Project Cars PS4/XBOX ONE/PC review

[Bassman]

I finally found a decent saloon road car... the Evo X. A few more HP than the A Class, but, to me, it seems far superior.

Being fairly happy with the majority of settings, I just reduced the steering sensitivity which, I think, improved things.

I see there is some DLC due (for some of the Community events). I wonder what exorbitant price they'll charge for it...

[Supergoal]

I'm just quite surprised how much tweaking it takes to get any kind of decent feeling. I'm sure most people will not bother going through all that effort. I still think Assetto Corsa feels much more convincing with FFB.

[Bassman]

Doh! I should take more notice of the control layout! I was using the driver seat view and was struggling with rain. Manual wipers! Down on D-pad. Lights, up on D-pad. Left on D-pad found me an option of a mirror and a choice of stats to have on screen. That should improve things!

[VR46]

I think I'm running on sensitivity preset 2. Is it bad for you on Xbox One?

Sorry wasn't having a dig, Xbox One, I'm in the "almost unplayable camp" on the Xbox One even with the tweaked settings, certainly not an enjoyable experience to play at present with a pad. I didn't get a chance to play yesterday and am tempted to leave it on the shelf untouched again until a patch comes out.

[cutmymilk]

I love the in-helmet view and I am normally a massive chase-cam guy. It also sounds like racing too. Well, the karting does. Pretty much the only real world experience I have!

[Wools]

Sorry wasn't having a dig, Xbox One, I'm in the "almost unplayable camp" on the Xbox One even with the tweaked settings, certainly not an enjoyable experience to play at present with a pad. I didn't get a chance to play yesterday and am tempted to leave it on the shelf untouched again until a patch comes out.

What's the last sim style racing game you played on a pad? I must admit I felt the game was a touch twitchy on PS4 but assumed as this is a hardcore sim, it's my steering inputs causing the twitchiness! My brother recommend turning down the sensitivity from 3 to 2 and that seemed to soften the analogue inputs from my controller.

Just for frame of reference, I've played racing games all my life on a controller but I had a Logitech GT + Wheel Stand Pro for several years and played Gran Turismo 5, Gran Turismo 6, F1 2013 and several more racers with them. I've also drove a car since I was 18 and driven several Supercars and Track Cars (SLS, 360 CS and MP4-12C) so feel I have some understanding about how cars feel in real life vs in game with a controller or wheel. Does not mean I'm fast though!

Had a great time over the weekend playing private lobby Time Trials and Races with my Brother online. Love how subtle and lovely the lighting effects are, transitioning from the inky, purple darkness of midnight to the early hours where the sun is just lifting above the horizon. I can not reinforce how important having real time weather and time of day transitions are to the racing experience. Having all of practise, qualifying and the start of a race in the dry with perfect lighting conditions, transition to heavy rain just after a pit stop with dry tyres makes every race memorable and enjoyable. Whereas in Forza every track is identical and never changes and Gran Turismo never made the effort to have the practise, qualifying and race format as their AI was so terrible, you had to just chase the leader.

The only chinks in Project Cars armour as far as I can tell are no fully animated pit stops, the menu UI is a bit bland and although I'm happy with a fine tuned car list, their feels like a few obvious omissions in the GT and Road Car categories I would have loved to have seen. GT6 had far too many Skylines and GT-R's but just one would have been nice!

[VR46]

I totally see where you're coming from, I also had a Logitech Wheel, the Driving Force GT, great wheel but awful pedals. Sold it six months back planning on getting something better (and confirmed as compatible with Xbox One & PS4). Planning to get a new wheel next week.

I've also used gaming pads and played almost every console racing game since Gran Turismo 1, played a lot of iRacing with a wheel and games like the GTR ones on PC with a pad back in the day. I think the main difference/problem to me is coming from playing loads of Forza 5 in the weeks leading up to Project Cars release and am really of the opinion the game just isn't fun on the One with a pad.

A pad should be fine no matter how arcade/sim the game is, two years ago a Spanish guy finished in the top twenty in a GT Academy event where over 100,000 took part using a DS3.

Sounds like the console versions really didn't have any beta testing done

http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/showthread.php?23593-UNFINISHED-PROJECT-CARS-made-by-the-WMD-(We-Missed-Defects)

There's always someone worse off though, why on earth would you try and play/steer with a mouse

http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/showthread.php?23183-Issues-of-the-steering-with-mouse

[Uli]

you are the console beta tester of course, what else did you expect?

but it's pretty much beta state on PC too. lot's of bugs and inconsistencies, poor default setups across cars and input devices as far as i have heard.

@ Wools
do you know about the lap time invalidating rules? how is it i get 2 lap times (actual and next) invalidated by just getting off track briefly?

[Wools]

I totally see where you're coming from, I also had a Logitech Wheel, the Driving Force GT, great wheel but awful pedals. Sold it six months back planning on getting something better (and confirmed as compatible with Xbox One & PS4). Planning to get a new wheel next week.

Sounds like the console versions really didn't have any beta testing done

http://forum.projectcarsgame.com/showthread.php?23593-UNFINISHED-PROJECT-CARS-made-by-the-WMD-(We-Missed-Defects)

I remember those pedals letting the side down, some users suggested using tennis balls that were cut in half to add resistance to the pedals... When you're at that stage, you know the pedals are ****! The wheel was really lovely though.

Regarding the testing on consoles, I've not encountered any problems thus far. Not saying there's any problems but seeing as everyone moans about every game upon release, I would take their opinions with a pinch of salt. "Battlefield 4 was bad, and so was Halo MCC, but both did not have the number of faults that this game does." I'm sorry but he's talking out of his arse! Master Chief Collection did not allow users to connect to any online game, not allow custom maps to load, it was entirely broken and still is! I've played over 10 hours of P CARS and not yet encountered any issues, playing solo, online and in private lobbies.

Like I said, I don't doubt for a second there's bugs in the game, but the hardcore racing community always moan when a game comes out, this is no different.

@ Wools - do you know about the lap time invalidating rules? how is it i get 2 lap times (actual and next) invalidated by just getting off track briefly?

No idea I'm afraid, it seems to take the same harsh rules as F1 2013 during Qualifying. Can't you turn off all rules and flags or does that only effect race craft and not Time Trial? Also, do you only get penalised for the next lap time if you cut or drift off on the final few corners as that could improve your next lap time?

[Bassman]

If you go off track near the end of a lap, the game assumes you have gained an advantage and invalidates you current and next lap. Providing you are not too near the end of the lap you will only get your current lap invalidated.

I have a Track Day event which I am part way through, driving the BAC Mono. Makes a pleasant change from the (current) Superkarts. I'm a little bored with the Karts now, so the "proper" cars give a bit of light relief.

[VR46]

Is normally if you go off track in the final sector the next lap is cancelled.

You should try time trialling in iRacing, it takes the average time of five consecutive laps, one off in those five laps and it's time to start again

Wools yes a squash ball behind the pedals helped, but googling the bungee cord trick helped me more. Those DFGT wheels are about sixty quid in CEX at present.

[Uli]

No idea I'm afraid, it seems to take the same harsh rules as F1 2013 during Qualifying. Can't you turn off all rules and flags or does that only effect race craft and not Time Trial? Also, do you only get penalised for the next lap time if you cut or drift off on the final few corners as that could improve your next lap time?

cutting corners means you get an advantage so getting a lap time invalidation is logical. i put off the flags and penalties in the menus so i haven't had the issue yet but i am sure it's in the game.

If you go off track near the end of a lap, the game assumes you have gained an advantage and invalidates you current and next lap. Providing you are not too near the end of the lap you will only get your current lap invalidated.

thanks for the explanation. but since when do you gain an advantage if you go off track? it's more likely that you lose lots of speed or even spin out and crash. most of all kiling 2 lap times on one minor error is realy sucking any fun out of qualifications and time runs. i never heard of such a stupid rule - is this for real?

[VR46]

Best explanation I can give is that in a Moto GP game years ago people would use a piece of tarmac not on the official GP circuit to give an advantage



Look at the circuit map above, between the dotted lines to the left of the Foggarty Esses and the Wheatcroft Straight there is a bit of track (the upper bit) not used on the Moto GP circuit, but if you used this part of track you could cross the start line at around 50mph higher than if had stuck to the proper circuit - giving a pretty decent advantage. Hope that makes sense!

[Uli]

yes in this case it makes sense. but this doesn't explain why it's applied in the game in evey incident you leave the track, even on the green.

[VR46]

It's because there is the chance you could gain an advantage, it only writes off the following lap if you're between sector three marker and the finish line I believe.