The world of sim racing has exploded since lockdown.
With Formula 1 and other racing series taking to the virtual circuit to race, more and more gamers have become interested in going for a digital drive.
That's where Bandai Namco, Slightly Mad Studios, and Project Cars 3 comes in.
Project Cars 3 announced
Nearly three years on from its release, Project Cars 2 remains one of the most accessible and immersive sim racing games available on both console and PC.
Which is why the announcement of Project Cars 3 is sure to put a smile on the face of both new and veteran sim racers.
Release date confirmed
After launching with a release window, Project Cars 3 has a firm date.
STUNNING: The trailer looked amazing
The game will arrive on 28 August!
Given F1 2020 is arriving in July it looks like it will be a very busy summer for racing fans.
Project Cars 3 will be on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Trailer
You can view the cinematic trailer right now.
Highly cinematic, the trailer gives a feel of both Need For Speed and Grid rather than your classic sim racer.
What's new?
It can be difficult to renovate a sim racing title for a sequel, but it looks like Project Cars 3 has got far more than a facelift.
Career mode
Career mode has been rebuilt from the ground up, creating a far more user-friendly and dynamic experience.
You can upgrade your car and take it with you on your journey, or build out your garage as you compete around the world.
Customization
PC2 allowed you to pick some really nice pre-made liveries and have a car that didn't look like others, but it seems Project Cars 3 will open the door to true customization.
ROAR OF THE ROAD: Plenty of road cars will be available in Project Cars 3
From making your own license plates on road cars to placing sponsor logos and using official manufacturer paints, you'll be able to go wild with your designs and really build out your own garage of mighty machines.
Online multiplayer
The online multiplayer has had a renovation too. With custom lobbies, quick races, and skill-based matchmaking to keep everyone in a competitive race it should be a more welcoming experience.
There is yet to be any talk of cross-platform play. It would seem that racing games are a step behind the likes of Call of Duty and Minecraft when it comes to players with different hardware being in the same lobby.
We hope there will be some crossplay ability though, even if it is just in unranked lobbies.
New cars & tracks
While it was tough to spot any new cars in the announcement, the Interlagos circuit did feature heavily.
NEW LOCATION: Welcome to Interlagos
We can expect to hear news before the release about what cars and tracks are featured in the game.
READ MORE: F1 2020 Pre-order: Price, editions, early access & more
It's likely that every circuit that was in PC2 will return, along with every car. The variety was one of PC2's main strengths so it would be smart to keep it for Project Cars 3.
Is it still a sim racer?
That's hard to say. The trailer is fully cinematic and definitely has more of a Need For Speed vibe than iRacing.
As a console racer it certainly wants to appeal to all levels of racing gamers, but it would be a shame for the game to spear off into the arcade side of the genre when PC2 is such a good introduction to sim racing for so many.
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