It’s all about the Kudos
The PGR series has always based itself on a unique system called Kudos points. Points that are awarded on how well you drive. In Project Gotham Racing 2 kudos points unlock cars. Adding another element to the game are kudos tokens and kudos ranks. Similar to an RPG format the higher your kudos points the higher your kudos rank.
There are a total of 102 cars in the game and 100+ tracks to unlock. The tracks are based around many cities and to add some local content to the game there are more than give tracks to race around the streets of Sydney. Familiar routes make a cameo like the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge but other areas of Sydney will also be familiar to locals.
Nothing wrong with that!
The main mode of PGR2 is the Kudos World Series, This mode is lengthy with various challenges to keep gamers entertained; the cone challenge requires racers to steer between the cones and obtain a certain level of Kudos. Overtake is a challenge which sets you in a field of cars and the aim is to overtake cars within the time limit. A unique challenge is the speed camera challenge which places you on a certain section of a track and the point is to try and get up to a certain speed before the end of the track. There are five levels of difficulty to pass each challenge and doing so will earn gamers varying amounts of kudos. This extends the lifespan of the game increasingly.
There is a single player arcade mode included as well, this has time attack challenges and is a mini version of the World Series mode. There are multiplayer options and if you have a good enough connection, a friend and you can play on Xbox live together. Kudos earned in single player mode also carry over into the World Series mode.
Just one more kudos point to go….
If you have XBOX Live then you can take part in eight player races, download new content, race player ghosts and add your single player kudos count onto a scoreboard. The entire game is based around XBOX live and without it; players may feel they are missing an element of the game.
I am from Russia, Isn't that bien?
Project Gotham Racing 2 is a realistic racer but don’t judge the game based on that, The kudos points mean players are consistently trying to improve their race times and kudos count. The feeling of flying through the streets of Sydney with 2Day FM blazing is not only authentic but un-matched.
Damage is included in the game but like the previous version it is purely cosmetic. Don’t expect damage in the style or harshness of V8 Supercar Race Driver though. Windscreens crack, trunks rattle open and side skirts get damaged but not tarnished.
The A.I is very questionable, there are times where the A.I is very challenging and aggressive but for the majority of the time they follow a strict racing line. The A.I doesn’t seem to be looking to earn kudos points even though the game has based itself around kudos. If you knock the A.I off a line then they will compete to get back to that racing line, even if it means spinning you around or knocking you off course.
Kyle and Jackie-O
The graphics impress, in certain light cars look impeccably realistic, car detail is amazing but sometimes the sides of the track can look 2-dimensional. All of the cities are bright and thriving with personality, the graphics are an improvement upon the first name and the frame-rate runs at a constant 30 FPS. Landmarks are littered throughout the tracks which help to identify the city you are racing in.
There are over 200 songs included in the game, and if none of those impress then you can use your own custom soundtrack, the radio is fantastic though with DJ’s from the city you race in. As reported by PALGN, 2Day FM, Nova and Triple M are included for the Sydney tracks. Car sounds are authentic but when crashing into other cars the arcade style “bump” noise is heard which sounds less like a realistic collision and more like Ridge Racer. The music played adjusts in comparison to which city you are set in, I found myself turning off the music and listening to my own songs, but with over 200 songs if you choose to listen to them it would be hard to memorize them all
Nice!
Is it playable if you’re not Live-able?
Project Gotham Racing 2 is a uniquely challenging driving game. PGR2 expands in every way upon the original. The Xbox Live component is seamlessly integrated into both the single player mode and multiplayer modes. Future downloadable content is promised and it should keep this game in your Xbox, but if you are lacking a broadband connection then be wary that a lot of the experience is missed. The offline mode is still enthralling enough to keep players entertained though so don’t be hesitant on picking this up. I am impressed with the Xbox Live components of the game, this is Microsoft’s ideal Xbox Live demonstration title, half of the experience is definitely missed if you’re offline and this is a drawback. However, this is a sensational racing game which any Xbox owner should buy.
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