Preview Project Cars 3: a paid 180-degree turn?

Before even going into the details of this third Project Cars, let's return to its predecessor, Project Cars 2, for those of you who are unaware of the philosophy of the series. Project Cars 1 & 2 are simulations that fall between Gran Turismo and Assetto Corsa. Understand by this that the title requires a certain driving experience to hope to be fast on the track, but is not exclusive for beginners either.

This is why when Project Cars 3 was announced, we expected an even more “racing” sequel with finer gameplay. However, this is not the line that Project Cars 3 offers, giving pride of place to beginners but certainly not to series regulars who demanded a more realistic simulation. Certainly this is not the final version that we tested, but it is impossible for PC3 to change its approach between now and its release. You have been warned!

Finally, what is this game?

An arcade game? No, PC3 has the same gameplay (with a few details) as PC2. He is even very pleasant to use, which confirms its general public orientation. But where the difference is made is in the general approach.

You will start Career mode with the objective of earning credits and XP. Credits allow you to buy new cars or upgrade those you already have and XP gives you the opportunity to progress in the different categories of your career. For the moment, it must be recognized that the game will have to undergo some adjustments. The AI ​​is really not great and the level of your opponents is very low.

Even without any driving assistance and with opponents at “Legend” level, which is the max, we had no problem winning races. That said, the studio has already announced changes in this area. However, given that you can "inflate" your fund during your career, all you have to do is buy racing tires, increase the number of horses a little and that's it to take the first places.

A good idea nevertheless: if you improve your car too much, you change category, so you have to go about it sparingly. The career therefore lacks balance for the moment but, once again, SMS has promised changes.

Good ideas

The appearance of Rival mode is one of the new features of the title. Every day, every week and every month, a challenge is offered to you with the aim of improving your score and comparing yourself to others. Another very cool mode is planned races. Here we are in the presence of an iRacing or GT Sport type mode. At a given time, you have the opportunity to participate in an event with qualifying and a road race. Depending on your level, you may or may not be able to register for certain tests.

It is also possible to create your own car decorations, a welcome novelty, but also to choose your helmet and suit from those offered. Finally, you can create your own event at any time with the car of your choice: there are all 211 of them available in this mode. All you have to do is determine the route and the weather conditions and that's it. left !

Remember that PC3 has evolving weather. On the other hand, and while waiting for the final version, and especially to test the multiplayer mode, we can already tell you that the SMS game is changing direction. Today it is aimed at a wider audience, not necessarily Project Cars 2 players.

First opinion : We're not going to lie to you, we are disappointed with this first version of Project Cars 3. The direction chosen by the studio, by removing damage (they are just cosmetic), pit stops and consequently races ofEndurance, makes the title much less attractive than its predecessor... which of course offered all that! It nevertheless remains a simulation that is finally playable on the controller and which will be perfect for getting started in simracing.

Media: PC/PS4/One

Release date: August 28