Project CARS 2 - Game Guide
- Chris SIRA
- Jul 3
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 9
Project CARS 2 (CARS = Community Assisted Racing Simulator) or 'PCARS2' for short, is the second title of 4 in the Project Cars series, releasing on Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2017.
The title considerably improved on its previous title, doubling the number of Cars and Locations, and adding the LiveTrack 3.0 system - an environmental system that changes the track conditions during a Race or Race Weekend. The title continues from PCARS1 by featuring a Career Mode - rare within Sim Racing.
PCARS2 won a number of awards in 2017, such as Wired UK's 'Best Racing Game' of that year.
SIRA regards PCARS2 with considerable fondness, as it raised the quality bar for PC Racing titles ; the Ferrari F50GT in the game was particularly memorable!
As with PCARS1, PCARS2 has not been available on any cloud gaming platform since 2022 due to expiry of licenses within the title. If you want to play the game you'll need to find a physical copy on PC DVD-ROM*, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One disc.
*SIRA has found the Deluxe Edition of the game available on the Internet Archive, though cannot vouch for its legality.
Fun (?) Fact
Project Cars 4 was planned for 2024 but cancelled in 2022 by Electronic Arts. This may have been due to the lack of success of PCARS3.
Release Date
September 22, 2017
Platform(s)
Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
VR
Yes
(PC only)
Cars (Out of the box / All DLC)
180 / 205
(Cars all real ; 38 DLC cars)
Tracks / Variations
60 / 180
(Mixture of real and fantasy ; 6 DLC tracks)
Metacritic Ratings
PC - 84%
PlayStation 4 - 82%
Xbox One - 84%
Game Engine (Graphics, Physics, AI and Cross-Platform functionality)
Madness Engine
Environment System
LiveTrack 3.0
Tyre Model
STM (Seta Tire Model)
Developer / Publisher
Slightly Mad Studios / Bandai Namco Entertainment
Screenshots
The good
Improves on its' groundbreaking predecessor in nearly every way
One of the largest selection of Cars and Tracks on a PC racing title
Well-regarded driving model and physics, especially given the number of Cars in the title
The less good
Not available on games platforms since September 2022
Controller play is not highly rated, with Wheels being recommended
Many bugs in earlier versions
Links
Official Website - PCARS1, 2, 3 sites all appear to be defunct
Steam Page - PCARS2 is not available on Steam or any other gaming platform
Tags / Categories
