Bigger, faster, harder, prettier, louder, and absolutely better. These are the things we're told are coming to us with each new generation of consoles. Sometimes we get them, sometimes we don't, and sometimes we have to wait around for several winters before gems like Resident Evil 4 and Oddworld:Stranger's Wrath poke their magical little noses out of the weed-filled ground. Project Gotham Racing 3 is a racing game that features real-world vehicles and real-world locations rendered with the kind of love and obssession that probably makes God angry, but we'll come to that in a bit, just like two previous Project Gotham Racer games on Xbox. Should we expect it to be any faster? Maybe not, but it certainly feels that way for two reasons. First, the environments themselves pack in some incredible detail, meaning that when it all starts whizzing past, the sensation of speed becomes dizzying. Huge crowds of people, luxuriously textured buildings and crash barriers shoot past in a wickedly swift blur. The Brooklyn Bridge in New York is a fine example; the game struggled to show it smoothly in the preview code I played, but has little trouble in the finished version, as thousands of girders and wires flash by, while the city itself stretches on for miles in the lush, expansive background. Second is the in-car view, a fundamental addition that completely changes the way you can approach the game, offering a whole new kind of experience compared to out-of-car perspective. Forget viewing the race from the tip of the hood, this is real first-person racing, right down to the reflections that streak across the windscreen, flickering dashboard dials and that mixture of adrenaline and claustrophobia that real life racing drivers have to face. Play it out-of-car and Project Gotham Racing 3 is as handbrake-happy as ever, even more so perhaps. But in-car, it's a game that demands discpline, cool nerves and extreme-sports fingers. The attention to detail is reallyt quite astonishing, too, with the interior of every vehicle replicated with the exacting eye of a geek, meaning that you feel every single bump and dip in the road as your vehicle shudders and your driver leans forward under harsh braking. Really, if cars somehow became extinct, Project Gotham Racing 3 would make a fine virtual museum. The isn't a simulation, however. The Project Gotham Racing series occupies a rather awkward sounding area that's somewhere in between Forza, Outrun 2 and Gran Turismo. But, as Project Gotham Racing fans know all too well, it's anything but middle of the road, and the end result is anything but awkward. It's graceful, athletic and filled with more burning rubber that a fire in a fetish club. The handling is pitched perfectly to allow first-time Gothamites to dive straight into some completely pleasing powerslides. But it's not so simple that those who want to get stuck in to the platinum medals won't have something to plunge their teeth into. There's another major change to the series to be found in PGR3 accessibility. Bizzare Creations's philosophy of allowing players more freedom to approach the game how they want to has paid dividends. So you can cut your own path through the challenge trophies of career mode in whichever car you like, for thew whole game. And even then, if that's not freedom enough, there's a new mode known as Playtime, where you can just pick any car and race it on any track whenever you like. No unlocking, no rewards, just your own rules. Problems? Well, the cones of the Cone Challenge Mode where you've got to steer your car through a series of "gates" tend to be a little tricky to see on certain tracks. There are no wet races, and no lashings of rain to add an element of the unknown to the races. And those of you who got used to the instant restarts in PGR2 will have to sit through a short loading screen each time you retry, but that's just a minor issue. There's something worth mentioning that's not really a criticism, but may be an issue for those of people who found Project Gotham Racing 3 won't change your opinion, despite the swells of virtual people that turn up at crackside to watch the races. Underneath it all, it's the same core of city racing. But saying that it's "just another Gotham" is like saying Half-Life 2 is "just another FPS". It's got a recognizable skeleton but muscles that aer sexier than ever before, a beefcake of a launch title we should make PGR fans swoon like fatties getting told by important scientists that burgers covered in cheese and truffles, it turns out, are actually really good for you. Project Gotham Racing 3 it's not really faster, it's not really bigger and it's not really louder, but it is better in all those regards, a sleekly designed and wonderfully satisfying arcade racer that's more fun than it should be. This is thanks mostly to developers Bizzare Creations's talent for crafting a brilliant handling model that mixes accessibility and accuracy to better effect than in any other racing game. Throw in some significant Live modes for both spectators and players, and you're looking at a pretty dazzling package. There's never been a better time to be a Goth, really.
Graphics:93% Lush cities and insanely detailed vehicles, both in-car and out.
Gameplay:95% Superb handling and feedback, not to mention an accessible game feature
Lifespan:94% Tons of trophies and achievements to aim for, and then there's online play
Sound:91% The cream of the crop packed with the best car sound
Gore Factor:20% Cars get bruised and winds up smashed
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