PC2 Project CARS 2 Released on Xbox One, PS4 and PC

[Paul Jeffrey]

Highly anticipated racing simulation Project CARS 2 has been released today, marking the return of the best selling franchise to both console and PC systems.

Developed by Slightly Mad Studios and community backers from the world of sim racing, using the experience of professional race drivers the likes of former Top Gear Stig Ben Collins and sometime Renault Clio racer Nicolas Hamilton, Project CARS 2 looks set to be the most ambitious racing project yet from the British based development team.

Featuring over 180 cars and 60 locations on launch and benefitting from live track technology, advanced weather effects and class leading graphics, Project CARS 2 looks very likely to become yet another best selling release across all platforms following release today.

Unfortunately we have not been able to get access to an advanced copy of the game prior to launch, however in constant quest to bring you all the news and opinion from sim racing (haha, well actually because I cant resist a racing game) I will be purchasing testing this thing thoroughly tonight, with a view to writing up an article over the weekend with my first impressions.

About the Game

• 180+ licensed cars from iconic manufacturers
  
• Full 12K & VR Support
• Tested and tuned by pro racing drivers
• All-new motorsports (IndyCar, Oval Racing, Rallycross) join old favorites incl. GT3
• LiveTrack 3.0: Dynamic surface & weather physics affect vehicle performance and handling in real-time
• New loose surface racing (ice, dirt, mud)
• Full 24-hour cycle featuring real-time atmospheric conditions and seasonal ambience
• State-of-the art physics model
• Revamped gamepad handling
• Class-leading Esport capabilities

Project CARS 2 is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Check out the Project CARS 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment to catch up with the latest news, engage in lively discussions with the community, download some mods and get yourself out on the track in online races for both PC and console.

Well it's here! What do you think? Win, Lose or Draw? Improvement over PC1? Serious rival for the main PC racers? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Damage Inc]

Over on official forum a post sums up PCars and it's customer base. Someone posted "aside from my wheel violently rocking from side to side down the straights and in the pits...I'm loving this game!! Thank you SMS!!!"
Slightly mad indeed....

I agree it's slightly mad to think that one issue with a game should cloud the overall impression. Don't worry the men in white coats will be along shortly to pick you up.

 

[rosgillies]

It's crap




My wife is out so I'm watching the kids, so.have to wait till they are in bed and then I will probably be too tired to get it all setup!

CRAP!!!? Wow, you`re a real piece of work.

 

[Damage Inc]

Playing the game with an OSW direct drive wheel and my first impresssions are really positive. Feels very natural with the cars I have tried so far. I always remember reading an article in which accuforce spoke about how professional drivers configured ffb compared to sim racers. The sim racers were cranking up the settings to give maximum feeling of weight transfer and as much ffb detail as possible, the professional racers did the complete opposite. Spent a couple of hours in the NSX going round the algarve last night and it was a joy, you really felt what the car was doing without it being ridiculously over exaggerated, I sometimes feel many critics mistake over exaggerated ffb sensations for realism.

I drive a 60 mile round trip to work each day on rural roads and sometimes I really try and analyse how the weight transfer, road feel etc get translated to my hands on the wheel. I have come to the conclusion that the ffb in my real car is terrible....lol. It would be absolutely slated if put in a game.

I haven't tried any races yet so cannot comment on AI.

This SO much this!! Many people here want to feel everything via the wheels FFB and if they don't feel it then it's not a "sim"...for gawds sakes. I'd say 95% of what a real racer feels is via his arse cheeks and NOT through the wheel.

All this guff about "realism" and "physics" and "ffb"....some of these people wouldn't know their arse form their elbows.

 

[rosgillies]

This SO much this!! Many people here want to feel everything via the wheels FFB and if they don't feel it then it's not a "sim"...for gawds sakes. I'd say 95% of what a real racer feels is via his arse cheeks and NOT through the wheel.

All this guff about "realism" and "physics" and "ffb"....some of these people wouldn't know their arse form their elbows.

And that`s why I bought a motion platform and buttkickers.

 

[Caton XII]

The sound design seems the same than pCARS so... NO WAY !

I gave my time to a lot of hardcore simulations (I began with GPL) and some good mix arcade/simulations but if you are a car lover since many many years, It's not possible to appreciate a game wich fools completely this part.

 

[apex11]

This SO much this!! Many people here want to feel everything via the wheels FFB and if they don't feel it then it's not a "sim"...for gawds sakes. I'd say 95% of what a real racer feels is via his arse cheeks and NOT through the wheel.

All this guff about "realism" and "physics" and "ffb"....some of these people wouldn't know their arse form their elbows.

<SNIP< If what you say is true then thats EXACTLY why we need good FFB as its harder to drive withoiut feeling it through your body... derrrrrrrr, otherwise hey lets all just use wheels without FFB like the tx italia. <SNIP>

 

[Damage Inc]

So far I'm having a blast, I'm not liking the trees though....probably to do with changing them all to allow for seasons. I'm flitting between ACs 288 GTO at Highlands to PC2s 288 GTO at Bannochbrae and holy hell I can't get enough of either.

Worried about the Ai issues I'm reading (too busy hot lapping new cars and tracks and playing AC/R3E), but hopeful it'll get sorted in a patch. Hoping it's just combos of cars and tracks with settings that weren't tested properly (someone work out how long it would take to test every car and track combo at every ai strength and aggression combo...I'd imagine that would be a very long time!! so none of this "not bothered testing" or "testers are fanboys" nonsense please.).

Overall very pleased with the improvements, disappointed by the omissions (custom championship mainly), still not happy with scripted weather, although some randomness is there thank god. Still waiting for the perfect Sim, but AC, R3E, AMS, iR and RF2 arn't perfect either.

 

[Damage Inc]

You really are a nasty person aren't you, trolling around kicking up ****. If what you say is true then thats EXACTLY why we need good FFB as its harder to drive withoiut feeling it through your body... derrrrrrrr, otherwise hey lets all just use wheels without FFB like the tx italia. muppet.

But it's not REAL capiche, comprende, understand? It's a FUDGE. It's to FOOL you and it seems a lot are fooled by it.

<SNIP<

 

[Damage Inc]

And that`s why I bought a motion platform and buttkickers.

Wish I could afford that sort of kit!!

 

[dzk76]

Tires soud like zx spectrum loading.

 

[rosgillies]

Wish I could afford that sort of kit!!

Work hard, retire and dont piss your pension up the wall on a weekend. Easy.

 

[apex11]

But it's not REAL capiche, comprende, understand? It's a FUDGE. It's to FOOL you and it seems a lot are fooled by it.

you'd have to increase your intelligence 10 fold to even qualify as a muppet.

OK fella, you are a nasty sad negative manchild, you are on a forum for people who love to sim race, please do yourself a favor and don't slag off what we do as a hobby.
Cheers.
Sim racing is real as i do it thanks, i physically sit down behind a wheel and use my arms and feet.

 

[Damage Inc]

OK fella, you are a nasty sad negative manchild, you are on a forum for people who love to sim race, please do yourself a favor and don't slag off what we do as a hobby.
Cheers.
Sim racing is real as i do it thanks, i physically sit down behind a wheel and use my arms and feet.

Jesus, are you reading the nasty crap some people are posting here about PC2?? When 90% of the feelings they want to feel are produced in a way that is not reality via FFB then they slag off a games realism for NOT having these FFBfeelings.....can you see the stupidity in those statements?!! In reality you should NOT feel these via your arms.

and news for you fella I sim race too, it's my main hobby too. i just don't like the football hooligan mentality of supporting one sim over another and rabidly slagging off the one they don't like. Hell they should be grateful PC2 isn't perfect because if it was their "favourite" wouldn't get a look in would it? All sims are flawed in some way or another, all sims omit features of some kind or another. NO sim is perfect.

 

[leseb64]

 

[Timmy UK]

I am in shock...
This game, and remember that they are all video games, is actually very good.
The FFB is really rather good, better than good..
It takes no more than 10 mins to find the sweet spot with the FFB, if you can not find it, then you are doing something wrong...
The Porsche GT3 (cup) feels wonderful, way more fun than the iracing version.
True, some cars are worse that others, which is the same in every other car racing video game.
AC has some bad cars, so does RF2, and so does PC2.
So what, get over it.
Iracing has perhaps 3 cars that are ok; a tire model that works the WRONG way around, artwork done with felt-tip pens, and jumping cars.
Oh, and 'marketing' that is a little bit loose with the truth...
Well, very loose with the truth, check out the court records when some guy took on iracing...
Yet it is considered the 'greatest sim ever' by many...
They are all video games..
Video games for big kids.
PC2 is way better than expected, is fun, looks good, nothing wrong with that.
AC is fun, RF2 can be fun, and PC2 is fun.
So what is wrong with that, nothing.
Stop falling for the marketing crap, take them for what they are, video games, and have fun.
It is all very simple.

 

[christoph1954]

"Haters", when did this meaningless phrase begin? You know what I hate more than "haters", people who promote things far more than is deserved. Your posts sound like adverts for the sim, rather than your actual opinion.

I'll be cautious with PC2. The first one was all bells and whistles, but the driving experience was atrocious.

Not for me! I liked it very much - still prefere it over AC, RRE, RF2.
And now - with PC2, I´m looking forward to all the variety of driving, that NO OTHER racing game is giving you: road surfaces, weather, rally cross etc. It is just great.
Last night, I started my career on the carting track Always start on the lowest level!

 

[apex11]

Jesus, are you reading the nasty crap some people are posting here about PC2?? When 90% of the feelings they want to feel are produced in a NON reality way via FFB then they slag off a games realism for NOT having these ffb feelings.....can you see the stupidity in those statements?!! In reality you should NOT feel these via your arms.

and news for you fella I sim race too, it's my main hobby too. i just don't like the football hooligan mentality of supporting one sim over another and rabidly slagging off the wone they don't like. Hell they should be grateful PC2 isn't perfect because if it was their "favourite" wouldn't get a look in would it? All sims are flawed in some way or another, all sims omit features of some kind or another. NO sim is perfect.

I don't support that mentality either hence why i have 600 hours on PCars 1 on xbox and own every current sim aside from PCars 2 as i wont be able to give it the time as i am balls deep into an RF2 and RRE obsession...
I honestly think on PC there are better examples and whilst RF2 is available (cost me £11.99) i dont see the point in PCars 2...

 

[kamackeris]

I need to hear that they have improved the ai for me to purchase.... From what I've heard and the videos I've watched it's pretty awful.

 

[apex11]

I am in shock...
This game, and remember that they are all video games, is actually very good.
The FFB is really rather good, better than good..
It takes no more than 10 mins to find the sweet spot with the FFB, if you can not find it, then you are doing something wrong...
The Porsche GT3 (cup) feels wonderful, way more fun than the iracing version.
True, some cars are worse that others, which is the same in every other car racing video game.
AC has some bad cars, so does RF2, and so does PC2.
So what, get over it.
Iracing has perhaps 3 cars that are ok; a tire model that works the WRONG way around, artwork done with felt-tip pens, and jumping cars.
Oh, and 'marketing' that is a little bit loose with the truth...
Well, very loose with the truth, check out the court records when some guy took on iracing...
Yet it is considered the 'greatest sim ever' by many...
They are all video games..
Video games for big kids.
PC2 is way better than expected, is fun, looks good, nothing wrong with that.
AC is fun, RF2 can be fun, and PC2 is fun.
So what is wrong with that, nothing.
Stop falling for the marketing crap, take them for what they are, video games, and have fun.
It is all very simple.

Thats fine, but if you have maybe 1 or 2 hours playtime a day if your lucky and you own a PC with all current sims how can i fit in the time for PCars 2? If it is as good as RF2 like some say then why pay £60 for it when i have RF2 for £11.99 sat there? Thats all i am saying, that now since i got a PC i have more than enough choice without adding another one.... but for console players the choice is very limited...

 

[ears]

Gotta love some ppl hating and they haven't even played the game. smh
There should be a rule you're only allowed to post on this thread after uploading proof that you own/have played the game

Perhaps there should be a rule that people who have a personal financial interest in the game should not be allowed to remorselessly attack those who criticise it.