Project Cars 3 review – Off the track?

During our preview published at the end of July, we had already felt the wind turning for this new opus of Project Cars, and this is confirmed with the final version of the game. Indeed, this Project Cars 3 is anything but the sequel to its predecessor.

To make it short, here in a few lines is what has changed compared to PC2: absence of real damage, they will only be cosmetic, no more pit stops, disappearance of endurance races, you will come back for the 24 hours of Le Mans since the Sarthe circuit is absent as well as Spa, no more or very basic settings, no more HUD (apart from your gear ratio and speed), no more tire degradation, no more qualifying (except in scheduled events).

We also forget the seat adjustments, the weather variations go from 4 to 2 and, finally, elimination of the World championship Rallycross ! When it comes to cars, don't look for Formula Renault 3.5, nor even CF (F3) or FAs (F1) you will have to settle for Formula Electric! On the multiplayer side, PC2's mode was a model of its kind. Free practice, qualifying, racing.

Except that in PC3, there are no more qualifications. So you arrive at a show, the host chooses the circuit, the car category and off you go! The icing on the cake is that there are no more cats either. If you want to send a short message to other players to, for example, change the car category or even the track, you will come back! This is the first state of affairs when comparing the new Project Cars to the old one.

An AI that destroys a career

Let's move on to Career mode which will ultimately occupy your time if you buy PC3. We will not return here to its progress (see our Preview). On the other hand, we can confirm that the AI ​​(artificial intelligence of the other pilots) is totally strawberry!

It is big nonsense and inevitably this leads to collisions and improbable overtaking. But that's not all. As far as we are concerned, there was no challenge since even with maximum AI, we won almost all the races! In terms of driving feeling, don't go investing in a steering wheel for this game.

Not only is he perfectly calibrated for the controller (finally some good news!), but in addition with a steering wheel, the feeling is quite linear, without really life. Understand that you will also quickly master sliding at 350 km/h by Indycar in Indianapolis than heavy braking with a Civic at Monza. Without real nuances therefore. Well, there are still some cool things in this Project Cars 3, like Rival mode or scheduled events. The number of cars and categories is still remarkable and the different racing options will allow you to have fun.

In reality, the title is aimed at an audience who is not looking for a simulation but a “relaxing” racing game. It must be admitted that the Multiplayer games are short and fun. No hassle with setup, let alone any racing strategy. However, if you are looking for a more racing game, closer to reality, we recommend Project Cars 2 or Automobilista 2. If you're just starting out and want to get started on your couch, Project Cars 3 will do the job perfectly.

Our opinion

We felt it coming from the first trailer for the game, Project Cars 3 is the series in name only. It's a racing game, arcade-oriented, quite fun and accessible. It will delight beginners and those allergic to settings. Despite everything, as far as we are concerned, he lost his soul, that of racing, the real one. And that’s a shame.

Rating: 10/20

Points +

The number of cars

VR, excellent on PC

Rival and Scheduled Events modes

Very cool on the controller

Dots -

A smooth driving feeling

Really bad AI

Multiplayer mode without much interest

And all the rest !

Release: August 28, 2020 on PS4, Xbox One and PC

Who is Project Cars 3 for?

For beginners who want a first experience in video games. The number of car categories and the number of tracks make for a great time. Don't ask him for more.

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