Project Gotham Racing came along as one of the launch titles for the Xbox. And with great
delight is was a very good racer. Not one of the best racing titles around, but one of
the more challenging and unique ones. It uses a Kudos system to track how well you do on
a certain race, and give you points on how well you do. Get enough points and new courses
will be unlocked and new cars as well. Well, let's get this engine started.
Graphics
This has to be one of the most graphically stunning racing games I've seen to date. The
cars have reflective mapping on them, and they even take damage if you smash them into other
cars and walls. The courses are based on real locations, from London, San Francisco, and Tokyo.
When you see Fisherman's Wharf and driven there, it looks exactly the same. The developers have
done a painstaking job in creating the buildings, trees and even the little bumps in the road. The
only thing that strikes me is that the only people that I see are the ones in the cars. There is no
one around the streets and the whole city looks deserted.
Sound
The sound is okay. It's not really that spectacular. Each individual car has their own
engine sounds, the screeching of the tires sounds great, and that's about it. Nothing really
special here. But the neat thing is once you get tired of the music, you can download your own
music into the track listen to those while you're racing. It's really cool listening to Nelly's "EI"
while you're drifting around a corner.
Gameplay
Project Gotham Racing is a mix of arcade and simulation. The cars handle realistically, but
not so much that you'd really need a steering wheel. It's easy to control the cars and each has
their own handling. Some cars have rear wheel drive and four wheel drive, while some are heavier
than others. It's cool finding which car suits you best. The Kudos system is very challenging and
it's where you'll spend most of your time. Prepare to be a little frustrated if you can't accomplish the
goal that the course wants. But once that goal is accomplished, it'll feel awesome and you can even try
to beat that score.
Overall
Project Gotham Racing may not be the best racers around, but it's enjoyable and challenging. It has
enough options to keep you playing and playing just to get that course right and eventually get
that Ferrari F50 that you so have been dying to race in.
--Alvin
Graphics: 9.0
Sound: 8.1
Gameplay: 8.3
Satisfaction: 8.1
Overall: 8.4
