One thing set MSR into a near flipside failure, it was filled with bugs. Thousands of gamers had to send back their exquisite game to Sega.
Now, with a new publisher, a new city, a new console, superior graphics, and the game being improved in every way possible, MSR’s brother is released PGR.
I’m sure you’ve heard many critics underlining this game. They disregarded is as a simple sequel, a simple port, nothing compared to Gran Turismo they declare. Well, trust me on this, they’re wrong. This game shouldn’t be counted as a port, or sequel, prequel or anything else. It should be classed as a pioneering, and innovative game; something which many gamers don’t seem to notice.
The Xbox launched with a lot of great looking games, and as you may have already guessed this is absolutely no exception. The car models are what really stand out. From Ferraris, to BMWs, to Mercedes-Benz. They look great, simple as that. And I really mean it. They look almost, real. From the hub-caps to the drivers themselves, every single inch of the cars seems to be amazingly well depicted.
Not only that, but PGR was the first game ever to successfully implement real-time-shadowing. You see nylon reflections bouncing off the windows and bonnets, off the headlights and even the tyres! As you turn the shadows turn with you, the sun reflects into you, the buildings shine onto you, and it gives of an effect that really should impress any practical gamer.
PGR was one of the only games where you could damage your car. This was prohibited by many car developers simply because they didn’t desire their beloved designs to appear faulty. I don’t know how Microsoft did it, but they seem to have purchased the rights of car damage. Although to be honest; this is a serious let down. Cars can barely be scratched! In fact, I once attempted crashing to see how much I could damage my trustworthy motor (Audio TT Cooper), and I came to a conclusion that all I could accomplish is smash the lights, and make a slight dent on the sides, and bonnet of the vehicle. I’m not really sure why Bizarre Creations developed a game, which by all means could’ve had amazingly realistic damage, had very much appalling damage. Perhaps car developers put a limit on how much their vehicle could be ill-treated, who knows. As you may have guessed, car damage is superficial. If you manage to crash your car it won’t do anything to the performance of the vehicle.
The tracks look amazing in this game. Not quite as impressive as the Car Models, but impressive enough to hand it the position as best in-game track graphics I have ever seen in a racing game, and yes that does include GT3. The Weather effects are definitely the best element of the game; in fact levels look most paramount when it’s raining. I just love the splash of water as it steams up from under the tyres, and the blast of four wheels shooting of at 120mph, as slippery wet water rumbles out from my speakers.
The amount of tracks available is tremendous. I’m talking of 200 plus unique circuits. All of which are in gleaming the cities of London, Tokyo, San Francisco and New York.
Reflections off buildings are apparent, and the Sun shining from behind rooftops gave a nice touch, that even I seem to adore after being blinded from the utter intensity.
Every inch of every city has been converted into photo-realistic in-game graphics. I’m accustom with the streets of London, since it’s my home city, and I can honestly say the game is accurately alike. Every street, every building, every tree, and every pavement seem to be there. It’s almost unbelievable. I drive down Trafalgar in my new Ferrari F55 and my memory is recapped with the times I managed to get myself lost, and the time I found myself drunk in the dramatic streets of London.
MSR was much admired for its innovative Kudos system. A system in which you had to drive with style, but safety. For example when turning a corner you have the chance to lock on the handbrake and do a 3 second skid around the bend, this will give you a Kudos score, but if you manage to loose the control over the car, and it hits a wall, another car, a tree, or anything solid you’ll loose that temporary kudos score. If you get around the bend without crashing, the Kudos you gained will be added to the main Kudos score which you can not be lost.
Not only must you obtain a minimum Kudos score to complete a level, you’re obligatory is also to conclude the task the game sets.
These range from Time Attacks, to Over Take Challenges, to One on One Races, to Kudos Challenges and even Street Races.
The Kudos System is something I am very impressed with. You get these tense moments where you have the choice to either employ your brake and take the corner as carefully but speedily as possible, or push-down the hand brake and risk jeopardizing loosing speed and the handle of the car, but gaining Kudos. When you’re both short on time and Kudos you’ll need to decide how to drive your car in the most competent and resourceful way. This generates a great sentiment to the game; it’s basically the only driving game which I had to use my brain to complete.
However the Kudos System has been pushed down on the importance level a bit with PGR. On MSR you completed levels solely to gain Kudos since Kudos was the heart of the game. You needed Kudos for cars, secrets maps, different stages, levels, jokers, and many other items. On PGR however it’s much less important. In fact Kudos is basically there to impress gamers. There’s not much need for it. A new System which I like to call the Medal System seems to be dominating here. In each stage there are a set number of levels. You have the choice to either raise the difficulty, or lower it. If you raise it high enough, and manage to complete the level on the difficulty you altered it to you’ll get either a Gold or Silver medal. If you leave it at the default difficulty you’ll acquire a bronze medal. You need at least a bronze on every echelon to advance onto the next stage. This eliminates the bug in which experienced gamers could complete the whole game playing less than a quarter of it, which was very common on MSR.
On top of the very long-lasting single player game, you can also participate with another 3 people on a split screen mode. I find it rather odd though; that the multiplayer doesn’t have the same feel as the single player, it’s also rather slow moving. The multi-player is a failure to put it to short. With worse graphics, less polygons, slower gameplay and a change in the control system I wonder what happened at the studio.
The AI on Project Gotham is amazing. Drivers skid in front of you to discontinue you from exceeding them, they demolish the back of your car to try and get you off control, and they push you into secret parts of levels, it’s just marvellous. Its nothing like GT3’s moaning AI. This is probably one of the greatest AI’s I have seen on any game so far.
The Audio on PGR is great. Each car has its own unique engine, and therefore it creates its own sound. The tyres skidding on the ground, the cars hitting a wall, two rival competitors scratching each others doors while they turn a corner are all very realistically taken to life by the great a sound that I’m sure Bizarre Creations spent months studying. I find the engine noises and crashes truly believable. They actually sound genuine; this must be the first racing game that actually has proper pragmatic audio effects.
PGR has the very well known custom sound-track option that many Xbox owners are in discussion about. This makes it possible for CDs to be downloaded onto the Hard Drive, and then played in game.
You’ll probably jump at that idea, but there’s no need to. The Music on PGR is great. It has a mix of everything, from Trance, Rock, Metal, Country, Hard-Rock, Rap, Dance and many others. Although Rock seems to be the dominate style that I had the impression of. I have to say, PGR has the best sound tracks on any game, I have ever played. It’s just great. I found myself sitting in my room, with the reply option on pause, listening to all the songs on PGR. That’s how great it is. The sound track is incredibly appropriate for a Racing game.
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