ith Project Gotham Racing 4, Bizarre Creations looks to be more interested in further refining the game’s successful formula than meddling with things for the sake of meddling. That’s not to say players won’t have anything new to look forward to—the inclusion of motorcycles, deeper vehicle customization and changing weather conditions are all something race fans should be excited about. It’s just that Project Gotham Racing 4 is definitely an evolutionary title, rather than something completely revolutionary.
The biggest gameplay tweak is the addition of motorcycles. PGR 4 lets players zip around tracks on 30 licensed bikes. The series has always been about showboating, and the motorcycle action is no exception. Pulling back on the stick lifts the front tire off the ground in a wheelie. Hold that wheelie long enough, and your racer will move into a high-chair position. When you pass other racers, you can wave at them as you go by, too. If you spend too much time taunting, and don’t pay close attention to the road, you’ll get to enjoy the ragdoll animations.
PGR4 enhances the overall sensation of speed, which is a huge improvement over past games. While the games have looked as smooth as glass, Bizarre Creations did some research and found that people couldn’t tell how fast they were going after about 100 mph. Since speed is so important, they decided to do something about it. The solution? An all new race camera, which shakes and wobbles more depending on your speed. It’s a relatively simple fix, and it helps convey breakneck speeds quite effectively. The crash cam has been improved, too, with static effects and scan lines.
From the onset, Bizarre Creations wanted to expand on the game’s community-oriented features. PGRTV has been scrapped in favor of a new “PGR On Demand” system. Rather than limiting people to viewing gameplay videos of only the top racers, players will be able to search videos for specific things. In addition, a new photo mode lets racers freeze the action and swing the camera around for that perfect shot. From there, effects can be added—things like sepia toning, noise, wobble, blur and more. Those photos can be shared on PGR On Demand, too.
PGR 4 has a new livery editor, allowing players to design team logos. While it’s not as sophisticated as Forza 2’s system, it’s actually implemented within the game in a pretty cool way. Depending on your success in career mode, people in the stands and sidelines may start wearing your colors to show their support. It’s a little touch, but it’s kind of a neat way to get some positive reinforcement for your wins.
One of the criticisms people have had with Project Gotham Racing games since the series started was the driver A.I. While you received Kudos for taking turns quickly, skidding out control and driving like a maniac, your rival drivers seemed like they were racing slot cars. As you careened around without a care in the world, they were content to drive in straight lines and take corners in the safest—and most boring—ways possible. Well, in PGR 4 you’re no longer the only hot-dogger on the slopes. Other drivers will take corners aggressively and generally race like you do. Finally!
Early PGR 4 screens highlighted the new weather system, and it’s a relief to see that it works as well as it looks. As players race through the tracks, the weather will change randomly. You’re not going to see snowstorms in Macao or anything like that; expect to see climate changes that are within the normal range of reality. Driving around in St. Petersburg, for example, you might be greeted with sudden snowstorms. The snow isn’t just a cosmetic enhancement, like the water droplets on your ride’s exterior. You’ll have to adjust your speed and cornering techniques to account for those weather changes or expect to get a better look at that crash cam.
Basically, if you’ve enjoyed past installments of the PGR games, you’ll probably get a real kick out of PGR 4. The little tweaks and enhancements add that extra polish to an already beautiful gaming experience. The ability to ride bikes adds a nice change of pace to the game, too. If you haven’t played one of the games before but like the idea of a fast-paced arcade-style racer, PGR 4 looks like a great place to start.