With Project Gotham Racing 4 right around the corner, you can be sure that racing fans are anticipating one of the biggest racing games this year. We had the opportunity to talk with Community and Web Lead for Bizarre Creations Ben Ward about the game and he was kind of enough to take the time out of his hectic schedule to answer our questions.
Bizarre Creations is in crunch mode right now, perfecting their masterpiece and making sure its baby is polished and shined for its release date of Oct 2nd and you can hear Ben's confidence in the game as he talks about it. Yes, PGR4 will be a huge leap above PGR3 and offer everything a racing game should offer: graphics, gameplay, and fully featured multiplayer. And here's why?
WebQuad.com: What improvements have you made to the original PGR3 cities? For instance, are there any new routes? Have the graphics been updated in the cities?
Ben Ward: We?ve made a few updates to bring them up to speed for PGR4. The new weather system works in the old cities, and a few of the corners have been tweaked so that they race better with motorcycles. Also we?ve had our racification team add more ambient detail to the routes, as well as redesigning the corner layout to aid driving and minimise pile-ups.
WebQuad.com: Sounds great, as I am a huge fan of the cities in PGR3 and you guys always managed to show them off in replays. Bizarre Creations has always been strong in the presentation department with awesome replay camera angles. Have you made any improvements to the presentation of the game? Any new replay features? Or how about when races are introduced: will there be any cool camera angles before the race even starts?
Ben Ward: As always, we?ve tried to present the game as stylishly as possible including cool new replay cams at the start and end of the race.
WebQuad.com: And PGR definitely has style! How dynamic is the weather? Will it be a random occurrence or will players choose their weather setting? Ben Ward: A bit of both: in Arcade Mode and Gotham Career the weather will change mid-race according to how our designers chose that race to play out. In Time Attack and Custom Race you will pick a weather condition and it will remain constant for the entire race.
WebQuad.com: So, it sounds as if Arcade and Career will present some unexpected challenges to mix things up and keep it exciting?I'm up for that! How about the cars?will players get to customize the color of their cars? We've heard you can now put decals on the car...can you tell us more about this?
Ben Ward: Yes, you can add basic liveries to your car design, as well as changing the colours and style of the leathers your biker wears. It?s not an in-depth paintjob designer? it?s more a case of being able to quickly identify your team mates in a multiplayer game.
WebQuad.com: Well, I can tell you that my motorcycle will be going so fast the guys behind me won't even know what color it is! lol PGR has always looked so good?have you improved the graphics of the game technically since PGR3?
Ben Ward: Yes, in lots of areas. I think the screenshots speak for themselves!
WebQuad.com: And I've seen ALL of them, so I can definitely see the detail. How exactly does the handling differ when in rain?
Ben Ward: It?s more slidey obviously, but there are also puddles to contend with. These puddles will alter your racing line and force you to take routes which you wouldn?t normally consider.
WebQuad.com: So, it sounds like you can possibly rack up more Kudos in the rain. What advancements have you made with your inside cockpit view?
Ben Ward: Not only do the windscreen wipers now work when it rains, but you can also use the cockpit view when riding a motorcycle. That?s fun, I can tell you!
WebQuad.com: Yes, we can't wait to see the cockpit view and the effects in the rain! Now onto the single player?What's the single player game like this time around?
Ben Ward: There are lots of changes, including a brand new game mode ? Gotham Career ? and the most in-depth Arcade and Time Attack modes we?ve ever created.
WebQuad.com: That means I'll need to call in sick from work at least 2-3 days. Don't worry, I have it all planned out. What about creating your own track?
Ben Ward: No, the Route Creator won?t be making a comeback in PGR4 I?m afraid.
WebQuad.com: Ah, no big deal?I just had to ask. Besides, I like the tracks that were born in the PGR offices better than anything I ever came up with. lol What excites you most about your next instalment into the PGR series?
Ben Ward: All the different ways to play: motorcycles, dynamic weather, the new tracks, etc. It should really shake up the gameplay dynamic in the online world. WebQuad.com: Looks like I'm going to have to get my practice in then and (hopefully) kick some butt online. And, finally, when can we expect a demo, if there is one?
Ben Ward: We haven?t made any announcements about a demo yet.
WebQuad.com: All right, thanks Ben for taking the time out of your schedule to answer my questions. I was excited before about the game and now I'm even more excited and I'm sure everyone else is. Project Gotham Racing 4 releases on October 2nd so it's right around the corner. Don't forget to grab yourselves a copy when the game releases since this game promises to be the racing game we've been waiting for all year! To view the screenshots of this game click here. To visit the forums, click here.
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