First released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC in May 2015; Project Cars was once billed via a media release as “the most authentic, intense, beautiful and technically-advanced racing game ever made”. While I didn’t personally consider this a perfect game, I did end up putting quite a bit of time into it, and enjoyed what was presented after more than four years of development.
More than a year and a half has passed since Project Cars was released on store shelves for racing simulation game fans to try out for themselves. But there is more around the corner, with developer Slightly Mad Studios and publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment today confirming that a second game is in the works – titled Project Cars 2.
Some currently promoted features (in my case supplied by Bandai Namco Entertainment Australia) of this title include:
THE PINNACLE OF AUTHENTICITY: With the largest track roster ever on console, a wide selection of over 170 licensed cars from the most iconic brands, and support for VR and 12K;
THE HEAT OF COMPETITION: With a brand-new, fan-requested Online Championships game mode allowing racers to make and join ongoing racing leagues, Esports functionality built-in from day one (including Competitive Racing License accreditation), Director/Broadcaster integration and streaming, and an array of old and new motorsport classes including Rallycross, IndyCar, and many more;
THE POWER OF CONDITIONS: With every tarmac, mud, gravel, and dirt-covered surface utilizing LiveTrack 3.0 featuring dynamic time of day, seasonal changes, altering atmospheric conditions, and evolution over the course of a race weekend. Fight against Mother Nature with dynamic weather that now includes snow, and take on the challenge of ice-based tracks such as the official Mercedes Benz Driving Events Winter Training Ice Track in Sweden. This specific track in the game is a faithful recreation of an exclusive venue that Mercedes-Benz has established near the town of Sorsele in the very north of Sweden. Set on a frozen ice lake, this track is teaching and testing everybody’s driving skills on snow & ice in a perfect manner – equally in the game as in real life.
Project Cars 2 remains in development, with a launch window hovering around a Late-2017 release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Expect to hear more on this game over the coming months.
Hervé Hoerdt | Vice President of Marketing & Digital at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe
We are delighted to be back working with Slightly Mad Studios on a project as important as this one. Project CARS’ success serves to show that there will always be room for games that bring together passion and expertise. This second episode will be an opportunity to offer new sensations to the entire fan base and beyond
Stephen Viljoen | Game Director on Project CARS 2
We’re excited by the significant advances we’ve made in the physics and mechanical underpinnings of each of our 170-plus cars. That, along with a vastly enriched climate and weather simulation system on all 60-plus tracks, and new simulated surfaces—dirt, ice, snow, and mud—makes Project CARS 2 by far the most authentic and immersive racing sim we’ve ever created.
