Project Motor Racing review: A full-price game that feels like Early Access

Project Motor Racing is a fresh face in the racing game scene, but the person behind it, Ian Bell, is a big name in the sim racing world and has given us some good games. It all started back when fans of realistic racing mainly had games from Papyrus Studios to choose from. Then came a fantastic mod for F1 2001 by Electronic Arts—GTR. This mod transformed in 2005 into a full-fledged, licensed game, GTR – FIA GT Racing Game, from the newly established SimBin Studios. GTR impressed with its driving physics, sound design, iconic GT cars, and legendary tracks using LiveTrack tech.

After a few years and under a different studio, we got a slightly less hardcore Need for Speed: Shift, followed by Project CARS and Project CARS 2. These games are more in the simcade category, but they're still really good. The third installment of this series, developed under the guidance of Codemasters, unfortunately, took a complete turn towards arcade and consequently suffered a huge flop. It was time for a restart, a new direction. Project Motor Racing from the new studio Bella – Straight4 – kind of nods to the previous series with its name, but it's really the spiritual successor to the classic GTR – FIA GT Racing Game.

And, you can definitely feel a bit of that GTR vibe and spirit. There are GT cars, there is realism, there is fantastic sound design. But times and market realities have changed a bit. With competition from series like Assetto Corsa and Automobilista 2, both the content and quality of Project Motor Racing fall short of what we might expect for a full-priced final version of the game. Most of the time, I found PMR more exhausting than enjoyable; it feels more like the recent, not-so-great launch of Rennsport rather than being the new "king" of sim racing.

Car racing in a farming world

I can't remember the last time I had so many tech issues with a game. I guess it's partly because the developers decided to switch from the Unreal Engine to the Giants Engine, which is mostly known for the Farming Simulator series. Project Motor Racing, even on the warm-up lap, "inherited" a rather unattractive graphics by today's standards, as even the latest installment of Farming Simulator 25 doesn't look very good. The same flat lighting, lousy vegetation, weak weather effects, basic tractor cockpits, and detail-lacking objects have turned the farms into race tracks - and honestly, these might be the worst-looking tracks we've seen in ages. I feel that even the eight-year-old Project CARS 2 from 2017 still looks better, with better lighting, asphalt textures, and definitely more impressive, realistic rain.

But putting aside the issues of aesthetics, there are also problems with performance and bugs. Farming Simulator 25 tends to stutter severely on every map for the first several minutes of gameplay, as though it is just starting to optimize its shaders. It's like that in PMR too, but the issue persists. I'm not sure how, after a long time, I finally found some relatively optimal settings and the game engine "settled down." Anyway, those annoying lags during the race that lasted a few seconds are gone, but there are still some minor stutters and screen tearing, even with V-Sync on. The graphic glitches were also annoying, such as the bugged mirror, which started showing weird green and pink spots, or the fuel hose going through the door during a pit stop and ending up inside...

You might expect something like this from an Early Access game at a small price, not from a completed game at a premium price. I don't even need to mention how crucial smooth animation is in fast-paced races where every split second counts, with no stuttering at all. My PC with an RTX 3070 might not be the latest, but it handles every other racing game just fine, not to mention Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Yet, in Project Motor Racing, for the first time, I had to lower the settings to Low, and that's at FullHD resolution. Apparently, the switch to the Giants Engine was made to ensure good performance in VR mode, which is supposed to be released later. It's hard for me to imagine that, given the current issues with 2D graphics. And what's even more interesting – there aren't any plans yet to add support for the TrackIR head-tracking system, which is pretty much a must-have in every car simulator!

Sometimes it really feels like a GTR spiritual successor

Once you navigate through all the tech hurdles, you can finally check out the actual racing game. And right away, you'll notice the main menu is a bit odd – there's no option for practice or doing solo hot laps on a chosen track. The only choices are a full race weekend or a career. In the multiplayer menu, besides the ranked races that need a license to join, there's a section called "Social" for everyone. I thought it would have something to do with social media, but it's just a lobby for races. There are many more such shortcomings or strange interface decisions. For example, you can assign a separate button for different levels of ABS or traction control, but adjusting the cockpit camera requires you to pause the game and tweak some sliders in a special menu.

There are 18 tracks to choose from, some of which have different route variants. There could be more, as Le Mans is missing, but overall it's not bad because there are absolute "must-haves" among them, like Monza, Silverstone, Nordschleife, Spa, and Mount Panorama. It's kinda weird that some of them have made-up names, probably because of licensing reasons. Such tricks might be expected from some fan projects, not a full-priced game. The situation is much better when it comes to available cars. We have new models as well as older classics, cars in classes: N-GT, GT4, GT3, GTO, Group C, 70s single-seaters, hypercars LMP, LMDh, MX-5, 992, and 964 Trophy – a total of over 70 cars from iconic brands: Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Saleen, Nissan, BMW, Ford, and many, many more. Everyone should find their favorite cars here.

And the driving experience is quite good. The physics seem really solid, definitely aimed at sim racing fans and those who love hardcore challenges, rather than casual Sunday drivers. The number of options available for adjusting the car setup is also impressive. The only advertisements for the game that I see online have the slogan "Bring your earplugs," and indeed – the engine sounds are simply amazing! This can be treated as a hallmark of the GTR series, and here it continues to impress. On the track, you can feel every bump, every curb, every moment you drive onto the grass, and the difference between optimal tire temperature and overheated rubber. However, with the Porsche 964, I did feel a bit like I was controlling a camera on a drone – the effects weren't as noticeable or detailed, and I suspect that with such a large number of cars, some of them are replicated with slightly less accuracy. This is also evident in the appearance of the cockpits, which can vary in texture quality.

It's a shame that the good physics and generally interesting driving experiences are marred by micro-stutters, bugs, a thoughtless penalty system, and terrible opponent AI. AI drivers move as if on rails, make no mistakes, never receive penalties, and are practically glued to the ideal path on the track. To the extent that they will ram us at any cost to get on it. The AI generally doesn't brake, doesn't see us, doesn't avoid us - it just follows the path, and if we're next to it, it will likely hit us. I also had a situation where during qualifying, everyone had the pit limiter on and was doing qualifying laps at 60 mph. A small plus goes to the dynamic weather and time of day, but due to the Giants Engine, it looks so bad that it's better to just stick to races during the day and in sunny weather.

Multiplayer is not for casuals

Multiplayer is at the top of the menu, which immediately indicates which mode the developers have prioritized. Indeed, to access ranked races, you first need to obtain a "Project Motor Racing" license, which involves completing 8 laps of a race within a set time limit. It is quite a strict limit, which either aims to "filter out" casual drivers from experienced sim racers, or the creators might adjust it in the future to prevent empty lobbies. So far, before the official release, it was difficult to participate in any online race. If you don't get the license, there are only four races available, limited to 15 minutes.

Career is for money, not for victories

In single-player mode, with the aforementioned hopeless AI, the most interesting aspect is the career mode, which is by default set to a hardcore model with fast AI drivers and the option to replay races turned off. And why is that? Because in the PMR career, it's not about winning races and always being first. The devs wanted to reflect the realities of being a race car driver, and in this career, the main goal is to stay financially afloat in the racing event calendar. Each start means an entry fee and covering travel costs to the track and repairs to the car after the previous event, as well as purchasing a car if we are moving to a different class. There are as many as eight different types of sponsorship deals to choose from – from a fixed rate for each race, to low earnings just for bringing the car to the finish line intact, lower pay in exchange for the sponsor covering all costs, to substantial bonuses for podium finishes, wins, or setting the fastest lap in qualifications and the race.

Depending on your driving style and the results you achieve, you can find something suitable for yourself here, and it's a really nice, very interesting change from the repetitive five-lap races to achieve victory. In PMR, as long as you have the money to cover the costs, you keep racing, and your career continues. If you go bankrupt – game over. This teaches a completely different approach to racing, and depending on the contract you choose, it sets slightly different goals, not necessarily encouraging you to win at all costs. My only comment on this mode is the absolute lack of any graphical presentation. Everything is presented to us in dull windows with plain text. I'm not asking for motion capture cut-scenes, but any graphics, images, or colors other than gray would really add a lot, at least in terms of making the gameplay more enjoyable.

At least get to the finish line

Despite the solid foundations, which undoubtedly include the driving physics, the list of cars in the garage, excellent sound design, and a bold idea for the career mode, the rest of the shortcomings and flaws of the game engine make Project Motor Racing feels like a game in the very early stages of Early Access, rather than a title ready for its 1.0 release. I don't know if the developers will manage to tame this engine; it's hard for me to imagine what the performance will be like in VR mode in the rain, with 24 cars about to make the first turn. A major advantage of the game is supposed to be its support for mods, but I would rather they focus on optimization, bugs, AI, and adding TrackIR support. I don't know if this will allow Project Motor Racing to stand out or even reach the same level as the competition, but it might at least prevent the game from sinking. Just like in its career mode – it doesn't have to be on the podium, but at least let it reach the finish line.