Project Cars (Xbox One) review

Project Cars (Xbox One) review

Racing games are living a sweet moment for months, with many important and quality releases. In fact, we are receiving titles are varied, with proposals different enough so that each player can find what they want and meet their needs: arcades open world (Forza Horizon 2), demanding arcades with small touches of simulator (Driveclub), pure and hard simulators (Assetto Corsa) and even pure fantasy crazy karts (Mario Kart 8).
Now it's the turn of Project Cars, probably one of the most anticipated games of this genre that have been done in a long time, which is over resulting in a lot of delays that have managed to nerves over a fan. But luckily for all, that wait is finally over, and having been able to play at length to the final version, we can confirm that we have a great game that all motor fans should give it a try.
Do you like driving? Welcome to Project Cars
Before anything and talk about its gameplay and feelings that transmits the game at the wheel of its cars, we like to highlight all possible configuration having in Project Cars. The title is designed to compete as we drive and want, offering a wealth of options that probably come to overwhelm at first to more than one, and we can touch each and every one of the parameters of the game. Options that in many cases they are not used to seeing console gamers, one of the most complex simulation we've ever seen outside of computers.
The type of damage we suffered by cars during races, speed of tire wear, the height at which we are sitting in the cockpit camera vehicle, the aid we need, the information you want to appear in the interface, pit strategy, adjusting settings every car, the weather, the rate at which time progresses during races, the AI difficulty and a long list of other options that could throw us several listing pages. Think almost anything you would want to customize or tweak to play to your taste, and almost certainly you will find it here.
This also means that from the beginning we absolutely unlocked everything, including cars and tracks, thus being able to configure test as we want and freely, without being obliged to go through a progression system for accessing its content go and cars, because here the goal is not collecting vehicles like a Pokémon game, what is really important here is to lead and compete based on our preferences to have a good time.
In our opinion it is a success, because we will avoid having to drive cars for hours that we do not like too much to run around with our favorite, and all without forgetting how much all this will encourage us to experiment, creating tests unique of all kinds that have entertained us for months.
Turning now to what your gameplay, say that this is a very configurable simulator that will allow us to adjust driving to make it a little more accessible arcade or, conversely, very realistic for the most demanding fans (though not to the simulation levels seen in other games "hardcore" as the recent Assetto Corsa). With this drive has made it a satisfying experience and always demanding everything we want, especially with a (peripheral seems essential to us to make the most of the game) wheel.
Much of the blame for this lies with the great physical vehicle, very good in almost all situations, varying considerably from one car to another, depending on weather, mechanical damage we have received, the type of wheel to relocate they are worn and so forth. The only thing that has not convinced us much in this regard is the behavior of vehicles in collisions and impacts. Not that the latter is badly done, but it has room for improvement.
Highlight the enormous work that has been done with the camera cabin thanks to suspensions that are collected from vehicles, as we see from the inside how the cars react realistically to the road as both our driving, getting to this view is a real splash as few games have managed to replicate.
We would also like to point out the good selection of cars to the game that counts. While their numbers may not seem too high (just over 70), we have a staff of varied vehicles, cars of all types and very different. In addition, control of each is very accomplished and well differentiated, so going from one to the other will have to adapt to its quirks. To have, we have to karts (though not exactly our favorite).
Needless to say, although perfectly plays with command, as more you enjoy this type of simulator is a steering wheel and pedals. We have tried with Thrustmaster T300 RS, compatible with PC and PlayStation 4, and the experience has been great, highly recommended if you want to take full advantage of this game.

Equally comprehensive than other sections of the game is the list of circuits, simply spectacular, with 110 different tracks divided into 30 unique locations. We find both real circuits as other "invented", among which include some as mythical and historical as 24 Hours of Le Mans or Nuerburgring.
Say there are some other cases like Suzuka, which has been renamed to Sakitto and has changed slightly in its path. Of course, we can not forget the fictional circuits, such as California or the Riviera, which are authentic genius in which each curved section has been painstakingly studied to make them a great experience. In short, many circuits with great designs that constantly test our driving skills.
With regard to game modes also we have a number of options. The main single-player story mode is. Here we touch sign a contract with any team to start competing and make a name. We will have a calendar of events and competitions, a kind of Twitter where seeing the reaction of our fans before and after each race, links to news related to our achievements and other competitions and a mailbox address where we will receive much feedback from our partners equipment as invitations to special tests.

After each season, we can decide whether to renew our current team or change team to participate in tests of another category or simply changing vehicles. It is a long and deep form, with dozens of competitions and different tests, each with its own rules and special features. There are certain sections of each test we can "simulate" if you do not want to play, such as practice or qualifying, although I advised to get a good position on the grid is really important.
Not surprisingly, each overtaking is something we have to work and you feel like a small victory, especially on the higher difficulties, where the AI does not we will pass not one and we will see pressure on us, covering our potential gaps that we can find for forward and sneak up with some other dangerous maneuver to try to improve ourselves. The trouble is that sometimes behave too aggressively and even seek colliding with us, but usually it is a very accomplished IA knows pressure us to make us feel in a competition.
In short, a very entertaining mode and to throw many hours. Moreover, we can also do free practice runs and competitions or create according to our preferences with all the configuration options we discussed at the beginning of the text. Evidently they did not miss the appointment the time trials and can unburden the ghosts of other users to try beat them or learn from them.
As for the online game, it supports up to 16 simultaneous users per game and like the rest of the title, we create fully customized changing rooms all its possible parameters, including things like allow or aid in driving and if we want people can be united when we are in the middle of a race. The matchmaking works pretty well, quickly and efficiently, and we have not suffered almost no lag, so you compete against other users has been a very satisfying experience. Of course, there are currently very few players, so this could change tomorrow when I get to the shops and stalls servers look really tested.
As we play over the Internet, we will be getting a reputation or another in our style of play and behavior, so if we tend to shock us with other players to get out on track to take shortcuts and other unsportsmanlike conduct and are often penalized, It is something that will come to reflect on our profile and that everyone can see.
Finally, say that periodically they will appear different global challenges (ie, tests with specific characteristics) in which we can participate with the rest of the world to try to get the best possible marks and crown us as the fastest drivers, encouraging us to go the game on a regular basis to see what new challenge we offer. An interesting detail is that we may download ghosts of the participants of each challenge in order to have a reference and try to overcome them.
New Generation Cars
Graphically Project Cars is not far behind, offering PC and with all the options the most authentic technical deployment with which recreate, especially in relation to the modeling of the cars, which is simply spectacular and with care and taste for detail that will force you to constantly pause the game to activate the photo mode and to contemplate quietly.
The scenarios also look pretty good, the textures have a resolution and a finished level, vehicle interiors are stunning and graphic effects get leave us with open mouth on more than one occasion, with a very accomplished lighting and reflections impressive that they will want to play occasionally with the outer chamber to enjoy them.
In addition, many of these effects not only serve to make everything look more beautiful, but also affect the gameplay. Running on certain routes at night can be an adventure as external lighting is poor, because only see what show us the headlights (and as rain or fog is prepared to suffer), or compete during sunset at a stretch that puts us in front of the sun while giving us a view, you will end completely blinding.
Of course, there are certain details that have not convinced us too, as the trees of the scenarios. Though when we're running and pending road we are not going to notice too much of it, just that we look a bit we soon realize that they are not up to the rest, as well as other decorative elements of the circuits that could He has looked much better.
This could also apply to recreation that has been done in the rain when we play with the camera cabin, although this itself is actually achieved from the outside view, with a dampening effect both cars in the driveway as truly spectacular. Since we mentioned the rain, to say that the weather is dynamic, real-time, so it's entirely possible it starts to rain in the middle of a race or the sky begins to clear, but like everything, it can also configure it our taste for it as well or remains within a fixed and specific conditions.
Focusing on compatible version (which is the one we most exploited for this analysis), say we have a very extensive amount of video settings to adapt the title to the needs of our team and that even in the midst options and certain off effects, the game still looks pretty good.
In our case, to play with all the best we have used a i7-2600K, with 16 GB of RAM and a graphics card NVIDIA GTX 980. We usually has almost always kept at 60 frames per second, with occasional small drops to 50-55 fps when many cars were joined on screen, more or less open environments and active graphics effects such as rain, something we solved with a little overclock the processor. Yes, always with a maximum resolution of 1080p, but you can play if you have a 4K-art equipment.
Console we played the PlayStation version 4 and though the effort of searching for 1080p resolution and 60fps as frame rate per second is appreciated, something that especially appeal to more experienced players of this type of simulators, has run away to keep constant 60fps, and there are downs in the framerate in all circumstances: by accumulation of many cars on display, for effects such as heavy rain, depending on whether the circuit has more or less graphic load, etc. .
These downturns or slowdowns do not become dramatic or break the game, but there are obvious and abundant, and perhaps should have included an option to limit the game at 30fps, because we know that many people resent variable framerate. The conclusion is that it looks good on consoles, without being a prodigy, and the 60fps not be stable is not so much the fault of the graph show displays, but rather the size, time and resources development studio, not It has been known or have not been able to get more out of the new consoles.
A curious detail and we're not used to seeing on console, which is that we can enable or disable many graphic effects, as in the PC version. These really are more abundant visual preferences like raindrops that can hinder vision screen- that aspects affecting the performance of the game, and we have not noticed significantly that the framerate be benefited by disabling some of them.
On the other hand, say that the sound effect is really powerful, with spectacular effects and brilliantly recreated. Each car sounds just like it should sound (much eye to how the engines roar) and has some great details, like the way in which we will hear everything according to the chamber in which we play, the distortion that occurs when we entered and out of a tunnel at high speed or the screeching of the wheels when braking dry. We cannot do anything other than to recommend a good team play with headphones or 5.1 surround sound, as this section we bring of heart in every race.
What we do we have found something strange is that it did not include a soundtrack that can activate while driving, especially considering how the game is configurable in every way. Although to enjoy your driving to 100% this is more a nuisance than anything else, there are times that we can miss it and the solution that gives us the game is, at least, strange as it will minimize us program to open your browser and take us to the official list of Project Cars music in Spotify, with a selection that has not finished convince us. Yes, the issues we will hear during the menus are of high quality.
Another detail that will not please everyone is the fact that the game has the voices in English, so if you do not understand too well the language will have to look away during races to read subtitles, distraction that you can go very expensive. The worst thing is that whatever we say during races is important, letting us know when we will try to enter a place for us to cover, when we suffered some damage serious enough to go to the pits or when to put to rain. In the case of PS4, these instructions sound from the speaker of the command, which is very immersive. To top it off, the subtitles are only displayed for a few seconds, so just give us time to read what they say. In fact, as normal and usually appear before our mechanic is in mid-sentence and are gone.
Conclusions
Project Cars is one of those few games that manage to make the simple act of driving is such a satisfying experience as we want to play a race after another, even if we lose, since every curve and line fully enjoy, you are an avid gender or someone who has just started in this simulator. The huge amount of options we have to configure each race and test our taste, which are maintained and physical behavior of each car, the spectacular list of circuits, their modes of play, which is adaptable to all types of players and large audiovisual section, are only some of its features. If you like driving and competing, you're in luck, because you will be not disappointed the Slightly Mad Studios’ new title.