Living Large
A Project Gotham Racing 3 Test Drive with Web Ninja Triple-XHere at work, our team finally has hardware for the new Xbox 360™. Life is good. I work with Web Ninjas, and I’m one of the racing freaks on the team. From the first day I set this machine up, I could see ways that playing Project Gotham Racing® 3 on the Xbox 360 was going to be an upgrade from the countless hours I’ve spent racing on the previous Xbox console.
Better GraphicsThere’s a remarkable difference between the latest version of PGR® 3 we have here in the office and the copy of PGR 2 I play at home. As you’d expect, the graphics are clearer and sharper. In fact, they have an insane amount of detail, from the textures on buildings and signs to the three-dimensional, animated spectators by the side of the road. Folks here are telling me that in PGR 3, the Brooklyn Bridge on one part of one track in Manhattan has a higher polygon count than an entire city in PGR 2. After the Xbox 360 hits the retails stores, I think I’m going to start saving up for a big-screen TV. If life were amazingly good, I’d try to save up for an HDTV—as the machine is compatible with that standard of graphics—but there are limits to a Web Ninja’s budget.
Great MusicOn one of my old Xbox racing games, I used to rip tracks from CDs onto the machine’s hard drive. Now I’ve been playing around with music on my Xbox 360 and the possibilities are intriguing. The game has a great mix of music, with a balance between the driving rock I’m used to hearing in racing games and newer, more unusual tracks. I can even choose the style of music I want, from alternative rock to bhangra music, Japanese-pop, electronica, and even classical For instance, if you prefer industrial music to hip-hop, you can customize your soundtrack. Of course, I’m still going to download my favorite racing music onto the machine, but fortunately, the Xbox 360 looks like it has more tools for doing just that.
Wireless ControllersAt first, I thought having wireless controllers was kind of extravagant. Now I’m glad I won’t be tripping over cords again. I know some folks prefer to race with a steering wheel—I certainly put in enough time doing that—but for a quick game, I’d rather grab a controller than spend the time to set up a wheel and take it down. Let’s face it: Wireless controllers make racing more convenient.
Great Game PlayThis game has the same feel as PGR 2, but it has more toys to play with. PGR 3 isn’t a race game where you spend hours driving crappy production models and work your way up. On the first night of racing, I was driving supercars, pushing them to the limit on variety of test tracks. The slowest car tops out at 170 miles an hour. Because this is PGR, there’s a balance between racing for speed and racing with style. It feels good to be power sliding at 150 mph again, and I’m already pulling off moves a Drift King would envy.
Cars and TracksThis game has all the usual suspects ... and more. I’ve been test-driving Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Maseratis, looking at scenery from behind the wheel ... and over the hood. My favorite track in PGR 2 was the Nürburgring, and I’m happy to say it’s bigger and badder in the sequel. The Ring’s F1 circuit on the south loop has been a challenge, so I’ve been drifting through it like mad in my Ariel Atom. I’ve also been blasting through an expanded version of the north and south loop in my current favorite, the McLaren F1 LM.
There are game modes and races in here I can’t write about yet, but it’s only a matter of time until you’ll read about them on our site.
Never fear—the Xbox 360 will be shipped out to stores soon enough. Until then, our team of ninjas will be racing through the streets of PGR 3. We’re going through some test drives now, so stay tuned for more details.
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