PC2 Rallycross With Project CARS 2 In Pictures...

[Paul Jeffrey]

Slightly Mad Studios have released a batch of new images from the upcoming Project CARS 2 game, this time centring attention on the new for the franchise Rallycross discipline.

When revealed earlier this month, many fans have been curious to see how a properly simulated loose surface environment will be represented in Project CARS 2, considering this will be the first time Slightly Mad Studios have attempted to bring off road racing to either the Project CARS franchise or previous racing games produced by the studio.

Obviously with both the original title and the upcoming PCARS 2 already well established in the graphics stakes it is beyond question that the cars and tracks will very much look the part, but will the British developers be able to nail a physics set that can be notoriously difficult to master in a racing simulation?

Early indications do indeed sound promising, with SMS confirming development has been supported by not one but two professional Rallycross drivers and the incredibly successful team OMSE X Games rally competitor, so realistically the studio should stand a very fair chance of bringing about a successful version of the incredibly popular rally discipline.

Of course it is nigh on impossible to accurately judge physics simulation from moving pictures without having hands on experience with the software yourself, but that hasn't stopped a certain element of the sim racing community already voicing scepticism about the new class of racing following several video reveals of the cars in action in recent days. With only realisticly Codemasters DiRT Rally and upcoming DiRT 4 to contend against, already it looks as though SMS and Project CARS 2 have a tough battle ahead to win over the passionate rally fans amongst the sim racing community. With the game looking to release around September 2017, it's only a few short months until we will be able to judge for ourselves the product of Slightly Mad Studios efforts...

In other Project CARS 2 news, Creative Director Andy Tudor has recently given a brief presentation on the 'Live Track 3.0' technology due to feature in the new game. Tudor can be see talking at the 2017 PC Gamer Weekender discussing the impact of this technology in Project CARS 2, and what players can expect from the feature once the game releases towards the end of the current year. You can catch the full 30 + minute presentation below:

Project CARS 2 is due for release on Xbox One, PS4 and Windows PC towards the end of 2017.

Check out our Project CARS 2 sub forum for a place to join together with fellow race fans and discuss the game prior to it's launch around September 2017. Once the game is publically available we will be hosting further sub forums with racing league and club events, downloadable setups, mods and more. Stay tuned for all the action here at RaceDepartment!

Looking forward to Rallycross in PCARS2? Do you think the content will be as popular as tarmac racing in the game? Can the Rallycross portion of PC2 match or surpass DiRT Rally in your opinion? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

 

[M D Gourley]

Looking forward to Rallycross in PCARS2? Do you think the content will be as popular as tarmac racing in the game? Can the Rallycross portion of PC2 match or surpass DiRT Rally in your opinion?

I am looking forward, in general to PCARS2 and as for the Rallycross on Tarmac content, I think that will be up to the individual Sim Racer like myself as to whether it will be popular...for me personally it would say yes....BUT, can it match Dirt Rally or the new DIRT 4 in the FFB steering wheel feel / physics dept, that is the question, will have to wait and see....visually though I personally think it looks better, so that area trumps DR...again only my personal opinion.

 

[Pywackett-Barchetta]

Having watched the trailer earlier, I can at least very much appreciate being able to ogle beautiful rallycross cars in punishing conditions in a dubstep-free environment.

 

[-Alf-]

Don't think it's a "coincidence" with PCars2 showing loose surface/RX content, with DiRT 4 launching in less than 2 months... but moving on.

Can the Rallycross portion of PC2 match or surpass DiRT Rally in your opinion?

About time Codemasters (hopefully) get some competition, Milestone and BigBen/Kyloton are still a long way to be "up there", and competition only benefits us all.
My money is in DiRT 4. Basically, it's a fleshed out and improved DiRT Rally so, it has everything to be a "winner".

 

[Tobiman]

Looks like PCars wants to be the next GT on PC. That spot is definitely up for grabs in the simcade segment.

 

[Leynad777]

Looks like PCars wants to be the next GT on PC. That spot is definitely up for grabs in the simcade segment.

So where do you get this? Probably not from the tyreflex-model or the weather and season system in the video. Realistic graphics is no simcade.

 

[Tobiman]

So where do you get this? Probably not from the tyreflex-model or the weather and season system in the video. Realistic graphics is no simcade.

I came to that conclusion by looking at all the racing stages PCars 2 will offer. By pandering to a wide audience, I likened it to GT which does the same.

 

[bogani]

I've just read a very strange interview regarding PC2 RX.

"We also asked about balancing realism and arcade with Rallycross. "So the balance is between accessibility and authenticity," Tudor explained. "So you want it to be authentic, and you want it to look right, feel right, all that kind of stuff, but to do that, Rallycross cars specifically need the assists off, and generally gamers, no matter what [...] you're not going to have the assists off, because it's way too complicated for you. You'll be spinning the car all over the place. So what we've decided to do is we've decided to make the default what we call 'real', so cars that have traction control, stability control, you'll be able to use them, and cars that don't, that benefit from them not being on, will not. So Rallycross, for example, is a sidey, sidewaysey, look through the window kind of experience, and it's still fun without it being arcadey, so it's not GTA where you can just hit the handbrake and slide round the corner or maybe do a burnout or something like that [...] it's still about authenticity, but we've tried to make it as accessible as possible as well."

The whole piece can be read here http://www.gamereactor.eu/previews/528273/Project+Cars+2+-+Rallycross+Impressions/

 

[Celestiale]

I came to that conclusion by looking at all the racing stages PCars 2 will offer. By pandering to a wide audience, I likened it to GT which does the same.

So it has one common denominator, and that is enough to "come to a conclusion"?
I'd work on my analysis competencies if i were you

I've just read a very strange interview regarding PC2 RX.

"We also asked about balancing realism and arcade with Rallycross. "So the balance is between accessibility and authenticity," Tudor explained. "So you want it to be authentic, and you want it to look right, feel right, all that kind of stuff, but to do that, Rallycross cars specifically need the assists off, and generally gamers, no matter what [...] you're not going to have the assists off, because it's way too complicated for you. You'll be spinning the car all over the place. So what we've decided to do is we've decided to make the default what we call 'real', so cars that have traction control, stability control, you'll be able to use them, and cars that don't, that benefit from them not being on, will not. So Rallycross, for example, is a sidey, sidewaysey, look through the window kind of experience, and it's still fun without it being arcadey, so it's not GTA where you can just hit the handbrake and slide round the corner or maybe do a burnout or something like that [...] it's still about authenticity, but we've tried to make it as accessible as possible as well."

The whole piece can be read here http://www.gamereactor.eu/previews/528273/Project+Cars+2+-+Rallycross+Impressions/

Just read it as well, and i don't see anything strange there

 

[Alex72]

If that video explaining puddles and all that jazz came from Studio397, Reiza or Kunos i would be very interested.

Sounds awesome of course, but yeah, we'll see.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

I've just read a very strange interview regarding PC2 RX.

"We also asked about balancing realism and arcade with Rallycross. "So the balance is between accessibility and authenticity," Tudor explained. "So you want it to be authentic, and you want it to look right, feel right, all that kind of stuff, but to do that, Rallycross cars specifically need the assists off, and generally gamers, no matter what [...] you're not going to have the assists off, because it's way too complicated for you. You'll be spinning the car all over the place. So what we've decided to do is we've decided to make the default what we call 'real', so cars that have traction control, stability control, you'll be able to use them, and cars that don't, that benefit from them not being on, will not. So Rallycross, for example, is a sidey, sidewaysey, look through the window kind of experience, and it's still fun without it being arcadey, so it's not GTA where you can just hit the handbrake and slide round the corner or maybe do a burnout or something like that [...] it's still about authenticity, but we've tried to make it as accessible as possible as well."

The whole piece can be read here http://www.gamereactor.eu/previews/528273/Project+Cars+2+-+Rallycross+Impressions/

That was very strange indeed.

 

[Andy_J]

Realistic graphics is no simcade.

Since when did realistic graphics equal sim? Many things need to come together to make it a race sim of desire. They failed with Pcars 1. Lets hope they put more effort into Pcars 2.

 

[christoph1954x32]

That was very strange indeed.

As far as I am concerned: I am very keen on that game (as I´m already driving in P-Cars).

 

[Tobiman]

So it has one common denominator, and that is enough to "come to a conclusion"?
I'd work on my analysis competencies if i were you

Both titles are similar content wise. That was all the comparison I made and i'm certainly not the only one.

 

[JackCY]

PCars2? Lets hope if will be better than the continuation of NFS named PCars.
Don't get me wrong, it can be a fun game to play for many, just doesn't seem very sim name worthy.

Rallycross was fun in LFS. In reality it's a deadly sport for cars, either own a scrap yard to take parts from or you're gonna pay through the roof on repairs until you totally wreck it or get wrecked by someone.

 

[Celestiale]

Rallycross was fun in LFS. In reality it's a deadly sport for cars, either own a scrap yard to take parts from or you're gonna pay through the roof on repairs until you totally wreck it or get wrecked by someone.

All the changes on F1 cars, even changing the frontwing, is more expensive then renewing the bodywork or fixing the suspension of a WRX car

 

[Damage Inc]

So it has one common denominator, and that is enough to "come to a conclusion"?
I'd work on my analysis competencies if i were you


Just read it as well, and i don't see anything strange there

It's completely pointless defending PC here as this is where the detractors "hang out" and bask in their mutual dislike of the game. That "strange" interview is a perfect case in point of how they read between the lines, PC and it seems PC2 let's you have the real aids that the real cars have (just like AC does), and can turn them on/off as desired....no artificial difficulty. But of course it means "simcade" to have aids EVEN IF the real car has them......the hardcore sim crowd are a "strange" bunch.

 

[bogani]

It's completely pointless defending PC here as this is where the detractors "hang out" and bask in their mutual dislike of the game. That "strange" interview is a perfect case in point of how they read between the lines, PC and it seems PC2 let's you have the real aids that the real cars have (just like AC does), and can turn them on/off as desired....no artificial difficulty. But of course it means "simcade" to have aids EVEN IF the real car has them......the hardcore sim crowd are a "strange" bunch.

Nothing wrong with true to life aids at all.
However, they assume that driving the RX cars without these aids is "way too complicated" and that their customers will just spin around once throttle is applied. They also manages to mention Mario Kart and GTA in the same interview. These things plus the way the whole article is written is a bit strange to me yes.

The RX does look better than I expected though so it'll be interesting to try it out.

 

[Celestiale]

However, they assume that driving the RX cars without these aids is "way too complicated" and that their customers will just spin around once throttle is applied.

And they still say that they have no artificial helpers, so what's not to like?
I am sure the casual crowd can activate stability control and stuff like that, just like in AC, AMS, rfactor etc

 

[Damage Inc]

Nothing wrong with true to life aids at all.
However, they assume that driving the RX cars without these aids is "way too complicated" and that their customers will just spin around once throttle is applied. They also manages to mention Mario Kart and GTA in the same interview. These things plus the way the whole article is written is a bit strange to me yes.

The RX does look better than I expected though so it'll be interesting to try it out.

I read that story as no change from Pcars, there's an option for "real" aids so cars with aids will have them and those without will not, but also less skilled players can select the aids to be on regardless of real and "hardcores" can turn them all off regardless if real or not. (real aids can be toggled on/off whilst driving as well).

(not aimed at bogani) This community seriously has to stop belittling others as they get into simming and need some hand holding and slagging off games that help newcomers. It has no bearing on the underlying physics at all to have aids.