Retro Review: Project Gotham Racing 2

Ah, Project Gotham Racing. If you checked out my Blur review, you know I like Bizarre Creations as a developer. While F1 97 was my introduction to them, it was here when I really got to know about their formidable reputation for racing games. Going into this retrospective I thought one thing: "PGR2 had to be the slickest racing game I ever played". I remember the gorgeous cars, the great handling, the real world cities to pull off all manner of style, and the various events that you competed in to earn kudos. Notably, I thought it looked as good a racer as the original xbox was ever going to produce at the time. But do my statements still hold up over 10 years since the game's release? Does it legitimately beat out Forza Motorsport where it counts? And is it still worth talking about releasing a new instalment?

Despite playing this retrospective on the Xbox 360, I would recommend playing PGR2 on the original xbox. Firstly, there are some small technical hiccups from moving consoles, such as freezes and a black screen when selecting cars in the world series mode. Second, you have custom soundtracks on the original xbox that you can play on the radio stations while racing. Burnt CD's make a welcome change from the tracks shipped with the game, especially later on when you will have likely heard them all many times. Its a small touch, but its hard to beat The Cardigans "My Favourite Game" as you speed through the city streets.

For the record this is also the single player review. Multiplayer split screen is still fun, but the lack of online in 2015 is a blow to really fleshing it out.

The game contains a few different options for players. The single player has three main branches, the Kudos World Series, Arcade Racing and Time attack, and these three branch into a series of challenges for the player to complete.

The Kudos World Series feels most like a conventional single player, so most should jump in here first. The progression is done with 14 different car classes and over 100 vehicles, spread over every location the game has to offer. You must complete a series of challenges in one car class before you move up to the next series. Classes tend to feature two or three cities, all of which are beautifully modelled and have a nice introduction at every event.

The actual racing events are fairly straightforward when looking through modern eyes. There are street races, time challenges, one on one events and overtake events. Some more unique events are the cone challenges and speed camera events (where you must reach a set top speed). Cone challenges in particular emphasise the philosophy behind PGR; Its all well and good winning, but the best racers win in style.

If you want to succeed in Project Gotham Racing, you must earn kudos, the currency you need to unlock new (and often better) cars. To earn kudos, you must drive stylishly. The more common moves you tend to pull off are cornering well, powersliding around corners, racing a section without damaging your car and driving behind your opponents for drag and a slight speed boost (drafting).

You also earn bonus kudos based on the difficulty you choose. Silver is actually a reasonable normal, but a great challenge is found in gold, and only the best tactics and driving can get you to the platinum medals. The extra kudos bonus always has you trying to perfect your way around a course, and is a great incentive to push harder than you would in other racers.  This also helps the novice drivers out there, who may not be getting great cars, but can complete the career mode earning just steel and bronze and be content. Additionally, to ease the player from frustration when aiming one level beyond, the retry option is always there that instantly has you starting again. None of this excessive load times you tend to associate with newer racers out there.

There is something of a gambling theme running through the difficulty and scoring system that I quite enjoyed. Going back to cone challenges, these events in particular emphasise the combo bonus. If you pull off a succession of slick moves in between 2 seconds, a small bonus is given and increases with each subsequent move until your combo is done. Chaining two or three moves will net you maybe 5-10 kudos, but pull it off all race and the bonus is in the thousands. This bonus is the main way to pass cone challenges, and its up to you to decide whether you should keep the combo going or slow down and bank what you have. Crash, or hit a cone and you say goodbye to that bonus score.

Ranking up the world series from VW Golfs all the way through SUV's, touring cars, roadsters and up to the Ultimate high end racers is a great progression system. Each class gets just enough time devoted to it that it isn't short lived nor overstays its welcome. I wish PGR4 kept this system rather than multiple seasons to be honest, its just more straightforward.

Typical race selection in a class

The AI is about as impressive as you expect for a decade old game, and no doubt drivatars do it better, but opponents do put up a challenge in street races. Still, its very possible (and nigh essential in platinum) to knock an opponent off at the first corner and hold onto a lead for the rest of the race, particularly on one on one events. The actual driving is enjoyable and covers a wide range from drifting kings to speed demons. Each vehicle has its own handling feel, and some excel in a form of handling that requires their use. You WANT a drifty car for racking up extra kudos in cone challenges. The controls fit neatly between the hardcore tuning sims and the more obvious drift friendly arcade racers. So, if you like the idea of pushing a Skyline to its limits in a semi-realistic way, but without having to set up the damn thing for 15 mins, then this is the racer for you.

Outside of World tour, you have Arcade mode, which has a series of races in one specific category (Cone challenge, street race and timed run) and you can earn kudos by taking part. Vehicles and tracks are pre-set so its up to you to make the most of what you have been given. Its actually a great alternative to World Tour, where car selection plays a slightly larger role. I particularly enjoyed the string of 20 cone challenges, and testing your ability to really rack up the score for platinum medals.

Lastly there is Time attack, which, like arcade mode, has set tracks and set vehicles, but its a more relaxed affair, as no kudos score nor difficulty is involved. Its just you and the racing.

One more mention of note is the Instant Action option in the main menu. If you aren't in the mood to navigate the various branches of the single player, you can select this option and get a random car, city and mode to race in. Great for five minutes of action and adds a 'pick up and play' option. More racers could do with this small addition, and its a shame its not seen that much on modern games.

I mentioned how this is the slickest racer out for the Xbox and the presentation definitely helps the game out. All of the cars are modelled with great detail for the time (including modelled interiors and animations), the cities are well and truly mapped street for street for an authentic racing experience, and the menu's and interface are simple, but not trying too hard at impressing like perhaps its sequels. It has aged, particularly with the lack of extra details once the cities and vehicles were modelled, but this is one of the better looking xbox racers. The sequels did add the extra detail to impress, but even without that its got the authentic masquerade in full swing.

As great as the box art

Its not just the visuals that impress. The city specific radio stations further give each city its own flavour and Menu music and sound effects are simply perfect; I cannot think of a better sounding racing game as far as menu's and sound design are concerned. The soundtrack is varied too, from calming night drives to desperate last lap sprints, you won't feel the need to turn the radio off for a while. All in, the audio has you feeling like you are about to get into the driver's seat, and that's exactly what you need for this game.

While this retrospective has seemingly had a strong set of rose tinted glasses, there has to be a few flaws to be acknowledged. Sadly Xbox live multilayer is offline, as it is with all original xbox titles. From my understanding this was a racer to really showcase online multiplayer until Halo 2 came along and introduced the lobby to consoles.

The presentation has not dated all that badly, but the driving does feel less enjoyable than it did in 2003. Playing PGR4 or Blur shows the subtle advances that Bizarre implemented to improve handling across the board. Bizarre also added a few more modes to the series, and compared to the more recent Forza games, PGR2 would feel a lot more repetitive and anaemic if its cone challenges and overtake modes were missing. Also notably absent for more hardcore racing fans are a cockpit view and tuning system. Save for a transmission option, all you get to change about your vehicle is the paint job. The game also has a feel of being stuck between arcade and simulation at times, minus the intense speed and craziness of the former nor the insane customisation and physics of the latter.

This is still king for a sense of speed

It is also apparent in the world tour that there tends to be only one or two cars you need to win races per class. Grand Touring has the Ferrari Maranello, Sports Utility has the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and so on. Sometimes you may have a class with a vehicle with slightly better acceleration to beat speed camera events, but for the most part the car with best top speed and acceleration wins.

And of course, for a game that demands fast reacting at times, the reduction from the previous games 60 FPS to 30 has an effect on gameplay in subtle ways. You won't have the faster 'feel' up close, so the pacing may appear slower. The quality of the graphics had to mean compromise in some areas, and this is it. It doesn't wreck the game by any means, since 30 was standard for its time, so its just a nitpick.

I guess my reasons why I prefer Project Gotham Racing to Forza comes down to the kudos mentality of progression, the racing taking place in the cities as opposed to purpose built tracks, a strong and unique identity to its presentation, and the actual driving feels more enjoyable to play. This really is an arcade game wearing a simulations coat of real cars and cities, and I think this broader appeal is why it worked as the Xbox's flagship racing series until the 360's release of Forza 2. I hear rumours every now and then that there is the possibility of a reboot or new instalment in the series, but with the success of Forza Horizon as an arcade/sim hybrid it is unlikely, and oversaturating the racing genre is not Microsoft's strategy.

Project Gotham Racing 2 is one of those top tier xbox racing games that offers a middle ground for players who don't want to tweak everything like a simulation, but also want a sense of authenticity to their racing. This has everything a fan could want from the series, with the series strongest track lineup and progression system. Importantly, the single player stands the test of time, being thoroughly fleshed out and not dependant on an online component (as perhaps Blur was) or DLC down the line to be great as it is. This is not really a game for players turned off racing games, but if you feel the need for speed and have your old xbox, definitely check this one out. If you have more recent consoles, give the sequels a shot as well (They are really cheap now). Forza may be Microsoft's favourite racer now, but its worth remembering the brilliance that preceded it.

Now the Hype is Gone: WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2007

Ah, WWE. Some part of my youth was spent watching SmackDown and Heat on TV on weekend mornings, and seeing the heroes of the attitude era fight weekly. While boxing (and later MMA) revealed the ultimate kayfabe nature of wrestling entertainment, it was during college that I renewed interest in watching the Pay Per Views, and appreciated the skills and physical pressure put on the superstars week in, week out. Yeah, its silly now, and not nearly as interesting as the attitude era, but you always get a great match every now and then that demands your attention.

After a disappointing Survivor Series, I thought I may as well dive into Smackdown vs Raw 2007 for a more positive experience. As a fan of WWE, its no surprise that I may have a biased opinion on this as opposed to the UFC games. My last experience with wrestling games came from Smackdown 2: Know your role back in 2001, and that was barrels of fun. But does the SvR series have great value for a wrestling game?

First impressions were somewhat mixed; Being developed by Yukes (who have done every major WWF/E game since 2000), SvR 2007 does feel very similar to the games of old. That is both a good and bad thing. The good news is that the creation tools, game modes and career options are as fun as you remember back on the PS1. The Flipside of course is that this is a game developed for consoles two generations later and with more expansive opportunities, it feels a little primitive alongside similar games built from the ground up for the 360. It also doesn't help that it has an anaemic playlist of 2007's worst alternative metal tracks and odd hip hop to keep you going through painfully long and frequent loading times.

Be prepared to see this a lot, especially with matches of 4 wrestlers or more

Aside from the comparisons to its earlier incarnations, there are a few things that trip up the fun. The initial user interface of the game is a bit iffy, particularly with throwing you headfirst into the game for the first time. The brief video tutorials introducing the controls and movesets are not the most helpful, but then this was before every last game had interactive sequences for every step. Game modes are not well explained as to how you actually perform finishers on table matches, casket matches etc (I had to resort to looking online just to find how to break the Spanish announcers table). In the long run, you really need to create a character, assign the controls you want, and then play through that way to have some sense of what you are doing.

Thankfully, the creation tools are user friendly enough and at the same time feature scores of variables. Instead of going straight to the matches, its wiser to start from scratch and build your own superstar.

First and foremost, this is a game intended to make you feel like you are a part of the WWE experience, and for the most part it pulls it off very well. You can create your superstar to battle against the established legends, create a Pay Per View event with the dream matches, create an entrance for peppered variety, and even title belts for some elaborate hardcore championship. The character customisation has a wide variety of clothing and moves. Choose whatever you like, but I strongly recommend picking the heavyweight weight class. My first playthrough had a Cruiserweight struggling to lift a few bags of potatoes around let alone the Big Show or Kane, so if you want a superstar that can actually compete and pull off fantastic moves, go for heavyweight.

Another way the game intends you to thoroughly enjoy the WWE experience is the career mode. Your created superstar goes through a season of the WWE with contracts and feuds against the well known stars. You get in typical double crosses, backstage fights, a love story is thrown in for good measure, and you ultimately have showdowns at the major PPV events. Its all silly stuff, but as a fan its hard to dislike. WWE is a lads soap opera after all, so the corny dialogue and overacting is worth a watch. The e-mails and magazines you get over the seasons also flesh out the stars, particularly General Manager Teddy Long during the first stint at SmackDown.

I do have an issue with the career progression, in that your created character is so weak initially you can't put up a decent fight until you have levelled up after four-six months. To make that issue stick out more is the roster you face initially. The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio and Chris Benoit are great to see, but these were (at the games release) top tier stars that would beat any created characters. Starting at the midcard against the likes of Finlay or Hardcore Holly would have been a better place to start with before fighting progressively stronger stars instead of being thrown in at the deep end. Being on the losing end of a match means things devolve into button mashing just to recover from powerful moves, and after a while it becomes frustrating.

The streak was 17-0 undefeated at this point, no chance you n00bs will break it

The gameplay itself is fairly solid, a long list of moves is great to have in a fighting game, and adding dozens of match types spices up the usual one on one seen in others in the genre. The interactive environments and weapons add a layer of strategy to the matches, and if your character is a heel type its encouraged. Finishers are done with multiple camera angles and sound effects for emphasis and added oomph, something apparently lacking in more recent entries. The responsive controls work well, and you never feel like you are pulling off moves you didn't intend to. Being on the receiving end of multiple blows does require a lot of seemingly fruitless button mashing but there are counters to grapples that, if timed right, give you a chance to regain some momentum.

Multiplayer matches are very entertaining. Being a series made on the PS1, its no surprise split screen is catered for, but with the 360's 4 player support, you can have a great time with ladder matches, royal rumbles, or a TLC match.

Online support was also for the 360 version, but unfortunately at the time of writing the population is non-existent. Bets are they are on WWE 2K16 by now.

The game does bear the mark of the time it was made. The brand extension of the WWE means you feel like you have half a game in career mode until you get to the Raw side and play through the other half of the roster. The push of some wrestlers on loading screens seem funny when viewed in hindsight. Benoit, Khali and Boogeyman stand out as ones that simply are not getting pushed again in future. The presentation is far from the best nowadays but it get the job done, and the announcers deliver their lines well during matches, but it gets old and repetitive fast. Sound effects from Smackdown 2 actually are in this game, such as countouts and ropebreaks, further hurting the familiar feel. AI feels a bit slow to respond in comparison to later entries, so seeing the ever energetic Mysterio stand around for a second is a bit distracting.

durr

A really minor final gripe, but any location not in the states or UK will feel ticked off at thit tiny detail in customisation; where your superstar is from.

As an Irishman this tidbit surprisingly ticked me off, Finlay is from here!

Smackdown Vs Raw 2007 is an entertaining, if familiar wrestling game and worth playing for fans of the WWE. Its a game that lives or dies on the blend of customisation, wrestling and story, and it pulls off these well enough to recommend. Non-fans will be turned off by the silly stories, painful load times and dated presentation. However, anyone can appreciate the fun and solid gameplay that holds the whole thing together. Multiplayer with friends, a few beers, some hot wings and SvR is not a bad way to spend a few hours, and its a great warm up activity before those PPV's. However,it does feel ultimately like FIFA; to be bought every few years for non fans to really notice the difference. SvR 2010 was a refinement of the series, so if that game is at a discount, I would probably play that over this. That said, 2007 is a respectable entry, so its not a squash match by any means.