Project CARS 3 Reviews
Project Cars 3 is a welcome surprise: thanks to a solid and well-made technical apparatus, the title moves away from its historical simulation characterization to take a path capable of offering the player a lighter and simpler atmosphere, resulting a genuinely fun game that youngs and olds will enjoy, both longtime fans and enthusiasts of the genre, and newbies who are for the first time on a track. The engines have been hot for a while, getting on board and giving gas is now almost a duty.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If you’re looking for a racing game to tide you over between now and the next Forza, then Project Cars 3 is absolutely worth the effort.
A fun, casual arcade racer that has a decent chunk of a career mode to keep you busy with some fun aspects, let down by wonky AI and being placed into the wrong series of games making it really hard to recommend to either demographic of casual race fans or sim racers.
Project Cars 3 is one of the best racers out this year!
While questionable decisions have been made, fans of the franchise will either have to adjust and get used to the brand-new direction or simply stave off purchasing Project Cars 3 altogether. While it does some things right, there are many things it does badly. The biggest issue lies in how Project Cars 3 wants to deviate into a wholly new direction. It wants to take the hardcore simulation with its niche audience into a new arcade racer direction where many more players will jump onto the bandwagon. This is a commendable change. However, Slightly Mad Studios should have taken its fans into account with this decision. If Project Cars 3 had any other name — perhaps denoted with a subtitle — it would have been a much easier transition. Alas, it is not, and this is the card supporters have been dealt. Thankfully, the game does come onto its own in higher tier races. It also features a massive selection of vehicles and races feel good, as long as simulation-levels of play are not expected. While AI needs a lot of work, it does fare better when higher speed divisions come into play. Project Cars 3 is the first step in reimagining the franchise as an arcade racer, however, fans of simulation titles are better off with Project Cars 2.
In conclusion. The game lacks individual character. It gave up the charm it had worked so hard to build and tried to be too much at once. Struggling with it's own identity, its flaws shine above its own achievements. Does it want to be a sim racer? Does it want to be an arcade racer? Is it appealing to the masses? Or is it appealing to die hard fans?
If you're looking for an arcade-sim with buckets of content which combines all the best bits from Gran Turismo, Forza and DriveClub, look no further. If you're a Project Cars 2 fan hoping for an update to their favourite sim, forget it. Key sim elements are now missing and although it's a fine arcade-sim racer, it should have been rebranded rather than gutted for a mainstream audience.
A little extra time in development and more inventive ideas would've done this disappointing third installment in a beloved racing series well, but all it did was rehash previous ideas, significantly dumb down many aspects that made its predecessors so exciting, and mash together an incoherent mess of a sim racer that was clearly out for money above a good time.
Project CARS 3 represents a huge shift in Slightly Mad Studios' attitude towards racing games. I suppose this means the studio lives up to their name! What Project CARS 3 lacks in realism, it now makes up for with accessibility. However, lacking the flair of other established racers in this arcade-sim genre such as The Crew 2 or Need for Speed will make it a tougher sell. Still, there are a couple hundred new events to try, with hundreds of cars to tweak, upgrade, and drive. So, if Project CARS is to continue down this path of more friendly racing, then they are on the right track, but whether their regular fans will be along for the ride is another question entirely.
We are cautious for the evolution of the game through the next titles, as we do not even know what to expect from a series that started differently and seems to be headed a different way.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Project Cars 3 is a title that inherits all the good things of its predecessors, thus not betraying the fan base that buys it - and loves it - precisely for its more simulative side. The addition of some help to facilitate new players should not be misleading: they are aimed only at the newest ones, or who in any case prefer a much less demanding level of challenge.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Unfortunately, the elation didn’t last very long and my first actual race was much more disappointing. I think I placed in the last position, but it was hard to tell as there seemed to be an endless stream over cars over-taking me at every corner so I have no idea how many were actually in the race. I didn’t even get a chance to check where on the HUD it gave you your position because I was concentrating so much on getting around each corner without just smashing my number plate into the barriers – even on the first track there were a LOT of corners. They could’ve given me a basic oval track to practice on for a while first!
In an attempt to gather new players, Project Cars 3 switched to semi-arcade, but to what extent this policy is going to keep its older players happy is another topic. There is no denying the addictive and fun core gameplay of PC3, but the serious and even scandalous technical failures may keep most of the buyers at bay. Meanwhile if you, like the reviewer, think that the graphics aren't everything, then you might as well give this title a shot. Let's hope Slightly Mad Studios patch the game up with some major updates. But with the technical disasters like these, it's very unlikely.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Project Cars 3 say goodbye to the racing simulator genre for stay between racing simulators and racing arcades. Graphically, it is not even close to what it should be. It’s a enjoyable game, as well as a bit disappointing.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
As the existing fans look on with shock, Project Cars 3 decides to make a franchise U-turn. It doesn't cause any huge accidents and merges into the new lane with decent grace, but it's already trailing the pack of other arcade racing games, leaving many to wonder if it was worth doing.
Project Cars 3 is a great racing title that is sure to satisfy people who are ready to hop in, grind some races, and customize their own experience.
We are certainly not talking about a full-fledged simulator but Project Cars 3 will be able to make you spend good hours of play in complete fun. A title that deserves a chance despite some technical problems that can be resolved with future updates.
Review in Italian | Read full review
While my disappointing experience with Project Cars 3 is clearly colored by my familiarity and enjoyment of the first two entries in the series, I tried to have a good time and managed to find it every once in a while.
Project Cars 3 will definitely have a place for those wanting a quick and easy racing game with a ton of customisation, cars, tracks and challenges. For more seasoned racing fans, or anyone looking for something even remotely different to what we have seen hundreds of times before, you will definitely need to look elsewhere.
Taking the game at face value then, and it's good, not mind-blowing, but functional and pleasing. VR support definitely needs some work to get it up to speed though. Ultimately, I found it solid fun, and that's what counts despite any grievances I had with the game's general direction.