Project Cars 2 (PC) preview
For me, the most standout feature in Project Cars 2 was LiveTrack 3.0, this feature focuses on making a track feel as authentic as possible with dynamic road surface transitions affecting vehicle performance, grip, and handling in real-time with bleeding-edge tire physics and surface deformities. LiveTrack 3.0 essentially brings each track to life, for example I was racing on a track that was going from wet to dry, as the rain lifted the track dried out at different rates, where one sector might be bone dry another might still have wet patches and as such I had to learn to notice what part of the track was dry and what part was wet, so I could judge my braking and cornering. Now, while that might sound easy enough, you have to remember you have to judge how each part of the track is changing while in the middle of a hectic race where one mistake could see you going from first to dead last in an instant.
Continuing with the weather and how changing conditions can affect a track. The weather in Project Cars 2 consists of your standard rain intensities, along with fog and various snow conditions that go from a flurry to a full on blizzard. The snow weather also allows for ice tracks, which takes the driving difficulty to the extreme, as ice tracks hold no prisoners as going offline will leave you beached on top of a mountain of snow.
Speaking of driving difficulty, car handling is also an important part of Project Cars 2, with each car having their own strengths and weaknesses. The best comparison I saw was with the Formula Rookie versus the Renault Clio. With the formula Rookie open-wheel car its real wheel drive meant that going full throttle out of a corner would nine times out of ten lead to me losing control of the car, but feathering the throttle and slowly getting up to full speed made the car stable and far easier to handle. With the Renault Clio, a closed-wheel car, its forward wheel drive meant it was the exact opposite of the Formula Rookie as the Clio required almost immediate full throttle when turning into a corner. Other cars such as the Indycars required a blend of both, but honestly, I was helpless when it came to balancing the Indycars in and out of corners.
Like the previous game, Project Cars 2 boasts a large number of licensed tracks, including Monza, Brands Hatch, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Le Mans, and my personal favourite – Imola. The game also contains over one hundred licensed cars, including the Audi R18 e-tron ’14, The Lotus 98T and the McLaren F1.
In terms of graphics, Project Cars 2 is just as spectacular as the first with its incredibly detailed cars and tracks making you want to slow down and just look around. Now, if you are looking at getting Project Cars 2 on the PC, but are put off by the recommended graphics card being a GTX 1080, I say don’t worry. I have a GTX 1070 and I was able to run the game in 1080p at 60 frames per second at the game’s ultra graphical settings. Personally, I believe the GTX 1080 recommendation is for those who want to push the game to 4K and beyond.
Conclusion
Project Cars 2 is the perfect game for race sim fans, as the game offers tracks that evolve over time, dynamic weather and a large collection of cars that all take time to master.
Project Cars 2 will be available September 22nd, for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. For more information on Project Cars 2, visit http://www.projectcarsgame.com/.
Author: Ash Meehan
Hi, I’m the creator of SG Gaming Info. When I’m not working on my writing or creating content for this site’s YouTube channel, I like to relax and enjoy character driven story games.