Just got PGR2 - Impressions...

[isamu]

This game is simply one of the best racers to grace the console world since sega rally 1/2. After playing so much, besides being a graphical powerhouse, this game has NOTHING in common with the GT series gameplay wise and thats a GOOD thing. Trust me. This game is a arcade racers/street racers dream come true. Forget boring liscence tests, Forget Need for Speed Underground. Seriously. Racing thru chicago at night with 7 other player is a sight to behold and damn FUN.

At first I have to play single player just to play and If you have XBL, prepare to play in single player mode for ATLEAST 2 hours before you actually participate in a live match. Not because you have to earn cars or courses but because seeing your ranking against other who own the game is addictive as hell!!! I spent a couple hours just trying to work my way up the live scoreboard and it was for the SINGLE PLAYER GAME!!!

If you thought Moto GPs live set up was great, PGR2s is 10 times better. Maybe even more and i'm not exaggerating. For one, if you are on live you are always connected to the online multiplayer world. You can get friend invites while shopping the showrooms, doing test drives, cone challenges, WHATEVER. Ofcourse you can turn this option off if you dont wanna be bothered in your single player experience but whatever. ITS COOL. If you happen to join a race in progress, you are shown whose in the race, where they are in the race, what track they are racing, position, the whole 9. Theres even a little live map that shows the race going on so if you see the racers are only 1/4th around the course, you can go grab a bite and not worry about a game starting without you! BTW, you can even have it so the voices from other players come through your TV/sound set up IN GAME!!!

PGR2 has NO LAG and if there is lag is on the player. not XBL. I saw one person lag and it was because of his router. Buttery smooth and extremely fast. The game is indeed 30fps but its the smoothest 30 ever. I believe apex was also 30 but apex doesnt even touch this one graphically or framerate wise. i dunno how they got 30 to look like something way smoother but it does. Before you framerate friendly womans start your BS about how it should be 60, do me a favor and play first before judging. Its amazing. The gameplay is not compromised AT ALL just as bizarre promised.

The AI in the single player matches is BRUTAL!!! They come after you like you did something wrong! I find it better than AI thats on raile but seriously. they are out to flock you up. Bastards. Its not a bad thing though because with them being so damn aggressive, you can take advantage of them Driving skillfully will get you through it without a problem. takes practice but thats what the single player mode is partly there for!

The online gameplay is fabulous. PGR2 has more street racing feel than Midnight Club ever will and its not even trying to be a street racer. Racing through the streets of barcelona, chicago, DC or where ever will make you feel like you are in the middle of the fast and the furious. Not because you are balzing down city streets at 100+ MPH but because you are racing against 7 others for a shot at #1. Its all about skill. After a race it'll not only show the rankings but how people scored in kudos as well. good stuff

The sound is some of the best racing sound i've ever heard in a game. lod thunderous engine roars filled my room in glorious 5.1. Each car sounds different and VERY meaty. Car fans will love it. The music is actually pretty damn good too. I was actually able to turn off my custom soundtracks and enjoy the music from the different cities. Very nice selection of tunes.

as for the graphics, amazing stuff. If you are gaming in HD, the graphics are very close to the official screens released my MS and BC. I'm not kidding. Maybe not as razor sharp ofcourse but the textures are clean and clear, the cobblestones glisten in the sun, I noticed not a single trace of pop up either. The draw distance is unbelievable. Some cars look alittle off but most are damn good looking. The reflections are ever so smooth and reflect everything realtime and at the same framerate as the game. The replays are gorgeous too. Nice depth of feild effects.

Comparing to GT4(yeah i'm gonna do it)oddly enough doesnt work. If you've seen and played both like I have you'd get it but i'll try to explain. It has nothing to do with the framerate but the way polyphony does graphics and the way bizarre does em. in GT4 the game has a cinematic quality. In PGR2, its not cinematic, its LIFELIKE. Kinda like a postcard. While racing around one of the courses i could swear that if i were to go there, thats EXACTLY what i'd see through my own eyes and not a camera. I know a postcard would be thru a camera too but racing through florence at night reminded me of palm springs at night. all the tranquil lighting, like a vacation.

Lastly the course design is amazing. There are 100 course in the game and What i've opened so far has been sweet. I'm actually dog tired now though and probably wont reply here until morning but any questions, feel free. Racing game of the year. Bar none.

[isamu]

Game is shipping today gentlemen

[Hoptimus]

I tried it.

I cant hang.

I am a racer snob.

Unless it can powerslide like Ridge Racer(the first one) then I dont usually play them.

[mikeszekely]

Why on God's green earth would I want to forget Need For Speed Underground? Just because Project Gotham 2 came out? Dude, have you actually played Need For Speed Underground? I don't mean to take away from PGR2... it's a very good game in it's own right... but NFSU is just mind blowing. And if I had to reccomend one over the other, NFSU wins hands down. Actually, I feel kind of sorry that PGR2 had to release so to NFSU... a lot of people are going to overlook it in favor of NFSU, and they'll be missing out on a great game. Well, there's always the Platinum Hits...