| Project CARS 2 | |
|---|---|
 Promotional artwork featuring the2016 Ferrari 488 GT3, the2016 Honda Civic CoupeGRC and the2017 McLaren 720S | |
| Developer(s) | Slightly Mad Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Director(s) | Stephen Viljoen |
| Producer(s) | Andy Cherry |
| Designer(s) | Andy Tudor |
| Programmer(s) | Steven A. Dunn Anders Johansson Iain Wallington |
| Artist(s) | Darren White |
| Composer(s) | Stephen Baysted[1] |
| Series | Project CARS |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | 22 September 2017 |
| Genre(s) | Racing simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
Project CARS 2 is amotorsportracing simulator video game developed bySlightly Mad Studios and published and distributed by theBandai Namco Entertainment group. It was released worldwide on 22 September 2017 forPlayStation 4,Windows, andXbox One.[2][3]
Project CARS 2 offers 140 track layouts at 60 different locations and 189 cars to choose from.[4] It advertises that "each track is a living, organic venue" and "changes lap by lap" as the race progresses.[4] This is achieved by a system calledLiveTrack 3.0, including e.g. track temperature or dynamic weather.
The game now features off-road driving, includingrallycross tracks and cars. There are new manufacturers in the game, includingPorsche,Ferrari,Lamborghini,Jaguar,Honda,Acura andNissan. In addition,Project CARS 2 supportsvirtual reality (VR), up to 12K resolution, and triple screen support.[5]
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Following the success ofProject CARS, funding began to open forProject CARS 2 on 23 June 2015. World of Mass Development andSlightly Mad Studios opened donations through the "Project CARS 2 official forum". Forum members and visitors choosing to donate had the option to using membership through the forums. In exchange, donors could gain access to development builds and voicing thoughts, opinions, and suggestions critical to the progress of the game.[6]
On 8 February 2017,Project CARS 2 was officially announced as a game coming late 2017. Slightly Mad Studios soon revealed that the game was going to consist of 182 cars from 38 manufacturers and a variety of car and race car classes, new additions including theHonda Civic,Jaguar XJ220,Toyota GT-86 andNissan R89C. The game also has a larger track roster, with 46 tracks (containing 121 layouts), the majority beinglaser scanned circuits, and new additions includingFuji Speedway,Knockhill,Long Beach and theDirtfish rallycross track. A new time and weather system have also been included in-game which can allow multiple different changing weather conditions and changes within a given season (winter, spring, summer, autumn). The game uses the proprietary Madness Engine[7] which enables highly detailed vehicle simulation using a custom physics engine called LiveTrack 3.0, bringing realistic track conditions throughout a race weekend. Online mode has also been developed with a focus onesports, bringing an online ranking system, online championships, and better functionality in matchmaking. They also developed a partnership withIndyCar, which includes all the lineup of the2016 season, the official logo and theIndy 500.
Through the months leading up to a release, Slightly Mad Studios have worked closely with auto manufacturers, auto industry companies, and race car drivers to help them in making an accurate simulation. As a result, cars have specific performance characteristics and represents its real-life counterpart accurately. The tire physics have also been built from the ground up to use the proprietary Seta Tire Model (STM), with full dynamic tire movements and actions simulated at up to 200hz.[7]
On 21 September 2022, the game was delisted from digital storefronts due to expiring car and track licenses - the game remains playable to those who purchased it prior to the delisting.[8]
| Pack | Date | Tracks | Cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese Pack | Nov 2017 | 0 | 4 |
| Fun Pack | Dec 2017 | 2 | 8 |
| Porsche Legends | Mar 2018 | 1 | 9 |
| Spirit of Le Mans | Jun 2018 | 1 | 9 |
| Ferrari Essentials | Sep 2018 | 2 | 8 |
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 84/100[9] PS4: 82/100[10] XONE: 84/100[11] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Edge | 8/10[12] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 6/10[13] |
| Eurogamer | PS4: 8/10[14] |
| Game Informer | 7.75/10[15] |
| GameSpot | 7/10[16] |
| IGN | 9.2/10[17] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 89/100[18] |
| Hobby Consolas | PS4: 9/10[19] |
Project CARS 2 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[9][10][11]
"Project Cars 2 may do a great many things exceptionally well, but it's hard to look past the mountain of gaffes that quickly pile up on and off the track. Racing, after all, is about results, not potential." was Josh Harmon's conclusion onElectronic Gaming Monthly with a score of 6/10.[13]
Matthew Kato fromGame Informer gave the game a score of 7.75/10 saying that "With all its customization options, racing demands, and copious track configurations (140-plus at over 60 locations),Project Cars 2 has a lot to dive into. However, it's more than just a scattershot of content – it's a title that rewards players for exploring all of its nooks and crannies. It could still use a good coat of polish, but it has a charm and daring that is often missing in the sub-genre."[15]Hobby Consolas also praised the breadth of content.[19]
Richard Wakeling ofGameSpot awarded it 7/10 stating that "When it all works as intended,Project Cars 2 is a brilliant simulation racer provided you're playing with a wheel. It's ambitious in scope and depth, and the sheer breadth of available motorsports almost guarantees there's something for everyone to sink their teeth into. It's a shame, then, that there's always this nagging feeling in the back of your mind that a bug or moment ofAI madness will disrupt the whole thing and more often than not, it will. These issues may be ironed out in the coming weeks and months, but with potentially stiff competition on the very-near horizon, Slightly Mad Studios might not have enough time to capture the hearts and minds of video game racing fans before they move on to pastures new."[excessive quote][16]Eurogamer also mentioned the bugs.[14]
9.2/10 was Luke Reilly's score onIGN and said "With its refined new handling and piles of race options,Project CARS 2 is about as good as real racing gets right now."[17]Edge agreed, saying that "no racer offers such a breadth of choice, or seems so willing to let the player set the rules of the road."[12] The game was nominated for "Best Racing Game" and "Best VR Experience" in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards.[20][21]
PC Gamer's Phil Iwaniuk scored the game an 89/100 with the consensus "Serious racing for serious racers. Extraordinarily convincing at each of the disciplines on offer."[18]Evo opined it had "excellent graphics and thundering, all-encompassing sounds".[22]
Driving.co.uk said it was "Very tricky to master, which will put off the arcade racer crowd, but impressive attention to detail, realistic handling, speedy, atmospheric menus and a mouth-watering array of cars and tracks continue to makeProject Cars one of the best racing games available."[23]
Project CARS 2 was the 17th best Xbox game of the year on Metacritic.[24]
Project CARS 2 reached number 2 in the UK sales charts, behindDestiny 2.[25] The game reached number 3 in both Australia and New Zealand.[26] In Japan, it was the 6th best-selling PlayStation 4 game, and 11th overall.[27] The game sold 265,000 copies on PC in the first 9 months following release.[citation needed]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Best Racing Game | Wired UK | Won | [28] |
| Red Bull | 2nd place | [29] | ||
| Alphr | 2nd place | [30] | ||
| TrustedReviews | 2nd place | [31] | ||
| Gamescom 2017 | Best Booth Award | Nominated | [32][33] | |
| Best Racing Game | Nominated | |||
| Best Simulation Game | Won | |||
| Golden Joystick Awards | Best Audio | Nominated | [34] | |
| The Game Awards 2017 | Best Sports/Racing Game | Nominated | [35] | |
| Titanium Awards | Best Sports/Driving Game | Nominated | [36] | |
| Gameblog Awards 2017 | Best Racing Game | Won | [37] | |
| Game Critics Awards | Racing Game of the Year | Nominated | [38] | |
| 2018 | 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Racing Game of the Year | Nominated | [39] |
In December 2018, Slightly Mad Studios' CEO Ian Bell confirmed the development of a new installment in theProject CARS series.[40] It was released on August 28, 2020.
