Project CARS 3 Reviews
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.
In a lot of ways Project CARS 3 is reminiscent of the Forza Horizon series, though executed without any of the flair or fun that made the latter enjoyable. If you’re a racing fan, be it arcade or simulation, I recommend you avoid this game – it’s a thoroughly unenjoyable experience from a once great series.
How not to be disappointed at first with the usurpation of a name which had installed a new license aimed at a certain realism and insufficient core qualities to stay on track? PC3 Can only find buyers with a discount in order to satisfy a certain curiosity. For everyone else, he stays on the side of the road and watches the others go by.
Review in French | Read full review
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
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.
A confused identity mixed in with its awkward transition to simcade makes Project CARS 3 one of the least satisfying racing games I've played in years. There may be potential for its more arcade focused design to be developed upon but Slightly Mad Studios is certainly not there yet.
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
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.
Project CARS 3 was ambitious in trying to make such a great style transition, but it took a much bigger step than the leg. In addition to disappointing its long-standing fan base, it does not present itself as a good option for those who are looking for their first racing game.
Review in Portuguese | 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!
A numbered entry on a series that feels like a spin off. Not a simulator, not an arcade and hard to recommend when there are plenty of other games that do much, much better what PC3 tries to do.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Project CARS 3 isn’t a bad game, it’s just too much of a change from the type of game fans have come to expect from the series.
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?
Overall, Project CARS 3 is a fun racer, even if it isn’t accelerating at full speed when it comes to quality and ambition.
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.
Project CARS 3 marks a significant departure for the series, abandoning most of its sim heritage in favour of arcade racing. Offering a variety of different cars and tracks, there's plenty of content on offer, making for a fun distraction, but it lacks the excitement we expect from wheel-to-wheel racing. It takes inspiration from all over the place, but it's perhaps most closely aligned with Sony's own DriveClub. It would seem, then, that the PS4 cycle is ending the way it began. We're just not sure we'd pick this over what's come before.
Project CARS 3 suffers from a case of mistaken identity. Once you adjust to the new direction, you can get into a fun flow of ticking off objectives, drifting around hairpins and purchasing upgrades. However, while the series' existing platform means you get a great variety of circuits, cars and weather conditions, it also shackles this game from being a great arcade racing experience.
Project CARS 3 is easy to pick up and play but impossible to recommend to Project CARS 2 fans.
Project Cars 3 take the series in the right direction when it comes to career mode but sadly slide off the right tone for everything else, a huge copy of PC2 and adds only a few to the franchise
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Project CARS 3 suffers from a bit of an identity crisis in what it brings to the player, blending racing sim gameplay and arcade racer mechanics.