Racers rejoice: The long-awaited title Project CARS is set to be released this week for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with a Wii U version coming a bit later. The game developer, Slightly Mad Studios, released the official list of cars that will be in the game last week, and revealed the tracks and locations a week earlier. Project CARS is a new entrant to the racing simulation genre, and while it looks promising, but it faces still competition from the genre’s veterans: the long running Playstation exclusive Gran Turismo series, and the Xbox exclusive Forza Motorsport series.
As a completely new title in the racing sim scene, Project CARS will have to bring its own flair to the track to be able to compete. In the game, will be able to race in Career, Online, and Solo game modes. In Career, players begin by creating a name, choosing a nationality, and choosing a car number. After thats been completed, players can choose where to begin their racing career – and I do mean choose. In other titles, players may have to begin their career at the bottom and work their way up. In Project CARS, players can start where they want, whether that be kart racing or Formula 1, and sing contracts for endorsements and race for different racing teams. Alternatively, players can race in Solo mode, where they can practice by themselves and tune their cars to fit the track and their driving style. Online, players can race in friend lobbies, private lobbies, and public lobbies with up to 16 players on the PS4 and Xbox One, or 32 players for a 64 bit PC. Players will be able to take their stats and awards from Career, Online, and Solo mode and share them with other players in the Driver Network mode, adding a unique social aspect to the game.
When the game is released, Project CARS will have a roster of more than 65 beautifully rendered cars split into 8 categories: Karts, GT cars, Le Mans Prototypes, Retro Touring cars, Road cars, Track Day cars, Supercars, and Modern Open Wheel cars. Each category contains cars rendered in exquisite detail, and can be customized with paint, logos, graphics, racing numbers, and tuning upgrades to the engine, suspension, transmission, aerodynamics, and more. Project CARS features some of the most renowned cars in the world, from racing legends to fun hot hatches. I’ll list off a few here: Ariel Atom 500 V8, BAC Mono, BMW M1 Procar, Ford Focus RS, Lotus 98T, McLaren F1, Mercedes SLS AMG GT, Pagani Huayra, Sauber C9 Mercedes…oh, and the ultra exclusive W Motors Lykan Hypersport (which will be free for all racers for the first month after release!). Each of the vehicles within Project CARS can be raced on one of 110 tracks in 30 different locations around the world. Tracks include the famed Nürburgring Nordschlife, along with Curcuit de Spa Francorchamps, Cadwell Park, Sonoma Raceway, Willow Springs International Raceway, and Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca. For a complete list of tracks and cars, visit the Project CARS official website.
The vehicles and tracks of Project CARS can be played in a beautiful 1080p on the PS4 and PC, and a slightly less so but still equally gorgeous 900p on the Xbox One. With Forza Motorsport 6 coming later this year and Gran Turismo 7 arriving shortly after, Project CARS will have some stiff competition – but even the best must fall at some point. No word on when the Wii U version will be released, but Project CARS will be released on May 7th for Europe, Australia, and Asia, May 8th for the United Kingdom, and May 12th for the United States and Canada for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
