Project CARS
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Rating Summary
Based on 73 critic reviews
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Score Distribution
Unscored Reviews
Top Critic
Every other racing game studio now realizes it has to double the number of cars on track in its games
All in all, colour me surprisingly impressed by Project CARS.
Top Critic
If you make the effort, you'll find that Slightly Mad has built a motorsport game for the people, at once flexible and uncompromising: a single-minded hymn to the gritty thrills of the pit-lane and the back straight. There's room for improvement and we'll be watching future updates with keen interest, but these foundations are strong indeed.
Scored Reviews
Top Critic
Project Cars offers a new simulation racer to the mainstream audience. Anyone who deals in serious virtual racing will enjoy the game as its details from the car setup to matching race day almost goes unmatched. While offering all that, the game looks beautiful all while offering the full feeling of a race environment. It will be interesting to see what is offered in the future for this game, but Namco Bandai's first effort is as much as you can ask for.
Project Cars not only sets the standard for new gen racing games, it redefines them. From its authentic gameplay to the little quirks thrown in, it will keep you entertained for hours and hours on end. If you are new to the genre, it’s a great start. If you aren’t, it’s a great addition. So what are you waiting for?
Top Critic
Project CARS is a racing game that simulates the act of racing lots of different vehicles in locations all over the world. It is very excellent at that, and if you like the idea of a racing sim you should give it a shot. I had a great time racing around the tracks, but it isn't something I am going to turn on very many more times. If a good simulation of driving cars at moderate-to-fast speeds is what really rocks your world, buy this game because I don't think it gets better than this. If you want something a little more exciting, grab the infinitely-excellent Blur or start rocking your Big Wheel again.
Top Critic
It's technically impressive, gorgeous, accessible yet challenging and definitely worthy of your gaming collection.
Top Critic
All that aside, Project CARS is a truly fine racing game, and for PlayStation 4 owners this will be the first next-generation racing game of worth for serious revheads to sink their teeth into. Beginners to the genre, or people who are used to racing games where powerslides are enough to get around corners may feel very frustrated with this one at first, but I can't think of a example of the sport that is more worth taking the time to get to know, and master, than this one.
Top Critic
The collaboration between Slightly Mad Studios and its community of fans have led to fantastic results. Project Cars is one the best, and most authentic racing experiences we've seen in quite some time.
Top Critic
Project CARS features an excellent roster of cars and tracks, and delivers some of the most exciting and visceral racing action money can buy. It's not for everyone, since driving the game can be quite tough, even with all the assists turned on, but for those who are up for a challenge, few other racing games are as involving and potentially rewarding as this.
Top Critic
By having the courage to rewrite the racing game rulebook, Project Cars manages to carve a space for itself alongside the genre's finest.
Top Critic
The kind of shake-up that this genre badly needed
Top Critic
Project Cars provides excellent gameplay that caters to both beginners and motoring enthusiasts alike. Along with mouth-watering graphics and enough satisfying content for the long drive ahead, this is a game with plenty of longevity.
Top Critic
Project CARS is a game that punishes every mistake you make, which makes successes and victories infinitely more rewarding.
Top Critic
'Project Cars' provides one of the most realistic and addicting racing simulations that we've ever played, but may lose many gamers due to its lack of tutorials and basic training.
Top Critic
The folks over at Slightly Mad Studios should be proud of what they have accomplished. Project CARS may not quite live up to the hype, but considering it has outdone its competition in some critical areas, it should be applauded. It may not be a perfect sim racer, but it's pretty damn near close, and for those willing to put in the time, can be incredibly rewarding.
Top Critic
Project CARS strips back racing to what it should be: just the car, the track and you.
Top Critic
Deep and demanding but incredibly user-friendly, Project CARS is real racing done right.
Top Critic
Project CARS is going to give some of the bigger racing games a run for their money. There is depth, detail and fun to be had with this game. It certainly was worth the wait.
Top Critic
It's great that developers Slightly Mad Studios have moved away from the more modern approach of racing games that include gaining experience points to unlock new aspects of the game. Rather, they give the player a more holistic and realistic race experience by throwing everything at you.
Top Critic
Project CARS expects you to spend hours on end, placing all your concentration on the race at hand, perfecting each turn, to chastise yourself for making simple mistakes, and to drive the same course over and over again in an effort to get that "perfect lap". While not all of their efforts have translated perfectly, Project CARS comes pretty damn close. Some frame rate drops hampered my experience, but overall Project CARS has done what it set out to do: build a fantastic looking, authentic racing simulator.
Top Critic
It's difficult to give Project CARS a score. When it comes to the actual racing, the game gets top marks primarily because of how deep the handling model feels. It also does a fantastic job of giving the player every possible option to tailor his or her experience to their liking. However, everything outside of the racing, such as the career mode, is mere window dressing. The game certainly excels at its intended purpose, which is to be one of the most accurate racing games around, but I can't help but feel that the game is pretty bare-bones when it comes to the creature comforts that other games offer, even from the standpoint of catering to the most hardcore crowd.
Top Critic
Project CARS is a meticulously-crafted love letter to automobiles. Developer Slightly Mad Studios has put driving cars front and center, and created a simulator that is one of the most realistic than any game to-date. Project CARS certainly isn't for everyone, but it cuts out a lot of fat that is prominent in driving simulators and gives players pure, unhindered cars.
Top Critic
This is a promising start with Project Cars offering one of the most fully featured racers at launch date. Further refinement and expansion on these features and FFB could turn this into a real gem. Project Cars is definitely worth parking in your game racing library.
Top Critic
Everywhere else I'm always racing for a reason -- to earn money for cars, to unlock new areas, to build my driving level for some unknown reason -- but in Project CARS I'm racing for the sake of it.
Top Critic
Project Cars is a massive package that can be tailored to anyone who enjoys racing games. Some may find issue with the lack of unlockables, but there is so much to see and do that I never grew bored of enjoying what was already there.
Top Critic
Overall, though, Project Cars is a welcome addition to the racing genre, with special emphasis on the racing part. If you're looking for sim racer that surprises in a good way, you'll want to give Project Cars a spin.
Top Critic
I've played many racers like this, but Project Cars still feels invigorating and fresh – and that's an accomplishment
Top Critic
Whether you're a hardcore or fringe fan of racing titles, Project Cars is a must buy.
Top Critic
Project Cars is a great racing simulator with a huge amount of cars, tracks, and options to customize. While newcomers might not appreciate the heavy-handed driving aids or get overwhelmed by the staggering number of things to experience, it's worth the commitment.
Top Critic
Beautiful, bold and varied. Slightly Mad are uncompromising in their simulation.
Top Critic
In short, Project CARS is a racing game that has everything, but doesn't necessarily appeal to everybody. It's hard to fault the game in any particular way. It runs well, looks gorgeous, and does exactly what it advertises, which is a lot, but nothing more. I wouldn't call it a breakthrough in racing design, but rather a refinement of the racing sim formula. It knows what it is, and knows what its audience is. If you are part of that audience, definitely give it a look. It's probably the best racing sim on the market right now. Just know that it's meant to appeal to hardcore gear heads first and foremost, and people looking for a more casual racing experience should probably look elsewhere.
Top Critic
Simply put, Project CARS is simulation racing done right. The subtlety of the nearly countless gameplay tweaks, combined with a robust open Career mode, makes for an experience that racing fans should fall in love with.
Top Critic
Issues with A.I hold it back from greatness, but Project CARS is on the right track with its sandbox career, community-focused online experience and A-grade car handling mechanics.
Top Critic
Project CARS doesn't suffer fools, and although the average race requires the need for speed, slowing things down to smell the roses, as well as develop your skills, is the only way you to stay on this all too difficult, yet ultimately satisfying, track.
Top Critic
It's been a long road to release, but Project Cars delivers.
Top Critic
Project CARS is an ambitious take on the racing simulator that brings a lot of fresh ideas and improvements to the genre. A number of patchable flaws hold it back, but with an innovative career structure and the challenging but rewarding car handling and racing, this is almost essential for racing fans.
Top Critic
Project Cars is a game that requires practice, patience and a whole lot of skill. It's not the easiest game to pick up and play, but it's definitely one of the most rewarding when you put in the time and finally nab yourself a podium finish.
Top Critic
Officially an 8/10, but for this reviewer it is a 10/10 game, warts and all.
Top Critic
Project Cars does so much right, but gets enough wrong to be excluded from the grand echelons of Forza and Gran Turismo.
Top Critic
A simulator with soul, Project CARS strips the bloat out of the racing genre to focus on what truly matters: the cars, handling, tracks and exhilaration of real driving. Sensational weather effects and impressive visuals make it well worth the wait.
Top Critic
Project Cars delivers a solid racing sandbox that is both entertaining to play and stunning to see in action. Unfortunately, the game's career system lacks proper progression and any incentive to complete its races. Racing enthusiasts are sure to enjoy all that Project Cars has to offer, while those looking for a game to compete with its console competition will have to keep waiting or look elsewhere.
Top Critic
A must for casual and hardcore racing fans alike, Project CARS does practically everything right, providing plenty of options for players of all skill levels and persuasions. I'm not much of a racing sim fan, but I found myself completely immersed in Project CARS. This is a good thing. Project CARS is a good thing. The end.
Top Critic
Project CARS is an outstanding racing simulator that only falters in content design.
Top Critic
Bearing in mind that it was impossible for me to assess the quality and stability of the online components of the game, but it was still clear to see that Project CARS is a bloody good racing simulator. Those of you looking for more of an arcade racer may be better off looking elsewhere, especially at launch price, but if you're looking for a beautiful and in depth racing experience then shelling out £40 on Project CARS will be money well spent.
Top Critic
Despite a few disappointing technical shortcomings, Project CARS stands out as a best-in-class sim, both alluring to genre veterans and accessible enough for racing newcomers.
Top Critic
But to enjoy that game, you have to forgive incomplete or poorly implemented features, and make your peace with the evil AI. They're small problems, in the scheme of things, and they don't spoil a great drive. But they're just enough to deny Project CARS what could have been a clean pole position.
Top Critic
In conclusion, Project CARS is a great new entry in the video game racing genre which loses out on pole position by a few tenths of a second. The openly apparent beauty of Project CARS is the first thing that draws you in, with an equally gorgeous driving simulator hiding just below the smooth and silky skin.
Top Critic
The next instalments of both those franchises will of course show up one day, hoping to overtake this admirable curent-gen racing engine. But they had better hurry, because Project Cars has got one heck of a head start, and you get the feeling this developer isn't going to waste it.
Top Critic
[I]f you're in that hardcore driving fan category, it's a no-brainer. Get this game now..
Top Critic
Fully patched with a fuller catalog of cars and even more circuits, there is little left to complain about. The racing is as good, as real and as uncompromising as it gets on the console and it is a truly exhilarating experience.
Top Critic
Project CARS is a great example of a game that is designed to get players to be better at what they love to do, without having to integrate designs that can hurts the game's potential for its hardcore audience. It does a good job with its visuals, a fantastic one with its audio, and a superb one with how it handles. For fans who love a sport that requires its athletes to work for every fraction of a second shaved off, this is a must have, but if you need a game that keeps giving you motivation and something to unlock, you may find yourself putting this one in park after a few laps.
Top Critic
A viable alternative to the old guard of driving simulators, that values freedom of choice and gritty realism over needless feature creep.
Top Critic
Project CARS offers a sharp racing simulation with an open-ended structure.
Top Critic
Slightly Mad has delivered a racing game that is unambiguously and unapologetically locked in the simulation category
Top Critic
When everything works and with the right control configuration, Project Cars is the strongest sim-style racer on console platforms, and the best all-rounder on PC. Less serious racers may find the career a bit of a slog, but if you prioritize quick thrills over authenticity and challenging racing, then Project Cars is not the game for you. Our only real gripe is that it's still a little buggy, with new issues creeping in with the 1.04 release. There's nothing wrong that the developers can't fix, and if they do they'll have a game that will still be a formidable contender when Forza 6 rolls onto the track.
Projects Cars brings to the table everything you expect when driving a car, the controls require a bit of learning first but once you get comfortable with your own style you can bring make some serious time on the track. The Career mode will likely be the mode that will suck up your time as you aim to climb the ranks of your chosen motorsport, the game effectively challenges the player to become a better driver without forcing them to do it at a crazy pace, this along with the visuals add together for some of the best virtual driving I’ve had in a long time.
Top Critic
Overall Project Cars is a good racing game with a few minor issues. If you are a sim racing fan I think you should pick this up and give it a try!
Top Critic
If you want to learn how to drive the vehicles you can't get ahold of in real life, this is for you. If you want a real racing experience this is for you. If you want to collect them all, or have a bit of fun, then you're better off waiting for Gran Turismo or getting an arcade racer instead. For the most realistic driving simulation available though, Project CARS is all you'll need.
Top Critic
All substance, not enough style
Top Critic
Slightly Mad Studios have, in the year since release, tidied up Project CARS no end. There's still a few small niggles here and there, but overall this is now a title I will happily have adorning my shelf.
Top Critic
Project Cars offers a racing simulation experience for a very specific audience. It will satisfy the die-hard gearheads, but most players will be dissuaded by inconsistent handing, lack of progression, and a variety of technical issues.
Top Critic
If Slightly Mad Studios wanted to prove they could build an engine to compete with the likes of Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport, Project CARS is a definite success, with driving that feels as realistic as anything else out there. If they wanted to compete with the polish and robustness of those bigger titles, though, they've come up slightly short.
Top Critic
Admittedly, Project CARS isn't for everyone. In fact, it isn't for most people. It's niche, and it's for those who take their racing games seriously. It does most of what it sets out to do, and it does that very well. However, the broad appeal is lacking, as the long learning curve likely outweighs what most are willing to put up with. But, for those who put in the time and manage to take the checkered flag, this title has a supremely rewarding experience that most anyone can feel proud of, regardless of familiarity with cars.
Top Critic
With Project CARS, the simulator aspects are co-opted and somewhat compromised by a desire to simultaneously appeal to the arcade racer crowd - without actually being an arcade racer.
Top Critic
Once you get the controls where you want them, your car exactly how you like it, and your race day tactics tightened up, it delivers an exhilarating ride, but few will have the patience – or, indeed, the willpower – to reach that point, and thus it's hard to imagine this outing achieving the mainstream success of other competing motoring series.
Top Critic
The small line-up of vehicles and non-existent unlockables really hurt the lasting appeal, though, and although newcomers can certainly get into it, there is the feeling that more could have been done to offer extra help for novices that aren't quite sure how to approach the game or what certain functions mean.
Top Critic
Spend some time with Project CARS and you'll be fed up with how unforgiving each turn is on your over-eager vehicle. Spend a little more and you'll grow to appreciate each unique, licensed hunk of steel as it groans under the stress of constantly alternating between accelerating and braking. But play any more and you'll start to feel slightly detached, barreling aimlessly between locations and race courses.
Top Critic
Project CARS is not for the faint of heart. It undoubtedly has the ability to grab players and take them on an outstanding tour of Simply Mad's racing world, and does look absolutely stunning at times. However, the game is ultimately frustrating with a controller and features more than its fair share of bugs. With a wheel, it's a more rewarding proposition.
Top Critic
I feel Project Cars won't receive the mass appeal games like Forza Horizon 2 or DriveClub have received. Instead, only those who are really into realistic driving simulators may flock towards Project Cars, although they might get bored easily considering there really aren't any unique game modes either. It carries a sense of realism in spades, but there isn't much under the hood.
Top Critic
Project Cars is infatuated and enamored by cars, but only cars, not the modes or features to make them interesting.
Top Critic
It alters the racing-car formula smartly in several areas, but the good ideas are often half-baked or hidden behind a load of cruft.
Top Critic
Project CARS delivers on its promise of a demanding racing experience that requires skill and knowledge in the automotive space.
