Intro

Project CARS is the newest kid on the block of the competitive scene known as sim racing. Project CARS is developed and published by the UK-based studio Slightly Mad Studios, who were responsible for groundbreaking racing sims such as GTR2 and GT Legends (when they were still known as Blimey Games and working for SimBin) and in recent times for the more arcade-influenced two Need For Speed Shift games and Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends. This game is SMS's most ambitious title yet, promising class leading graphics, physics and sounds in addition to a robust career mode and multiplayer racing, for both PC players and console players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This has all been backed by an advanced but controversial crowdfunding system launched over 3 years ago, which allowed people to buy into the project early in development at different levels, each of which promised varying degrees of test builds, differing level of input into how the game would shaped up and also how much of the profits of the game you would receive when it was finally released. In addition, numerous real world racing identities like Ben Collins (the old Stig from Top Gear), Rene Rast and Nick Hamilton have all had input into how this game mimics real life racing.

However, for all this promise, does the game deliver for an audience that are likely to be the most critical of it, the sim racers? I have been a Junior Member at WMD since early 2012 and have been playing this on and off since then, so I have had more time to settle down with this game than many others. This review will go in detail in multiple aspects of the game and eventually answer the question: is Project CARS worthy of standing alongside the likes of Assetto Corsa, Game Stock Car Experience and Raceroom Racing Experience in terms of class leading simulation, or is it merely another disappointing meld of arcade and sim that have never truly captured a long-term dedicated audience? Read on to find out!