PC2 Project CARS 2 Official Screenshots Revealed

[Paul Jeffrey]

Slightly Mad Studios reveal first official images from the upcoming Project CARS 2 game.

Following the recent leaked trailer and several leaked preview images of the latest instalment to the popular Project CARS franchise, Slightly Mad Studios have released the first official screenshots from the new game. Posting on the official Project CARS twitter account, SMS have been releasing images over the last couple of days with a mysterious hint at a big announcement, due possibility as soon as Wednesday (8th February). The images revealed so far have formed part of a countdown that includes mysterious titles such as #anytimeAnywhere and #ProRacing. Could this be a build up to news of some kind of advanced eSports solution within the new game, or could it relate to an interesting official association with a major motorsports governing body...?

Regardless of the meaning behind the teaser tweets, it is at least nice to be able to cast our eyes over something official from SMS for the first time, and it looks like the developers have been hard at work ensuring Project CARS 2 leaves nothing left of the table in terms of graphical quality. We are already fairly confident from the leaked trailer that PCARS 2 will have yet more versatility in the weather options for the new release, with snow, changeable wind direction and enhancements to the rain modes already teased. The new official shots back up these leaks, with one image showing off snow in the game, possibly taken from the same scene as the drifting Mercedes in the trailer leak.

One thing is for sure, despite selling over 2 million copies of Project CARS on all platforms SMS will have to hit the ball out of the park on first attempt with this new title, following the heavy criticism from some quarters of the gaming public after Project CARS 1 shipped with a number of frustrating and unacceptable bugs. SMS will be keen to avoid a similar situation with the new sim and win back some of the sim racing public trust, as can be evidenced by several messages from SMS head Ian Bell when he assure fans the new title will be undertaking a much more robust quality assurance programme before receiving it's public release.

The game is looking to be shaping up to be one of the stars of 2017 and personally I'm intrigued to see how it fairs once it hits our shelves towards the end of the current year.

Needless to say we will be keeping a close eye on the upcoming announcement and post any details for you here at RaceDepartment as soon as they become known.


Project CARS 2 is expected to be released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC during Q4 2017.

Check out the Project CARS 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartmet to keep abreast of all the latest news and discussions surrounding the sequel of Slightly Mad Studios best selling racing game. Join in with your fellow community members and get involved with the discussion today!

Looking forward to PCARS 2? Do you like the look of the new screenshots released by the studio? Will the title improve upon the often frustration original? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[seco46]

that fuji right?

Yes.

Also those screens are a count down for a one thing (more likely a official trailer)

 

[Lars Hansen]

I want Porsche and Sebring.

All I want in pC2 is an AI that doesn't drive like a teen with a learners permit.
Everything else in pC I could probably live with, but not the AI.

 

[Keith Joyce]

Proper and diligent testing will ensure a top qualty product...

 

[Michael Hornbuckle]

The PRC guys (along will all their days of real world racing experience) have been granted beta access by none other than Ian Bell himself, so with them giving feedback on the physics along with dedicating hundreds of hours of their time hunting bugs it is pretty much a sure thing that this will be the greatest hardcore sim ever unleashed on the planet.

 

[JayJayRaceinho]

As far as bugs.....since I've dug into 3 of their past games (pCars, S2U and NFS Shift) and corrected countless errors/typos in many different file extensions, including modeling UV mapping errors made by SMS. Add to that workarounds for hard coded bugs/issues never corrected by SMS....I'd have to go by their past track record and say...pCars2 will be probably be similar to their past offerings. I also think that some of the gameplay (some driving conditions) will fall more into the Forza/FH territory for physics. But, I'm not involved with testing this game...so...just an educated guess.

...for 99% it will be bugged/unfinished like pcars1. Do you remember the guys@SMS saying EA was fault, Shift2 was so unpolished and had so cheap physics, deadlines here, deadlines there, PCars will get polished and and and... well, any more questions?!

 

[JayJayRaceinho]

The PRC guys (along will all their days of real world racing experience) have been granted beta access by none other than Ian Bell himself, so with them giving feedback on the physics along with dedicating hundreds of hours of their time hunting bugs it is pretty much a sure thing that this will be the greatest hardcore sim ever unleashed on the planet.

YMMD

 

[Wizbiscuit]

Physics seems to be what people are worried about, still seems though that people compare to old games right?? how often do you hear somebody saying GTR2 has the best and most realistic physics? or even LFS?? Logic says that just isn't true, each new generation of sim has better physics right?? I was in PCARS from day one (as a backer), and following the devs on the boards, it was unreal the efforts that they made to get everything perfect... Physics where checked over and over by real race drivers... race drivers of real race cars... How disheartening must it then be to hear a person saying its crap and LFS (from 15 years ago) is more realistic? Pretty safe to say most people just like what they like? nothing wrong with that, though bashing something because it isn't to your historical preference seems, well a little mean...

One thing though I think is rather interesting is the current wheels we all use... I have had a G25 for years, and I always liked rFactor2 the most, that gave me the most feel and pleasure... Assetto Corsa I liked, never quite loved it though... PCAR's I liked, though it varied by car, least though I felt in control (and I guess you could argue that is more like a real car??)....

Anyway, got a sim rig a month ago and a Fanatec CSL wheel and all the gubbins... Now its all "up in the air"... rFactor2 I struggle to enjoy now... PCAR's does actually feel a little "too" lifeless... Assetto Corsa feels better now (though still a little stiff).... Oddly Automobilista I seem to have the most fun with, has amazing feel... if its true to life though? no idea, I wouldn't pretend to know, but does it give me lots of feedback and feel? sure does.. Hardly touched this with the G25.

I wonder a little how different things would have felt with the Thrustmaster, so really how much is down to the wheel more than then anything else???

Anyway, what lucky buggers we are, so many sims right now, all offer something different, whats not to like??

 

[xnorb]

"Physics" is just something to throw into a discussion without real meaning behind it.
The vast majority of people talking about physics don't have a clue about what's actually really happening in a car under load and those who might have an idea on physics have never driven a race car at it's limit on a racetrack under racing conditions.

I think we can all agree that SMS needs to focus way more on FFB in PC2.
The out of the box FFB needs to be spot on without requiring the players to take courses on car engineering to get a somewhat acceptable feeling out of the wheel.
I expect the simulation to deliver the correct FFB data and SMS to convert that data according to the wheel i am using, just like every other sim out there does it. (Of course, it's always good to have options to tweak, but after installing it should deliver a great FFB experience)

 

[Rodger Davies]

Oh good, they simulated Brands in the snow and the Aurora Borealis... both essential features. That's me being sarcastic, but I felt they were close to a good game with the first iteration (I was an early backer), but my issue with it was always that they seemed to focus on details that created good screenshots rather than a good game. So I couldn't set up a series how I wanted to, couldn't choose the AI to face and, when I did, the AI was sorely lacking and put me off trying longer racing and actually experiencing their fancy weather and light changes.

From the focus on ice driving and rallycross we've seen in the trailers, I fear this is more 'jack of all trades, masters of none' fare, but I will certainly be giving it another chance.

Hopefully the excellent car and livery selector (and deselector!) mod will still work.

 

[Blimey]

The PRC guys (along will all their days of real world racing experience) have been granted beta access by none other than Ian Bell himself, so with them giving feedback on the physics along with dedicating hundreds of hours of their time hunting bugs it is pretty much a sure thing that this will be the greatest hardcore sim ever unleashed on the planet.

I bet you're mad because you have no experience.

 

[Michael Hornbuckle]

I bet you're mad because you have no experience.

Nailed it.

 

[xnorb]

my issue with it was always that they seemed to focus on details that created good screenshots rather than a good game

That's what EA/DICE are doing since years, and it works. Sadly.
"Make it look good in trailers and youTube videos by players, i don't care if gameplay is shallow or the only longtime motivation comes from boring EXP grinding - if it looks good in videos and screens IT WILL SELL!!!"

 

[AadHofman]

Pink text may not work outside iRacing-forums...

 

[Dale Smith]

I just hope that the start point of the game is better than the first effort. They could take a page from R3E, installed and run it, it just worked. Pcars was such a pain to get drivable, I bailed on it 3 times before a friend convinced me to work at it. Agreed, once it is dialed in, it is very good. But the bugs pushed me away. I mean, tire temps of over 800 degrees, WTF?

 

[CobraCat]

SMS needs to fix that understeer!

 

[Cote Dazur]

@Wizbiscuit nice post, so true, none of them are good enough to be universally recognized as being the more accurate, personal preference and type of rig/wheel used makes a big difference.
To add to your post, mid year last year, I switch from monitor to VR. Before VR I just could not understand why PCars would be even considered to be a SIM, all it was to me, was a good looking racing game. Since my new, more powerful, PC and VR, I still not place it on as good as AC or R3E, or RF2, although for obvious reason I have driven RF2 in VR, but I now understand why PCars can be seen as a SIM. It makes more sense than before. I have not changed, neither has PCars, my perspective has.
With improved physic, if it is the case, PCars2 might be very interesting,

 

[Wizbiscuit]

@Cote Dazur VR was next on my list, hadn't considered that this may change my thoughts again , right happy right now with new rig though, so patent enough to wait till the next gen of VR.

I think its safe to say that PCAR2 will have much improved physics not like they would ignore all the complaints, that would be daft...

 

[Pywackett-Barchetta]

All they really have to do to get my money this time is AI that doesn't suck and ovals that... well, exist, actually. Really kind of my hopes for the first one anyhow.

 

[Peter Stokman]

dont make a lot arguments and discussions about this beacause probably the release will be postponed minimum 5 times for minimum 5 years

 

[Rodger Davies]

dont make a lot arguments and discussions about this beacause probably the release will be postponed minimum 5 times for minimum 5 years

Nice hyperbole