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project gotham racing seems to be the first legitimate racing game released for the newest, hottest console on the market, but what makes this title any different? the typical racing game ends up
falling into the same rut of all other racing games...but what about pgr?
better than the rest?
project gotham is a title that does deserve its
fair share of attention. this game isn't floating on any limit of perfection, but the game gives you plenty of features to keep you playing hour after hour. as the hours speed by and your mileage
accumulates you are rewarded with alternate driving helmets, circuit tracks, modes of play, etc. there seems to be no particular pattern to the rewards, so the surprise greets you and gives that sense of
accomplishment… a bonus to keep gamers gaming.
the game starts off with a not so impressive cut screen to get the adrenaline flowin’. from there you load your progress (or create a new profile if you are a newbie) and you enter the main menu.
from the menu, you are able to choose from 6 modes of play, some of which need to be unlocked as you progress from circuit to circuit.
the modes of play vary significantly, but all remain to contain one everlasting feature; pure fun. this racing game offers you detailed game environments in 200+ city based tracks. 25 different cars to
contend with, including licenses that the ps2 games were unable to snatch. imagine yourself sunk into the drivers seat of one blazin' ferrari sliding around
turns in excess of 130 mph. yeah pgr is one game that aims to please and does just that.
final lap....
we must jump back into reality and state...this is a racing game. yes you and other cars compete for the top positions...yes this is a racing game. but in pgr you have one distinct
feature: a kudos reward system. this kudos system is based not on the typical speed around the track, but how stylish and skillful you are as you flow through the turns. in some
scenarios you are required to gain x amount of kudos points, as well as being able to finish in one of the top three positions (1st, 2nd, or 3rd). this point based system adds to your
frustration, which indirectly leads to the longevity of the game...a downer with an up side.
this brings us to the multiplayer aspect of pgr. the multiplayer is handled very well and has
potential to handle 4 human racers on the screen at one time, but i suggest leaving this option out if you gaming on a 13 incher. in this area of pgr you can compete for the fastest
times in a set number of laps or you can compete for the highest number of kudos (style) points. alongside this option is the option to change the weather and time of day. just
another small addition to add to its depth.
battle for 1st place...
within all of these good remarks, pgr does have one major flaw; the difficulty. i feel that this game is nearly impossible in some instances. here is one claim for my statement: your
engines rev as you anticipate the gun....the gun sounds, your tires spin, smoke rolls and you're off. you zoom through the first speed gate and notice that you must earn 1600
kudos (or more) in three laps. you progress at 125mph, sliding around the turn starting the
kudos counter...just then your car scrapes the guard rails and you loose the kudos, which you earned from that particular slide. to your dismay that "simple" error will keep you from completing
the hurdle for the 1600 kudos. you may not have understood my example, but beware this game can be very, very frustrating. so to make a long story short....pgr is a good game, but does leave
some to be desired.
other minor flaws include: the inability to notice the weather changes (dry - wet), the obscure damage from the bump and
grind, the inability to unlock the cars without cheat codes, etc. these flaws may seem drastic; however they are just the opposite...they’re actually pretty
minor. this brief list does not take anything away from the fun factor...trust me.
and the winner is...
well as far as the xbox console is concerned, this title is by far the best racing title out there. i am sure that other console racing games will challenge this, but that is simply
because xbox isn’t using its maximum potential. however, sticking to my focus...prg is not only fun, but the mere frustration will keep this game in your xbox for hours to come. as the
time you play and the miles you drive rack up, you are rewarded...this is a great feature, which also aids in keeping peeps playing this game over and over. from my honest opinion to
your wallet....go out and buy this game....
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