Project CARS 3 is coming out in the Summer of this year, as revealed in a new announcement trailer from Bandai Namco and Slightly Mad Studios. Director of production Pete Morrish spoke with IGN about the upcoming game and how it compares to the preceding Project CARS 2. The trailer is sleek enough but has faced some criticism from players of the series and sim-racing fans.
The video features a lot of drifting and an intense race with cars from manufacturers like Mercedes Benz and Acura. There’s even a scene showing off customizations including paint jobs and an assortment of rim designs. The sound design for the car engines, tires, and race collisions is presented as immersive and nicely done. The graphics look polished and the trailer is crafted well enough, but many fans were disappointed that the game is only confirmed for Playstation 4, PC, and Xbox One with no mention of next-generation consoles. Others say visuals look “arcadey” and compare it to older racing titles like Gran Turismo and Need for Speed.
Pete Morrish spoke with IGN about the direction for Project Cars 3, and their desire to make the game more inviting for casual and/or entirely new players. He also spoke to the difference between the upcoming title and it’s the preceding game, saying “…when you’ve got somebody in a store – looking at the two copies and thinking which one to go for – kinda by definition they’re not in the initial target market of Project CARS 2…” New features in Project CARS 3 will help less seasoned sim-racers find their footing in the genre, such as the revamped story mode that will take the player through 10 car classes. Morrish does assure longtime fans that the series will stay true to its roots, saying “We haven’t forgotten about what got us to this point and the people that supported us up to this point. So what they know and love about the franchise is there and it’s better than it ever has been before.”
Slightly Mad Studios has another driving game coming this summer as well. Fast & Furious Crossroads will launch on its new release date, August 7th. The news was announced their most recent gameplay trailer, available on YouTube.