Reviewed on PC

Simulation-focused racing games like the first Project Cars often struggle to find an audience outside of the most dedicated of racers – the kind of players who know the corners of Circuit de Monaco better than the lines on the back of their hands. Project Cars 2 is no different. It's an unabashedly complex racing sim designed to provide the most authentic driving experience short of the real thing, and on that front it's easily up there with the likes of Gran Turismo and the recent F1 2017.

At the same time, Project Cars 2 represents an intimidating challenge for drivers still on their L plates. Understanding the intricacies of accelerating through corners and massaging the brake is mandatory if you hope to make it through a single race without careening into at least one barricade. If you're not prepared to fail over and over and over as you slowly come to grips with the arduous task of coaxing multiple tonnes of heavy metal around tracks built to make that as tough as possible, then you won't find a whole lot to like in Project Cars 2. On the other hand, if the prospect of fully modelled track surface deformations, comprehensive tyre physics and the largest roster of real-life tracks ever seen in a console racer has your throttle fingers twitching, developer Slightly Mad Studios has just the game for you.

From the get-go, Project Cars 2 makes no attempt to hide its unbridled complexity. Dozens of options lay before you the second you boot it up, ranging from your typical career mode and custom events to a dedicated esports hub and a stats page so dense it tracks the time and distance raced with every single car in the game. Then there are the customisation options. Not only does Project Cars 2 sport all the typical options like traction control, driving lines and braking assist, it has toggles for tyre wear, fuel usage, rules and penalties, manual pit control and so, so much more. Struggling to make it around corners? Crank up the steering sensitivity. Finding the brake too twitchy? Drop its sensitivity and increase its deadzone. The level of customisation is mind-boggling, allowing you to craft your ideal driving experience – provided you're willing to sink the time into messing with sliders and going for plenty of practice drives.

Buy Project Cars 2 from ozgameshop.com Project Cars 2 features GT, touring cars, endurance prototypes and exotic hypercars and delivers the full spectrum of motorsport racing with complete freedom to choose what and where to drive. View details

This flexibility would be far more appealing if Project Cars 2 educated you on the practical impact of these adjustments and perhaps provided recommendations based on your preferred driving style, but the game leaves it up to you to figure all that out on your own. This is especially disappointing given the emphasis Slightly Mad Studios has placed on Project Cars 2's new career mode, which would have made an ideal platform for introducing drivers to the nuances of the game's myriad customisation options.

That career mode, by the way, feels like something of a missed opportunity. In the original Project Cars, the career mode was decidedly thin. It was little more than a bare-bones wrapper for stringing races together. While it attempted to add context and purpose to the act of racing through a race calendar and special events, it failed to establish any sense of progression from race to race.

Project Cars 2 attempts to address this with its redesigned career mode. Featuring six tiers of progressively faster events spread across nine different motorsport disciplines, the mode lets you choose whether you want to rise through the ranks from lowly go-kart driver to supercar ace, or simply jump into a particular discipline and get racing. Not being forced to start on the lowest rung is a welcome gesture, but sadly the new presentation merely hides the same old problems that plagued the first game.

Each group of events in career mode suffers from a serious case of repetition, with individual tracks repeated as many as six times in a row from qualifying to finals. This means you're stuck taking the same corners again and again and again, with no choice but to endure the monotony if you want to progress to the next track. You can't change tracks, and you can't even try out another discipline without starting a whole new career. Other racing sims often allow you to skip or simulate races once you've had your fill, but Project Cars 2 provides no such luxury. While this might be an authentic representation of real racing, the problem is, it's just not particularly enjoyable.

Outside of the career mode, there's no shortage of cars or tracks to satisfy your automotive ambitions. There are 63 different locations that play host to 146 track layouts, with timeless classic Mount Panorama making its appearance alongside other mainstays like Monaco, Le Mans and the Nurburgring. Over 180 cars pack Project Cars 2's garage, ranging from meaty American muscle to homegrown V8 supercars to historic Lotus roadsters. All this is old hat for racing games, though, and it's only with its new track types that Project Cars 2 starts to feel like a true sequel, rather than a mere expansion pack.

See all Project Cars 2 cars Search cars Filter by manufacturer All Acura Agajanian Aston Martin Audi BAC Bentley BMW Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Ferrari Ford Ginetta Honda Jaguar KTM Lamborghini Ligier Lotus Marek Mazda McLaren Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Oslbergs Opel Oreca Pagani Panoz Porsche Radical Renault RWD SMS Toyota Volkswagen Manufacturer Year Model Class Available Acura 2017 NSX Road C Launch Acura 2017 NSX GT3 GT3 Launch Agajanian 1963 Watson Roadster Vintage Indy Launch Aston Martin 2017 DB11 Road D Launch Aston Martin 1959 DBR1/300 Vintage GTC Launch Aston Martin 2015 Vantage GT12 Road C Launch Aston Martin 2013 Vantage GT3 GT3 Launch Aston Martin 2013 Vantage GT4 GT4 Launch Aston Martin 2014 Vantage GTE GTE Launch Aston Martin 2016 Vulcan Track Day A Launch Audi 1989 90 quattro ISMA GTO GTO Launch Audi 2013 A1 quattro Road F Launch Audi 2002 R8 (LMP900) LMP900 Launch Audi 2014 R8 e-tron quattro (2014) LMP1 Launch Audi 2015 R8 LMS GT3 Launch Audi 2015 R8 LMS Endurance GT3 Launch Audi 1991 V8 quattro DTM Group A DLC Audi 2015 R8 V10 Plus 5.2 FSI quattro Road C Launch BAC 2017 Mono Road B Launch Bentley 2015 Continental GT3 (2015) GT3 Launch Bentley 2016 Continental GT3 (2016) GT3 Launch Bentley 2016 Continental GT3 Endurance GT3 Launch Bentley 2003 Speed 8 LMP900 Launch BMW 2011 1 Series M Coupe Road E Launch BMW 2011 1 Series M Coupe StanceWorks Road D Launch BMW 1973 2002 Turbo Road G Launch BMW 1973 2002 StanceWorks Vintage GTB Launch BMW 2012 320 TC (E90) Touring Car Launch BMW 1978 320 Turbo Group 5 Group 5 Launch BMW 2012 M3 GT4 (E92) GT4 Launch BMW 1981 M1 Procar Group 4 Launch BMW 1991 M3 Sport Evo Group A Group A Launch BMW 2016 M6 GT3 GT3 Launch BMW 1999 V12 LMR LMP900 Launch BMW 2016 M6 GTLM GTE Launch BMW 2012 Z4 GT3 GT3 Launch Cadillac 2016 ATS-V.R GT3 GT3 Launch Caterham 2012 SP/300.R Track Day B Launch Caterham 2015 Seven 620 R Road D Launch Chevrolet 1969 Camaro Z/28 '69 TransAm Vintage GTA Launch Chevrolet 2017 Camaro ZL-1 Road D Launch Chevrolet 2017 Corvette Z06 Road C Launch Chevrolet 2016 Corvette C7.R GTE Launch Chevrolet 2016 Dallara IR-12 Chevrolet (Road) Indycar Launch Chevrolet 2016 Dallara IR-12 Chevrolet (Oval) Indycar Launch Ferrari 1984 288 GTO Road E Launch Ferrari 1967 330 P4 Vintage Prototype B Launch Ferrari 1996 33 SP LMP900 Launch Ferrari 1971 365 GTB4 Competitzione Vintage GTA Launch Ferrari 2016 488 GT3 GT3 Launch Ferrari 2016 488 GTE GTE Launch Ferrari 2003 Enzo Road B Launch Ferrari 1989 F40 LM GTO Launch Ferrari 1996 F50 GT GT1 Launch Ferrari 2015 LaFerrari Road A Launch Ford 1980 Capri Zakspeed GROUP 5 Group 5 Launch Ford 1972 Escort RS1600 Racing Vintage GTB Launch Ford 1972 Escort RS1600 Rallycross Vintage RX Launch Ford 1972 Escort RS1600 Road G Launch Ford 2016 F-150 RTR Funhaver Road G Launch Ford 2013 Falcon FG V8 Supercars Launch Ford 2016 Focus RS RX WRX Launch Ford 2016 Fusion Stock Car Stockcar Series Launch Ford 2016 GT Road B Launch Ford 2016 GT Le Mans GTE GTE Launch Ford 1967 GT40 MK. IV Vintage Prototype B Launch Ford 1966 Mustang 2+2 Fastback Road G Launch Ford 2013 Mustang Boss 302R GT4 Launch Ford 1997 Mustang Cobra TransAm GTO Launch Ford 2015 Mustang GT Road E Launch Ford 2016 Mustang RTR GT4 GT4 Launch Ford 1988 Sierra Cosworth Group A Launch Ginetta 2015 G40 GT5 GT5 Launch Ginetta 2013 G40 Junior G40 Junior Launch Ginetta 2016 G55 GT3 GT3 Launch Ginetta 2013 G55 GT4 GT4 Launch Ginetta 2016 G57 Track Day A Launch Ginetta 2016 LMP3 LMP3 Launch Honda 2016 Dallara IR-12 Road Indycar Launch Honda 2016 Dallara IR-12 Oval Indycar Launch Honda 2015 2and4 Concept Track Day B DLC Honda 2016 Civic Coupe GRC WRX Launch Honda 2016 Civic Type-R Road E DLC Jaguar 1974 E-Type V12 Group44 Vintage GTA DLC Jaguar 2016 F-Type SVR Coupe Road D Launch Jaguar 1994 XJ220S Road B Launch Jaguar 1988 XJR-9 Group C Launch Jaguar 1988 XJR-9 LM Group C Launch KTM 2016 X-Bow GT4 Gt4 Launch KTM 2015 X-Bow R Road D Launch Lamborghini 2016 Aventador LP700-4 Road B Launch Lamborghini 1999 Biabolo GTR GTO Launch Lamborghini 2016 Huracan GT3 GT3 Launch Lamborghini 2016 Huracan LP610-4 Road C Launch Lamborghini 2016 Huracan LP620-2 Super Trofeo Super Trofeo Launch Lamborghini 2010 Sesto Elemnto Track Day B Launch Lamborghini 2013 Veneno LP750-4 Road B Launch Ligier 2016 JS P2 Honda LMP2 Launch Ligier 2016 JS P2 Judd LMP2 Launch Ligier 2016 JS P2 Nissan LMP2 Launch Ligier 2016 JS P3 LMP3 Launch Lotus 1963 Type 25 Climax Vintage Formula D Launch Lotus 1965 Type 38 Ford Vintage Indy Launch Lotus 1965 Type 40 Ford Vintage Prototype B Launch Lotus 1967 Type 48 Cosworth Vintage Formula C Launch Lotus 1970 Type 49C Cosworth Vintage Formula C Launch Lotus 1967 Type 51 Vintage Formula 3 Launch Lotus 1968 Type 56 Vintage Indy Launch Lotus 1972 Type 72D Cosworth Vintage Formula C Launch Lotus 1977 Type 78 Cosworth Vintage Formula B Launch Lotus 1986 Type 98 Renault Turbo Vintage Formula A Launch Marek 2016 RP219D LMP2 LMP2 Launch Marek 2016 RP339H LMP1 LMP1 Launch Mazda 2015 MX-5 Radbul Formula Drift Launch McLaren 2016 570S Road C Launch McLaren 2016 650S GT3 GT3 Launch McLaren 2017 720S Road A Launch McLaren 1992 F1 Road C Launch McLaren 1997 F1 GTR Longtail GT1 Launch McLaren 2014 P1 Road A Launch McLaren 2015 P1 GTR Track Day A Launch Mercedes-AMG 2016 A 45 4MATIC Road E Launch Mercedes-AMG 2016 A 45 SMS-R Rallycross WRX Launch Mercedes-AMG 2016 A 45 SMS-R Touring Touring Car Launch Mercedes-AMG 2016 C63 Coupe S Road E Launch Mercedes-AMG 2017 GT R Road C Launch Mercedes-AMG 2015 GT3 GT3 Launch Mercedes-Benz 1991 190E 2.5-16 Evolution 2 DTM Group A Launch Mercedes-Benz 1971 300 SEL 6.8 AMG Vintage GTB Launch Mercedes-Benz 1952 300 SL (W194) Vintage GTD Launch Mercedes-Benz 1998 CLK-LM GT1 Launch Mercedes-Benz 2012 SLS AMG GT3 GT3 Launch Mercedes-Benz 1989 Sauber C9 LM Mercedes-Benz Group C Launch Mercedes-Benz 1989 Sauber C9 Mercedes-Benz Group C Launch Mini 2016 Countryman RX WRX Launch Mitsubishi 2006 Lancer Evolution IX FQ360 Road E Launch Mitsubishi 2016 Lancer Evolution VI SVA Track Day A Launch Mitsubishi 1999 Lancer Evolution VI T.M.E Road F Launch Mitsubishi 2012 Lancer Evolution X FQ400 Road E Launch Nissan 1981 280ZX ISMA GTX Group 5 DLC Nissan 1984 300ZX Turbo ISMA GTS GTO Launch Nissan 1994 300ZX Turbo LM GTO Launch Nissan 1973 Fairlady 240ZG GTS-II Vintage GTA Launch Nissan 2017 GT-R Nismo (R35) Road C Launch Nissan 2016 GT-R Nismo GT3 (R35) GT3 Launch Nissan 1988 GTP ZX-Turbo Group C Launch Nissan 1982 KDR30 Super Silhouette Group 5 Launch Nissan 1998 R390 GT1 GT1 Launch Nissan 1989 R89C Group C Launch Nissan 1989 R89C LM Group C Launch Nissan 1991 Skyline GT-R (BNR32) Group A Group A DLC Nissan 1999 Skyline GT-R (R34) SMS-R Track Day B Launch Oslbergs 2016 MSE RX Supercar Lite RX Lites Launch Opel 2016 Astra TCR Touring Car DLC Oreca 2013 03 Nissan LMP2 Launch Pagani 2016 Huayra BC Road A Launch Pagani 2011 Zonda Cinque Roadster Road B Launch Pagani 2015 Zonda Revolucion Track Day A Launch Panoz 1998 Esperante GTR1 GT1 DLC Porsche 1998 911 GT1-98 GT1 Launch Porsche 2016 911 GT3 R GT3 Launch Porsche 2016 911 GT3 R Endurance GT3 Launch Porsche 2016 911 GT3 RS Road B Launch Porsche 2015 918 Spyder Weissach Road A Launch Porsche 1977 935/77 Group 5 Launch Porsche 1979 935/80 Group 5 Launch Porsche 1977 936 Spyder Group 6 Launch Porsche 1987 962C Group C Launch Porsche 1988 962C Langheck Group C Launch Porsche 2016 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR GT4 Launch Radical 2015 RXC Turbo Road A Launch Radical 2011 SR3-RS Track Day B Launch Radical 2011 SR8-RX Track Day A Launch Renault 2015 Renault 3.5 Formula Renault 3.5 Launch Renault 1978 Alpine A445B Group 6 Launch Renault 2014 Clio Cup Touring Car Launch Renault 2015 Megane R.S 275 Trophy-R Road F Launch Renault 2016 Megane R.S SMS-R Rallycross WRX Launch Renault 2016 Megane R.S SMS-R Touring Touring Car Launch Renault 2009 Megane Tophy V6 Megane Trophy Launch Renault 2015 R.S 01 Renault Sport Trophy Launch Renault 2015 R.S 01 GT3 GT3 Launch RWD 2016 P20 LMP2 LMP2 Launch RWD 2016 P30 LMP1 LMP1 Launch SMS 2011 Formula A Formula A Launch SMS 2016 Formula C Formula C Launch SMS 2012 Formula Rookie Formula Rookie Launch SMS 2018 Formula X Formula X Launch SMS 2016 Kart Kart One Launch Toyota 2013 86 Road G Launch Toyota 2013 GT-86 Road G Launch Toyota 2015 GT-86 Rocket Bunny GT4 GT4 Launch Toyota 2015 GT-86 Rocket Bunny Street Road C Launch Toyota 1998 GT-One (1998) GT1 Launch Toyota 1999 GT-One (1999) LMP900 Launch Toyota 2014 TS040 Hybrid LMP1 Launch Volkswagen 2016 Polo RX Supercar WR Launch

Full list of tracks Search tracks Filter region All Europe America Australia Middle East Asia New Zealand Circuit Layouts Region Autodromo Internacional do Algarve 1 Europe Azure Circuit 1 Europe Azure Coast 5 Europe Bannochbrae Road Circuit 1 Europe Brands Hatch (Indy and GP) 2 Europe Brno 1 Europe Cadwell Park 3 Europe Chesterfield Karting Circuit 1 Europe Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 3 Europe Donington Park 3 Europe Glencairn Karting Circuit 6 Europe Greenwood Karting Circuit 1 Europe Hockenheimring 3 Europe Hockenheimring Classic 1 Europe Hockenheimring Rallycross 1 Europe Autodromo Internazionale Enzo E Dino Ferrari Imola 1 Europe Knockhill 5 Europe Knockhill Rallycross 1 Europe Lankebanen Rallycross 1 Europe Circuit de la Sarthe 2 Europe Le Mans Karting International 1 Europe Rallycross of Loheac 1 Europe Lydden Hill 2 Europe Mercedes-Benz Driving Events Ice Track 6 Europe Autodromo Nazionale Monza 2 Europe Autodromo Nazionale Monza Historic 3 Europe Nurburgring Nordschleife 4 Europe Nurburgring GP 4 Europe Nurburgring GP + Nordschleife combined 1 Europe Motorsport Arena Oschersleben 3 Europe Oulton Park 3 Europe Red Bull Ring 3 Europe Rouen Les Essarts 2 Europe Sampala Ice Circuit 1 Europe Silverstone 4 Europe Silverstone Classic 1 Europe Snetterton 3 Europe Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps 1 Europe Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Historic 1 Europe Summerton Karting Circuit 3 Europe Wildcrest Rallycross 2 Europe Circuit Zolder 1 America California Highway 5 America Circuit of the Americas 3 America Daytona International Speedway 2 America Daytona Rallycross 1 America Dirtfish 3 America Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2 America Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 1 America Long Beach Street Circuit 1 America Mojave 5 America Road America 1 America Sonoma Raceway 3 America Texas Motor Speedway 3 America Watkins Glen International 2 America Willow Springs International Raceway 2 America Bathurst Mount Panorama 1 Australia Dubai Autodrome GP 4 Middle East Dubai Kartdrome 1 Middle East Fuji 1 Asia Ruapuna Park 5 New Zealand Sakitto 4 Asia Sportsland Sugo 1 Asia Zhuhai International Circuit 1 Asia

New Rallycross events throw dirt, ice and snow into the mix, and each terrain type feels dramatically different in a way they often don't in more arcade-style racers. These tracks are by far the most enjoyable in Project Cars 2, bringing some much-appreciated variety to the game's standard circuit racing.

Sadly, the Rallycross tracks are spread disappointingly thin among the more traditional courses making up Project Cars 2's roster. As such, they serve more as a tease of what the game could have been had it focused more on diversifying from its predecessor instead of doubling down on more of the same. While fans of the first game will no doubt enjoy the extra content, sticking to the same formula feels a little tired for those hoping for something new.

Like its predecessor, Project Cars 2 features a deep and complex handling system designed to challenge you on every corner. Race without assists, and you'll always be one tiny twitch away from spinning out and ruining your chances of a podium finish. Even with assists on, you'll have to fight tooth and nail just to finish in the top five, let alone take home the chequered flag. ABS won't help you if you slam on the brakes coming into a corner – you have to ease into every braking manoeuvre to avoid locking up the wheels and smashing hood first into a wall of tyres.

Balancing braking, steering and acceleration takes tremendous skill in Project Cars 2, and that is both its greatest strength and its gravest burden. To get the most out of the game, you have to go in prepared to work for your fun, whether it be by adjusting handling sliders to find the sweet spot of responsive control, by finding the one car and discipline that you're willing to spend hours familiarising yourself with or through sheer determination and an unwillingness to let the game get the better of you. Put plainly, Project Cars 2 is not a game for casual racers looking to burn rubber they haven't bled for.

This attitude extends to the game as a whole, too. Even with its expanded career mode, Project Cars 2 wants you to make your own fun. The various disciplines are so distinct and nuanced that you're best served picking your favourite and building out a playlist of custom events rather than jumping between them. Then you'll need to tweak the AI, the assists, the weather and numerous other settings to build the race experience you want. It's a real do-it-yourself approach to racing. For some, this will be daunting, but for others, it'll provide more than enough depth to sink hours upon hours into.

We reviewed Project Cars 2 on PC with a copy provided by the publisher.

Project Cars 2 7.5 VERY GOOD What we liked... Massive selection of cars and tracks

New disciplines add welcome variety to the racing

Staggering depth What we didn't like... Expects you to work for every ounce of enjoyment

Doesn't differentiate itself enough from the first game

Staggering depth VERDICT Project Cars 2 dives even deeper into the minutiae of motorsports than its predecessor, delivering one of the most authentic racing experiences you'll find this side of Mount Panorama. Such devotion to realism doesn't come without cost, though, and you'll need a lot of patience and determination to wrap your racing gloves around its demanding handling model. Overcome its steep learning curve, however, and you'll have more rubber to burn than the Springfield tyre fire. Available for PS4 XBOX ONE PC

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