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Project Gotham Racing 3 xbox360 Game Reviews
Project Gotham Racing 3
Critic Score
Metascore: 88 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.0 out of 10
based on 75 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 109 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

The original Kudos challenge: Powersliding, pulling off a 360, getting airtime, staying on the race line, drafting, and getting up on two wheels will earn gamers Kudos points for their style and skill. Take the wheel of more than 80 authentically modeled and licensed supercars from manufacturers such as Ferrari, Dodge, and Lamborghini with fully modeled interiors, functioning dashboards and individually recorded engine roars. Drive in New York, Tokyo, and many other cities, all brought to life with motion-captured crowds of people. Show off in front of a global audience. With GothamTV, gamers can watch any player in the world on live news feeds, get live ticker-tape information when friends break records, and compete with anyone, anywhere, anytime. [Microsoft]

PUBLISHER: Microsoft
DEVELOPER: Bizarre Creations
GENRE(S): Racing, Driving
PLAYERS: Multi
ESRB RATING: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)
RELEASE DATE: November 14, 2005

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
1UP
Excels at being both a brilliant showpiece of the power of Microsoft's new console as well as a thoroughly enjoyable racer.
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100
Deeko
An amazing visual treat and though the gameplay may feel a bit too similar to "Project Gotham Racing 2" in a number of ways, the overall experience can be summed up in two words: simply incredible.
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100
ZTGameDomain
With stellar Xbox Live integration and an almost infinite number of ways to play the game Project Gotham Racing 3 is the definition of what next-gen gaming should be.
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95
Extreme Gamer
PGR3 stays close to the concept that made the first two a hit and gives us more online flavor with a major boost to the graphics and audio.
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95
Gaming Target
Amazing graphics and sound coupled with tight, addictive gameplay – not to mention a plethora of amazing dream roadsters to earn and collect – means hours upon hours of fun for the discerning gamer.
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95
Worth Playing
Saying this game looks nearly photorealistic is no understatement, as throughout most of the race, it could pass as just that.
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95
Next Level Gaming
Project Gotham 3 is the best overall racing game I've seen. Pretty much my final answer!
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95
PGNx Media
The visuals and immersion [are] simplly amazing in this game. The graphics are incredibly impressive, something unmatched by any other game.
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95
Jolt Online Gaming UK
Project Gotham is still a series plugging away in a league of its own, but this time in every sense. Absolutely astounding.
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94
Gamezilla!
Everything is gorgeous from the city streets to the cars themselves, it’s definitely eye candy (at least running at 1080i).
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94
Team Xbox
The gameplay mechanics, presentation, and available modes have all been supercharged, the graphics push the capabilities of the hardware without wavering, and the engine and exhaust noises are so glorious that you won’t even care about loading in your custom tracks.
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93
GamingTrend
From mind blowing graphics and lighting effects and the brilliant experience of speed. The enormous amount of vehicle choices and racing options. Music choices out the whazoo, and stellar sound effects.
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93
Xbox World Australia
The expertly tuned controls, the amazing graphics, addictive offline and online game modes, Gotham TV and top notch audio all add up to create one of the Xbox 360's top launch games.
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92
Gamers' Temple
The detail level is amazing, not just in the cars but in the cities and the crowds watching the races, I can talk about lighting (wait until you see your first night race!), textures, and the like, but it’s more effective if I simply ask: when was the last time you played a racing game in which you could see the instruments on the dashboard through the car’s rear window?
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92
Cheat Code Central
If you're a stickler for 100% completion those Platinum awards will keep you coming back for months, while less enthusiastic racing fans who don't want to race online will only get 50% of what PGR3 is offering.
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92
Gamer 2.0
When you sit down to play PGR3, one of the first things you’ll notice is how absolutely gorgeous the game looks. The car models have an exquisite amount of detail in them. Every body panel seam, manufacturer emblem, and door handle are all wonderfully represented.
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92
Talk Xbox
The core game here is precisely the same as it was in "Project Gotham Racing 2" on the Xbox, but the addition of more Live functionality improves the game considerably. The graphics are utterly gorgeous, as well.
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92
Kombo
For fans of the genre, it is the pinnacle of racing simulation.
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91
Gaming Age
From the stunning near photo-realistic visuals, to the innovative Gotham TV feature, PGR3 is everything you could ask for from a launch title.
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91
GameShark
The lack of gameplay innovation in the series keeps it from soaring into the stratosphere, but for shear driving fun, Project Gotham Racing delivers.
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91
Play.tm
Just about the most involving and exciting arcade-sim racing experience yet. Its amazing graphics and sound show off the true power of the Xbox 360. So is it perfect? Not quite. The one problem with PGR3 is the length of its single player Gotham Career.
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90
Loaded Inc
It doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any means, but the tight controls and fantastic visuals combine to make this a game that you won’t want to miss out on.
Read Full Review
90
games(TM)
An empowering, engrossing and downright gorgeous racer, Project Gotham Racer 3 is definitely among the best games to ever launch alongside a console. [Christmas 2005, p.124]
90
NTSC-uk
It’s a shining example of how the arcade-racing genre should be done, and it is an essential purchase for all gear heads with an Xbox360. In fact you probably already own it.
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90
Gamestyle
Longish load times aside, Project Gotham Racing 3 strikes an excellent balance between arcade and sim gameplay without alienating fans of either, and everyone - from Sunday drivers to Autobahn veterans - will find something to love here.
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90
Play Magazine
Racing fans are lucky this launch season. [Jan 2006, p.46]
90
AceGamez
The dazzling looks, the sublime handling, plethora of online options and even the lengthy single player mode make for a game that can't be touched in its genre.
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90
Official Xbox Magazine
Eye-popping graphics, especially the in-car view. [Jan 2006, p.66]
90
Electronic Gaming Monthly
For me, Project Gotham Racing 3 is the best of 360's launch titles; it grafts the series' appealing mix of sorta realistic (much more so than Ridge Racer) but still forgiving (much more so than Forza) handling to some of the most impressive graphics I've ever seen on a console.
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90
GameBiz
From mind blowing graphics and lighting effects and the brilliant experience of speed, and the enormous amount of vehicle choices and racing options.
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90
BonusStage
The game’s absolutely jaw-dropping dashboard camera view provides a level of racing immersion that hasn’t been matched by any other racing game I’ve ever played, and that combined with the stunning visuals does bring enough next-gen flair and innovation to the mix to separate it from any current racing title on the market.
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90
Digital Entertainment News
A good game with several hours of gameplay and a great way to show off your fancy HDTV.
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90
Xboxic
My only gripe with this game is that it does not feel fast. You’re going two hundred miles/three hundred kilometers an hour, but it doesn’t feel as twitchy if-you-blink-you-will-crash fast as "Burnout Revenge."
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90
Thunderbolt
The pick-up-and-play gameplay appeals to newcomers and veterans alike, with insane speeds and ample opportunities to pull of stylish moves, whereas the detail of the numerous cars and courses is just astounding.
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90
DarkStation
PGR continues to dazzle us with an impressive array of top notch motors, solid gameplay and incredible and challenging online play.
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90
Operation Sports
A perfectly balanced arcade racer. It's lovingly crafted, exciting as all get-out, and looks like nothing you've ever played before.
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90
VGPub
To put it simply, PGR3 is a must-buy for any racing game fan. It is a little bit of a bummer given a lesser amount of cities and vehicles available, but the upgrades to the online and first person experiences more than makes up for it.
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90
WHAM! Gaming
A must-buy for Xbox 360 owners who love -- and live -- to speed.
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90
Xbox Solution
The amount of cars to buy and collect is staggering. PGR 3 proves that sequels can be better if time is taken and its done right.
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90
Boomtown
The much vaunted Gotham TV is fun, but more welcome is being able to save your replays when playing with friends rather than watching strangers.
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90
MS Xbox World
It has everything; superb gameplay, spectacular graphics, fantastic sound and to top it all off, the usual but addictive Xbox Live play.
Read Full Review
90
Computer and Video Games
It's not quite the untouchable dream game we were hoping for, but it's still the best Xbox 360 racer you can buy right now. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]
Read Full Review
90
GameSpy
If you're looking for a deep racing Sim with a community of opponents ready to go 24 hours a day, this is your game. It's easy on the eyes and a blast to play.
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90
Edge Magazine
PGR3 hasn’t moved from its niche, not at all – at its core, it’s still pure PGR, a savvy and standalone mixture of real form and hyper-real function – but it’s been transformed into a wondrous and rewarding beauty spot. [Christmas 2005, p.88]
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90
GameZone
The controls are handled nicely enough and the tracks are designed well enough. Too bad the Career mode is over a bit too quickly.
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90
Xbox Evolved
It is the perfect blend of style, substance, visuals, and sound you will find on any system... but you will blow through the game very quickly, it is a bit on the easy side sometimes, and without HDTV you can’t truly experience it.
Read Full Review
90
Yahoo! Games
Sure, it would have been nice to see a little work on the on-rails AI or the same-old single-player, but as an online racer and a graphical showcase for Microsoft's new machine, PGR3 dazzles.
Read Full Review
89
Da Gameboyz
An online mode that provides an excellent racing experience.
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89
Planet Xbox 360
PGR3 may not have changed the winning formula but it’s hard to fault a title that stays true to such a successful recipe.
Read Full Review
89
eToychest
It’s the premier racing franchise on the console, one of the best graphical showcases there is, and one of the best online components you can find anywhere.
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89
XGP Gaming
It brings everything that was great about the first two iterations, while adding jaw-dropping graphics and even more Xbox Live goodness.
Read Full Review
88
DailyGame
It's still a lot of fun, but it doesn't quite have the same magic as its immediate predecessor.
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88
GameSpot
For pure style, speed, and immersion, grabbing a seat in any of PGR 3's intricately modeled high-speed rigs and tearing through the streets is what the next generation of gaming is all about.
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88
IGN
A beautiful, fast-moving racer in a style Xbox gamers are all too familiar with. The game is gorgeous, deep in modes and challenges, and well balanced, even if it's nothing more than a minor leap in gameplay over its predecessor.
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88
Gamer's Hell
With its unique blend of simulation and arcade physics, Project Gotham Racing 3 is a beautiful game that will be certainly be played for a long time.
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88
Pelit (Finland)
PGR 2.5 would have been a more suitable name, since there is not that much new. The drop dead gorgeous graphics make the game a wet dream for sports car enthusiasts. Easy to handle, beautiful to look at. I can live with that. [Dec 2005]
86
AtomicGamer
While the racing is certainly fun and online play works great, I still have to question whether this is truly what we'd consider a next-generation game.
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86
Game Chronicles
Project Gotham Racing 3 isn’t as next-gen as the hardware you are playing it on, but it is nonetheless a solid and serious racing game and a definite improvement over "PGR2."
Read Full Review
85
Game Power Australia
It shows what the console can do by looking absolutely gorgeous where some other games have failed miserably to do so.
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85
Game Informer
A solid and fun, if not deep or terribly rewarding racer - one that ably promotes beauty over brains. [Jan 2006, p.140]
84
XboxAddict
Even if you’re not a die-hard racer you’ll find the game a lot of fun on line, finding the right group of racers to match your skills is pretty easy, and with the addition of the “Preferred” gamer to all XBL titles it makes playing with your favorite people easy without filling up your friends list.
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83
Game Revolution
Respected gameplay in nice new wrapping and ties it up with amazing online integration, which hints at things to come.
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83
Armchair Empire
Online, Project Gotham Racing 3 is practically an addiction.
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80
360 Gamer Magazine UK
Looks stunning and plays beautifully. [Issue #2]
80
PALGN
An amazing launch title. It doesn’t feel like a launch title as we didn’t find any bugs and it doesn’t seem like any shortcuts were taken during development. It isn’t as much of an upgrade from Project Gotham Racing 2 as we’d hoped.
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80
Sydney Morning Herald
Despite Gotham's obliging nature, high-speed thrills and gorgeous graphical sheen, it's hard not to feel that we have seen its best tricks before.
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80
3DAvenue
It does have a sense of familiarity about it and the developers could have been a little more original and innovative but to deliver a game so complete, which such good graphics and so playable for launch was a feat in itself.
Read Full Review
80
Eurogamer
It's like playing "PGR2" on a system that can do it justice.
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80
GamePro
Is PGR 3 the best racing game ever? Not quite, but it sure stands out as the most visually captivating. Even if you aren't a racing fan, the game is worth a try, just to see the Xbox 360 flexing its muscle.
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80
GamerFeed
A painstakingly polished product that plays magnificently and has plenty of delicious eye candy to sweeten the deal. It's a racing game that has both beauty as well as the brains to match.
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80
G4 TV
Aesthetic quibbles and longish load times aside, Project Gotham Racing 3 strikes an excellent balance between arcade and sim gameplay without alienating fans of either.
Read Full Review
80
Gamenikki
Gotham also sounds great. although I generally keep the soundtrack muted in the background in favor of Live chatter (when applicable) and the sounds of the race, which are as spectacular as ever.
Read Full Review
80
Total Video Games
This is case of refinement; Bizarre has continued to add and streamline their iconic franchise making it the best PGR yet.
Read Full Review
75
Detroit Free Press
Online play is as hectic, though perhaps not as friendly, as the previous Xbox version.
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50
Computer Games Magazine
The developers at Bizarre Creations have made a beautiful thing, but they've given you no reason to enjoy it. [Feb 2006, p.87]

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 109 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Cory D. gave it an8:
Great racing game.. I prefer it over Forza 2.. ;) LOT'S of replay value, and although some goals seem frustrating to get, it means lots of hours playing.

Wyatt G. gave it a9:
This game came as a package deal when I got the 360, and even though I have not dusted it off for a few months it is still one of my favourite games I have played. I am writing this review after I have played Forza 2; and while Forza 2 is a really good game, I feel that PGR3 is just that bit better. To me the balance between arcade and simulator racing is what makes this game so good. In Forza 2 a single mistake WILL cost you the race, but in PGR3 mistakes can be overcome which makes you push your car to the limits more often. Nothing beats driving full throttle into a bend, slamming on the handbrake, and then powering out of the corner without even putting a dent in your beautiful machine. There is very little not to like about this game; the graphics are great, the cars are great, the sounds are great, the tracks are great and the types of events are...well you know, great ! You can even race on xbox live against other racers and find out very quickly just how ordinary you are ! The only real criticism I could have is that a few more tracks in different cities wouldn't hurt (currently only 4 cities in which you race in), and some weather effects would have added a bit of variety to the current night or day options. In summary, racing does not come much more fun than this.

Tiago B. gave it an8:
Great gameplay, great graphics, great sound, but really poor user interface and offline mode.

Apocalypse Brown gave it an8:
Remembering the beautiful yet difficult MSR, Project Gotham 3 hasn't really evolved much from it. But with tight online play and a medium amount of offline challenges, it is a must for any petrol head. The graphics are top notch, the sense of speed is definitely better, and the A.I. is the second best behind Forza. Single player career mode isn't great by no means, but the other modes like eliminator and team battles means there is hours of racing to be had. And it doesn't matter about damage to cars, racing is the real pleasure here.

Stevie the K gave it a6:
Beautiful looking, ordinary in play. For example, compare it to Forza Motorsport on the xbox - which provides slightly less detail on the backgrounds, but a much more immersive simulation. Crash your car in PGR and all you have to do is gear down to first and get going. In Forza, you deal with crash damage and impaired performance. You also get to tune nearly any aspect of the car. Combining these critical gamelay differences with the excruciatingly slow load times and ponderous (but flashy!) menus, and you've got the racing game equivalent of a supermodel - all looks, no fun.

Mr. Review gave it a6:
I do not want to turn away readers by this considerably lower score, but I fail to see the true and fantastic appeal of Project Gotham Racing 3. Yes, it is undeniable the production values are outstanding; including the graphics and depth which this racing game evokes. PGR has always been known for blurring the line between arcade and simulation, and the gameplay witnessed here is none different from the sequel on an inferior console from two years ago. With that said, the online portion of PGR3 is astonishingly deep and cohesive. My main problem is in fact the gameplay, the entire slow moving mechanics and such which turned me away from other popular simulation racers. PGR3 is not about speed, nor is it about a host of unlockable content pleasing fans for months to come. PGR3 is about realistic racing and none less, offering an extremely respectable online service, a nice system of upgrading and levelling, and other various means of differentiating this title from others. The main problems remain in its lackluster direction; I expect more out of a next gen title than simply a revoked online experience. With all these additions noted, PGR3 remains monotonous and average due to the lackluster racing and actual gameplay. If the game ran better with the mechanics and such, I could respect it more. It is not the worst offering on 360 by any means, but i may be in the minority by saying PGR3 is the worst racing title on 360 as of current. Too much of the same, too much of mediocre slow gameplay.

Red XIII gave it a7:
Ultimately a good racing game, good graphics, good controls, good sound, fun gameplay. But it lacks depth, there is no way to customize your cars (except color), the car ranking system seems to be a little backward and confusing, a there is only so much you can do with a racing game. Though this is a good racing game I definitely have played worse, the different gameplay modes are fun, but ultimately a 7 still waiting for a game that what gran turismo did for playstation to come out for the xbox360.

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