Project Cars.

[FLiam]

Has anyone else bought/pre-ordered this?

Downloaded it last night in preparation for midnight release.

Previews have all looked fantastic. Anybody already playing it?

[apsham]

I thought it was next week - what a weird day to come out!

I'm interested.. a bit skeptical but interested.

[thatshortguy]

US gets it next Tuesday (May 12th). Yon International Peoples get it this week, though I forget which day.

I would like a full report from you fine people who nab this earlier than I. I'm not looking for Gran Turismo, I'm just looking for a sim-ish racer where you can paint real cars and race them on real tracks. Nothing more, nothing less, yo.

[Chris2K]

I've had it on pre-order for what feels like eternity and I'm really looking forward to it.

Reviews are similar to what you're after with a lot of credit being given to the depth of the career mode (which is essentially all I want from a racing game), hopefully it lives up to what they're saying.

[Baddar]

How is the career mode in depth exactly? I haven't been following the development of this game but definitely want to look into it in the future.

[Chris2K]

Not sure myself but I'm pretty much referring to one review I've seen:

"It's simply the best single-player interpretation of motorsport in a video game since 2006's wonderful TOCA Race Driver 3. It's also a strikingly and entertainingly different proposition from the car-collecting grind espoused by its console rivals. Project Cars has more, and more relevant, competition on PC - the brilliant simulators RaceRoom, iRacing and Assetto Corsa - but the generosity and strength of its career mode, with those large fields of capable AI drivers, stand out and earn it a place at that table."

[probablyoliver]

I'll probably pick this up over the weekend, been looking for a good racing game for a while and this looks just the ticket.

EWB club?

[Schlitzbrille]

When I finally save up and build my gaming PC, I'd be in.

[Liam]

I'll pick this up when it drops in price - always like a good racing game.

[Liam]

Project CARS’ player-first philosophy extends to its meaty career mode too, which is divided across open wheel racing, touring and GT racing, and prototype racing. They key point of difference is that, while there are a series of tiers available in each to progress through, you can start your career wherever you’d like. Want to start in karts and work your way up through the various open wheel racing leagues before you finally land a seat in the top LMP1 league? Not a problem. Rather go straight to the top? Also not a problem. Enjoying your stint in GT4? Re-sign for another season, and another. You don’t have to move up if you don’t want to. Start where you want, stay where you wish.

It’s not entirely dissimilar to Codemasters’ Pro Race Driver games, and the more recent Grid Autosport; the idea is to simply earn drives with various racing teams. Offers for stints in upcoming race seasons from team principals will come through your career email; all you need to do is accept the one you want. The team provides the car so there’s no need to grind for cash or purchase cars, which means you never feel compelled to win every race for the sake of a payout. There is no payout. You just need to perform as well as you can over the whole season. I like this as it properly tempted me to challenge myself, and there is a lot more satisfaction to be gleaned from a real dogfight to defend a top 10 finish in Project CARS than there is farming first place trophies for cash in other racing games.

You can also have multiple careers on the boil if you wish. I began my first career in a one-make Renault Clio championship and moved up to GT4 racing, but I wanted a crack at the Endurance racing and LMP1 racing so I started parallel careers in both of these. There’s no starting over or rewriting old career saves.

The only real, rigid part of the career mode is the three career goals that are available for you to attain, but it’s entirely up to you whether you try to achieve them all or focus on one in particular (or none, I guess). The “Zero to Hero” goal asks you to start in karts (which personally I don’t enjoy much – more in a moment) and slog it out all the way to the top tier within 10 seasons. “Triple Crown” asks you to win a championship in three different racing disciplines. “Defending Champ” requires you to win a high level series three times in a row.

More details about career mode.

[Baddar]

Sounds nice.

Any word on the amount of tracks in the game?

[JasonM]

Sounds nice.

Any word on the amount of tracks in the game?

All tracks:

''Azure Circuit'' is Monte Carlo

Also, I have heard that the endurance races can be made into hour long events, maybe even 24 hours long if you're crazy.

I'm not as crazy as to do a 24 hour race, but I would certainly be down for a longer 1-2 hour Le Mans event.

[Schlitzbrille]

I may or may not be crazy enough to do the 24 hour events.

[Chris2K]

Spa continues its record of being in every major racing game made in the last ten years .

It sounds like fun, I'll be a much more "Zero to Hero" career person though. I still have Grid Autosport to play because I'm currently busy playing the first Grid which in my mind is the best console simulation racing game in a long time.

[JasonM]

Spa continues its record of being in every major racing game made in the last ten years .

It sounds like fun, I'll be a much more "Zero to Hero" career person though. I still have Grid Autosport to play because I'm currently busy playing the first Grid which in my mind is the best console simulation racing game in a long time.

Spa is an epic track any way you cut it, it deserves to be in every game because it has everything you want in a racing track. Long straights, tough corners, a legendary piece of track called Eau Rouge. It's awesome to race on in any game.

[Slogger]

US gets it next Tuesday (May 12th). Yon International Peoples get it this week, though I forget which day.

I would like a full report from you fine people who nab this earlier than I. I'm not looking for Gran Turismo, I'm just looking for a sim-ish racer where you can paint real cars and race them on real tracks. Nothing more, nothing less, yo.

TODAY!

Got the text yesterday that it'll available for pick up today, Will have to go home and sleep after work for a but but after that I'll be glued to this until I have to go back into work.

Just when I thought I couldn't get more excited for this I notice that Jason posted the track listing and it has Bathurst, Sonoma and WATKINS GLEN

This may be my favorite racing game of all time and I haven't even touched it yet, I know I'm setting myself up for all but it's too late to jump off the blind faith bandwagon now.

[FLiam]

Waiting patiently for midnight so I can play for 20 minutes before calling it quits because of work in the morning. :-(

Brands Hatch Clio Cup is where I want to start.

[FLiam]

Well the realism is insane. I'm happy I can race 35 other cars on this. You can customise single races quite a bit.

Very steep learning curve I think though even with traction control etc. Might be better suited to a steering wheel / pedal setup.

[Cactus Drags]

US gets it next Tuesday (May 12th). Yon International Peoples get it this week, though I forget which day.

I would like a full report from you fine people who nab this earlier than I. I'm not looking for Gran Turismo, I'm just looking for a sim-ish racer where you can paint real cars and race them on real tracks. Nothing more, nothing less, yo.

I don't think there's any car painting.

As I said in the ps4 thress, it's the first new gen game I've felt legit blown away by graphically. I'm a bit concerned it's going to be too in depth for a casual racing gamer such as myself, but I'm willing to give it a go.

[thatshortguy]

Americans! Steam has this available for PC now at $50. Tempted, but everything I'm reading tells me this might not be the GT replacement I was hoping for.