Hey, it's me, Ben here - and I'm going to talk about PGR again, okay?! It's been at least a year since I've climbed out from under my rock to talk about one of my favourite racing series ever, and with the Xbox 360's 20th anniversary coming up, I just can't help myself once again! This time, I'm going to focus on Project Gotham Racing 3 though, one of Xbox's best racing games to date and a fine example of an Xbox 360 launch title.
Yep, cast your minds all the way back to 2005, and PGR3 was a day one title for Microsoft's brand-new HD console of the time. Building on the groundwork laid down by Bizarre Creations' two original Xbox efforts, this fresh Project Gotham Racing experience ushered in a new era for console racers. Back then, it was an absolutely gorgeous effort from the team; we remember being blown away by the visuals in '05!
Gameplay was king in PGR though, and despite a move to 30FPS playback, we had no complaints about how number 3 felt out on the road. There are shades of its sim-cade driving physics in Forza Horizon these days but nothing quite matches the feel of PGR; especially as you're belting a Ferrari round those tight city streets at whatever miles per-hour. The sense of speed, the way the cars handled, the way they gripped - mwah, just phenomenal!
The Kudos system was a lovely touch too - it really encouraged you to have a little fun each lap and see what you could push your chosen vehicle to pull off. Measured, controlled drifts were rewarded; as were great driving lines and carrying the right amount of speed through corners. It all culminated in this sense of kinetic energy that arcade racers of the time seemed to go for - and PGR3 married that with a realistic, authentic touch that just hasn't really been matched since.
Its sequel, Project Gotham Racing 4, added some extra touches — including a prettier front-end UI leading to a more 'AAA' feeling experience — but there's something to be said about how simplistic PGR3 feels as well. Its menus are designed to just get you straight onto the track ASAP, and we do miss this style of UI design these days. Arcade racers really did feel like an 'arcade' experience back then, and PGR3 incubated that 'one more race' mentality. It still works to this day, let me tell ya!
Anyway, all these years later I want to wish Project Gotham Racing 3 a wonderful 20th birthday in just a few days here. It's my personal favourite launch game for the 360, and one that very much still holds up to this day. PGR4 is more modern, more refined, but PGR3 has this early 360 era attitude to it that I just love - and is definitely worth celebrating on the eve of its landmark anniversary. This series will still stand up in another 20 years, I reckon!