mitsubishis. The BMW's are good too. This is definitely much better than Need for Speed Underground.

Project Gotham Racing 2 Review:

THINGS ARE GOING GREAT! BUT YEN AGAIN

Japanese gaming mammoth Sega once sat atop the sales charts during the festive period. Despite producing both innovative hardware and high calibre supporting software, things started to go badly wrong in the mid-nineties, when Sony thundered into town and made the market, still in relative mainstream infancy, untenable for three major players. Evidently struggling, and staring at a balance sheet produced on A3 paper to incorporate all those lost 0's, Sega's Dreamcast system hit the shelves early, hoping to shepherd in the next generation of console owners before Sony released the uber-hyped Playstation 2.

The resultant sales figures did nothing but serve as a damning indictment on the marketing capabilities of Sega, and the stuttering performance of the Dreamcast turned into a whitewash at the tills. The original Playstation, archaic in technological comparison, maintained its position as the console of choice. Crippled by debt, and incapable of investing in advertising, Sega survived by pulling out of hardware development, and prostituting itself to former market rivals via its treasured licences.

One of those titles was Metropolis Street Racer. A Dreamcast exclusive, it was lauded as a masterpiece of innovation. Placing you behind the wheel of a range of high-end vehicles, with a plethora of true to life locations throughout London, San Francisco, New York and Tokyo, it forged a refreshing identity of its own. A swift re-branding saw MSR christened as Project Gotham Racing, a release title for Xbox and a major coup for Microsoft. Eighteen months on, and we have been blessed with the sequel (strictly speaking the third of a trilogy).

Despite this game and its reviews' respective titles, there are no references to the Caped Crusader, Robin or Alfred during play. Given its racing pedigree, I am also disappointed to note the absence of a Batcar (sigh). However, what of the game proper?

GAT-SO IRRESPONSIBLE!

This is a racing experience with a difference. While it seems anyone these days can faithfully capture car models, and line a few bland circuits with indistinguishable greenery, Project Gotham seeks to innovate and enthral. The basic principles differ little from your average driving game - race as fast as possible from A to B along a pre-defined route - however, there are notable and wonderful differences which elevate PGR above the norm.

Most notable is the thoroughly innovative Kudos system. Rather than blindly rewarding the first car past the post, PGR encourages and requires players to drive with panache. There are several methods of scoring Kudos, the collection of which is essential in unlocking the more advanced features. Following the racing line, slipstreaming the car in front, and lurching onto two wheels around a corner will score you lots of precious Kudos. Using trees, fences and lampposts to ricochet your vehicle around the circuits like a hamster in an exercise ball will not gain you advantage, irrespective of your lap time and/or position.

What really impresses is the interaction between available Kudos and the tasks laid before you. What could have been a gimmicky and superficial feature has been utilised to formulate the structure of the game. Rather than exclusively pitting your wits against other racers, there are a number of different challenges on offer:

Street Race - Be the first to the finishing line

Overtake - Pass as many racers as possible in the allotted time

One on One - Overcome a solitary opponent

Cone Challenge - No, not a Dutch smoking competition; more slalom skiing on wheels. Gain bonus Kudos for cleanly navigating cone gates in succession

Speed Camera - My personal favourite; pass a speed camera at optimum speed and yes, you get your picture afterwards.

Securing maximum Kudos is a fine-tuned balancing act. Speed often comes at the cost of Kudos and vice versa. To add depth, additional overall targets for challenges offset the Kudos scoring areas relating to style. Example:- You are in a street race, holding first position by a considerable margin; do you attempt to smoothly slide around the corners for style Kudos, or try and accelerate to the finishing line, in order to receive a time bonus? This maintains interest from start to finish, so often a failing of racing titles.

There are over a dozen categories of race, each populated by the various cars in that class. Starting with the hot-hatches, you are required to complete each race in that class division in order to progress. As you accumulate Kudos, you can select which cars to unlock, as only the lower spec vehicles of each class are available initially.

In addition, the 60-challenge Arcade mode is integrated with the main game, offering you the chance to accumulate Kudos on an ad-hoc basis, should you need a few extra pennies to unlock something. These challenges are similar to those listed above, although are not compulsory to progress.

I'VE TRIED SO MANY TIERS

Progression through the game has also improved upon previous incarnations. In the past, there was a defined and rigid increment of difficulty, which meant that after a certain point everyone but Michael Schumacher would come grinding to a halt, never to progress further. Pleasingly, there are now tiers of difficulty applied throughout the game. This means you can unpick the bulk of its content without ever being required to race above your level of skill. It is quite feasible to play out every challenge on Novice or Expert, meaning everyone gets maximum value for money. Great idea.

However, this doesn't detract from the satisfaction of improving to a higher level, as Kudos earned is relative to the difficulty level chosen. As high Kudos is required to obtain the superior vehicles, only the more proficient players will get to harness the power of a 660 bhp Ferrari Enzo, whereas everyone else will have to make do with an F50 or suchlike (oh well). This increases longevity to the nth degree, as you perpetually chase your next prestigious set of wheels.

GAUDI? - WOSS WRONG WIV FLASH CARS, MATE!

The locations on PGR2 are more varied and detailed than ever before. The decision has been made to omit London, NY and Tokyo in favour of no less than Barcelona (geddit?), Chicago, Florence, Washington DC, Yokohama, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Sydney, Moscow and none other than Edinburgh. All of these are faithful to their real life counterparts. I thought nothing could beat fishtailing into Piccadilly Circus at midnight driving a Nissan Skyline; evidently, I was wrong.

The visuals are so good at times, you'll feel like slowing to Lada speed in order to take them in. Whether plunging into shadow beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge at dawn, or scorching round the Kremlin in the dead of night, PGR2 is an aesthetic joy from start to finish. Objects in the distance fade to a haze, seamlessly bursting into detail as you approach. The Florence sunlight blinds you in places, often at inopportune moments. The bulbous peaks of Moscow's skyline flit in and out of view. Edinburgh provides a narrow and exciting drive, (they even provide the requisite amount of rain!). Congratulations are due for capturing regional nuances so accurately.

Asides from the geographical accuracy, cruise around and you will note subtle touches that will go unseen by most, but have been painstakingly rendered regardless. Glass surfaces shimmer and have real reflective properties; clear and legible advertising populates retail areas; the Catalan flag unfurls from various buildings, pawed by the Barcelona breeze. Even the trees spray mosaics of shadow across the tarmac. It is an amazing feat of programming skill; every area feels authentic, possessing real depth, character, and eye-watering fine detail.

The cars themselves are brilliantly realised, with the reflections actually representative of your environment. This is of course superficial, but ramps up the realism that little extra. Damage is also visible, something most car manufacturers are ordinarily reluctant to allow. However, this realism isn't omnipresent, as it's still possible to hit a bridge at 150mph and drive away unhurt. I would have preferred to see performance affected by damage; evidently, the manufacturers drew the line at aesthetic destruction.

AURAL SETS ([expletive] - I'VE RELENTED!)

PGR2 comes complete with hundreds of soundtracks, which are interchangeable during a race. However, spend a little time loading your own favourites onto the Xbox hard drive, and you can customise your musical accompaniment to suit your taste. I can hear those boy racers digging out their 'Urban Licks' albums already. Still, there's no shame in putting on Pearl Jam or Radiohead (just turn the volume down at traffic lights).

Asides from the music, as with most racing games, little pleasure is derived from the sound of screeching rubber.

FOURPLAY (AND AGAIN!)

There is a multiplayer option available, although this stands alongside the main game rather than integrated with it. Kudos is not obtainable, although it is always amusing to compete against human opposition.

There is also the facility to play Xbox Live, which allows you to race worldwide for Kudos online, and download lap times to compete against. This requires extra hardware though, and I believe a broadband connection, so don't go shaking the box for the equipment, it's not there!

ANYTHING ELSE?

This is supposedly suitable for all ages; however, if you have very young children, I wouldn't recommend it. They probably will not fully appreciate the gorgeous locations or vehicles, and the difficulty levels may daunt them somewhat. This is after all, a very in depth game underneath all the glitz, and should be approached with the reasonably patient games player in mind.

Do not get this incarnation confused with the previous version, now rearing its head in bargain buckets across the nation. Make sure it's the sequel; it's well worth the extra.

For anyone with even a passing interest in sports cars, or even those who just enjoy games casually, this is essential. Combining silky visuals with challenging and enjoyable gameplay.