Bandai Namco announces Project CARS 3. Future benchmark for auto simu? – News

video">The trailer for Project CARS 3

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A revamped career, always more accessibility

It was through a video conference that Joe Barron and Matt Fork of Slightly Mad Studios presented the third installment of the newly announced Project CARS series. An episode resolutely turned towards “the sensations and the feeling of immersion of the player”According to the studio. For that, developers have completely redesigned their career mode by infusing experience points and a new structure, as claimed by some of the fans. It includes tests highlighting a selection of racing cars (among the ten classes present), a choice of routes, but also multiple rules to vary the pleasures. Indeed, the Bandai Namco app wants to offer more ways to progress than usual by proposing objectives to unlock for a few credits. These missions require for example to reach a precise speed or to exceed a certain number of opponents in order to gain a little XP. The maneuver is intended to never force the user to participate in a championship that would not suit him, by giving him access to alternative challenges.

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Car simulation games have often found it difficult to broaden their target due to their somewhat demanding genre. Project CARS 3 is even more accessible than its predecessor drawing on a virtuous circle of rewards. The teams at Slightly Mad Studios insist that there is no microtransaction on the program: everything is unlocked according to the actions of the pilot, who is rewarded for taking his risks. Here, the experience system recalls that of Forza Motorsport, where each removed aid inflates the experience multiplier a little more. The more races the aspiring driver performs, the more credits he earns in-game to spend on new cars as well as on performance improvements. From what we could see, the menus displayed are clear and the interface seems ergonomic, even when it comes to spending time in his garage. The menus related to vehicle improvement are divided into different categories (tires, brakes, bodywork, aerodynamics, injection, transmission, suspensions, etc.) and use a system of check marks immediately exposing what is improved or not. Presets are to be unlocked (sport, racing, etc.) to help the neophyte get out quickly in their settings. Proof of this openness to simple amateurs, the game incorporates camera effects, admittedly discreet, which increase the feeling of speed.

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Customization and multiplayer galore

If there are players who are content to run circuits against artificial intelligence, others only participate in online matches. Project CARS 2 has a pretty active community today, and Slightly Mad Studios is counting on fans of the franchise to give this third episode a turbo start. Now, the user has the choice between three categories when he launches the multiplayer mode: “fast game”, Allowing you to start a race using matchmaking tools,“planned event”, Giving access to competitions put in place by the developers at specific times for which it is possible to launch qualifications, and“custom party”. Finally, Bandai Namco’s software includes an asynchronous mode called Rivals, a sort of extension of community events with monthly rotation of Project CARS 2. In this mode, the player can participate in daily, weekly and monthly events offered by the studio. Joystick in your hands, you will be asked to have the best time possible behind the wheel of your racing car, while the game dynamically downloads ghosts to beat. A rather readable and clever way to maintain the pressure in this fight for the best score.

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In order to better impress little online comrades, Project CARS 3 includes customization options (already seen in other series). Again, like the Forza, the player can use the official colors of a manufacturer or create their own decorations (using stickers, materials, etc.). For those who wonder, yes, the Custom Events of Project CARS 2 are still present with their lots of options (number of laps, number of competitors, penalties, among others). In the department of novelties, we could attend a race taking place at night in Shanghai, and another taking place in Sao Paulo, cradle of the Brazilian Grand Prix. What to note small changes on the side of the HUD, like the arrows indicating the position of the competitors located at the back, and especially what to contemplate less dull graphics than those of the second part.

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The intentions of Slightly Mad Studios seem potentially good for this Project CARS 3 which is not afraid to offend the fans by bringing more accessibility. There are obviously a lot of things to check, such as the behavior of artificial intelligence, damage, or even piloting sensations. The title will be released on PC (via Steam),PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this summer.

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