Project Gotham Racing 4

Thanks to Bizarre Entertainment being bought out by Activision, PGR4 is set to be the final title in what has become a best-selling series of groundbreaking driving titles. Like the previous titles, PGR4 could easily be interpreted as same-ish except that it enhances on the well-trodden format of racing with some new additions in the form of more realistic locations, cars, even motorbikes and stunning weather effects.

PTD’s first glimpse of the game took place at a Microsoft event in London, fitting given that’s the first track we were shown, prior to receiving the full code a day later. Given the choice of either a car or a bike really enhances the gameplay. Streets are lined with spectators (who really don’t take kindly to vehicles crashing anywhere near them), waving flags and notable landmarks like the London Eye or Big Ben are beautifully rendered, making that line between game and reality a little more blurred.

The most impressing aspect of the game has to be the weather effects. Yes, there’s weather in this one, and while the inclusion of snow doesn’t sound too impressive, it’s actually very effective. Snow falls and begins coating the roads, soon it becomes slippery and affects your driving. The key point is that the weather in the game is supposed to mirror the weather in that location in the real world by taking the information from the Weather Channel.

Choosing a bike over one of the numerous cars also made for a much more interesting race. They are easier to control around tight corners, although crashing is still inevitable. Upon completion of each lap a ghost will replay the route, allowing for mistakes to be corrected. Cars on the other hand look gorgeous, managing to be both stylish and speedy. There’s plenty of choice too, each with their own look and feel. If you needed another reason to break out that Microsoft Racing Wheel, this is definitely it!