Dirty Drifting: Part One
Professional racing has been around for over a century but the outlaw world of drifting is a relatively recent phenomenon. Fans around the world buy videos and DVDs of drift sessions from Japan’s D1 circuit, watching the technique of professional drifters like Keiichi Tsuchiya. Although many of the cars drifters use are older Japanese models, drivers around the world are practicing drift technique on the track and online. Just as racing fans love to compete in online racing games, drifters work on their technique in Xbox racing games. Project Gotham Racing® 3 is one of the best places to practice this type of driving.
PGR 2 included a lot of cars ideal for power-sliding, but PGR 3 has added cars tuned to drift. In any race, you can pick up Kudos for drifting—in fact, Drift is one of the four statistics you can consider when you buy a car. One of our favorite features in PGR 3 allows you to immediately see when you are going into a drift, and when the drift ends. You can drift all you want in the Playtime section of the game, but the Solo Career section of the game also includes some more precise competitions. In each of them, you have a limited amount of time—and sometimes a limited amount of space—to earn Kudos.
There’s more to PGR 3 than finishing a Solo Career and winning Drift challenges, of course. Some competitive drivers focus on time trials and competitions. But, if you want more drifting, Xbox Live® expands the game even further. The online sections of the game include opportunities to watch expert drivers (and drifters) on Gotham TV, save videos of drift sessions, and practice drifting in Playtime. When you’re logged on to Xbox Live, the ability to throw in a few extra drift moves can earn you more Kudos and push your scores up on the Solo Career leader boards, so it’s certainly a skill worth mastering.
Project Gotham Racing 3 is a game where style matters, and drifting has a lot of stylish maneuvers that look damn good on the track. With a bit of work, you can learn to drift on your own or watch films of other drivers online. In “Dirty Drifting: Part Two,” we’ll cover the basics of techniques like the e-brake slide and power over. Until then, keep sliding through those turns. Matta ne!