Project Sim Racer: Part 4 – Project Cars 2 Review
Having constructed a quality sim rig and then upgraded it with even better controls, I’ve spent a fair bit of time putting in laps on both iRacing and rFactor 2. A while back, an associate offered to make an introduction to the folks at Slightly Mad Studios, the creator of Project Cars. The introduction came very early in the development cycle of Project Cars 2, but the conversation was fruitful. Not long after the release, I received a copy to review.
Project Cars 2 is an ambitious sequel to an already successful racing game, and Slightly Mad Studios has a history of producing high-quality titles. In fact, SMS’ only area of game development is racing games and simulators, with a history of titles in the genre under its belt. Project Cars 2 represents the latest in SMS’ development efforts, with significant improvements in physics and graphics over the original game- not to mention a few other things.
Project Cars 2 Home Screen.Project Cars 2 offers several modes of play that would not be unfamiliar to most fans of racing sims. From local, solo play to online competition against other human drivers (friends or otherwise), the sim has something for everyone.
If you just want to get in a car and go, the private testing mode lets you get after it solo. Choose your car, choose your track, choose your weather conditions, and go.
Deep weather selection is available.You can choose your weather conditions. Project Cars includes various types of dry racing conditions with different visual impact (haze, for example), but also includes wet weather conditions and even snow/icy conditions! Slightly Mad Studios developed something they call “LiveTrack 3.0”, which involves virtual sensors on the track to detect weather elements and adjust effective grip accordingly. This also includes the ability for different parts of the track to have different weather conditions and effective grip.
Slightly Mad Studios claims also to have done extensive work in the department of “over the limit” handling — or when the car has exceeded the available traction of the tires. In working with a real-world tire partner, Pirelli, as well as several real-world professional racing drivers, SMS has endeavored to build one of the most realistic tire and handling models out there. They even threw Vaughn Gittin Jr. at the sim in order to get the most accurate drifting feel they could.
Additionally, Project Cars 2 has added off-road racing with a rallycross mode.
Project Cars 2’s new rallycross mode features quite a few modern rallycross cars, including the classic Escort RS1600.
