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

by

Project Motor Racing is a new racing game, but it’s created by Ian Bell, a well-known and respected figure in the simulation racing community with a history of successful games. Back in the early days of realistic racing games, Papyrus Studios was the main provider. Then came GTR, a fantastic modification for EA’s F1 2001. GTR later became a full game in 2005, developed by SimBin Studios, and quickly gained popularity for its realistic driving feel, immersive sound, famous GT cars, and innovative LiveTrack technology that brought legendary racing circuits to life.

As a long-time racing fan, I remember after Need for Speed: Shift took things down a notch, we got the Project CARS games, which were a nice blend of simulation and arcade fun – still really solid titles. But then the third Project CARS game went way too arcade-y and honestly, it didn’t do well at all. It felt like the series needed a fresh start. Now, with the new game, Project Motor Racing from Bella – Straight4, it feels like they’re acknowledging the past, but it’s really more of a spiritual successor to the original GTR – FIA GT Racing Game – a game I absolutely loved! It’s great to see them going back to those roots.

You can definitely sense the inspiration from games like GTR – it has GT cars, a realistic feel, and excellent sound. However, the racing game landscape has evolved. Compared to competitors like Assetto Corsa and Automobilista 2, Project Motor Racing doesn’t quite deliver the content or quality you’d expect from a full-priced, finished game. I often found PMR more frustrating than fun; it reminded me of the disappointing launch of Rennsport rather than feeling like a top-tier sim racing experience.

Car racing in a farming world

I’ve rarely encountered so many technical problems with a game. It seems the switch from Unreal Engine to the Giants Engine – which is primarily used for the Farming Simulator series – is a big part of the issue. Project Motor Racing has noticeably outdated graphics, even from the start, and it doesn’t look much better than the latest Farming Simulator 25. The game shares the same flat lighting, poor vegetation, weak weather, and simplistic details as the farming simulator games – turning race tracks into visually unappealing environments, and frankly, they’re some of the worst we’ve seen. I actually think the eight-year-old Project CARS 2 from 2017 looks better, with superior lighting, road textures, and much more realistic rain effects.

Beyond just how the game looks, Farming Simulator 25 also suffers from performance issues and bugs. The game frequently stutters for the first few minutes of each session, seemingly as it loads and optimizes graphics. This initial stuttering is also present in PMR, but strangely continues for a while. It took a long time to find settings that improved performance, but even now, there are still occasional minor stutters and screen tearing, even with V-Sync enabled. There are also visual glitches, like the mirrors displaying strange green and pink spots, or the fuel hose clipping through doors during pit stops.

Honestly, I’m really disappointed with the performance of Project Motor Racing. I expected rough edges from an Early Access title, not a fully released game that costs a good amount of money. Smooth animations are so important in fast-paced racing, and this game just isn’t delivering – I’m getting stuttering, which is a dealbreaker. I’ve got an RTX 3070, which runs every other racing game, and even Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, perfectly fine. But with this game, I actually had to turn all the settings down to Low just to get it running at FullHD. I heard they switched to the Giants Engine to make sure it runs well in VR – which isn’t even out yet! – but honestly, I’m skeptical considering how bad it looks in 2D right now. And to top it all off, they haven’t even announced plans to add TrackIR support! That’s a total must-have for any serious racing sim, and it’s a huge omission.

PROS:

  1. Quite decent, demanding driving physics and plenty of setup options;
  2. fantastic engine sounds;
  3. a wide selection of cars;
  4. a unique, interesting idea for career mode…

CONS:

  1. …but the career mode lacks proper presentation;
  2. very poor graphics due to the Giants Engine;
  3. poor graphics do not mean low requirements – terrible optimization, constant stuttering, screen tearing;
  4. numerous bugs, glitches, and errors, poorly designed on-screen interface;
  5. terrible AI driver intelligence;
  6. lack of TrackIR support.

Sometimes it really feels like a GTR spiritual successor

After getting past the initial technical issues, you can start the racing game itself. You’ll quickly notice the main menu feels strange – it doesn’t let you practice or do individual timed laps on any track. Your only options are to start a full race weekend or a career mode. The multiplayer section has a “Social” area open to everyone, but it’s simply a lobby for finding races – it doesn’t connect to social media as you might expect. There are quite a few other odd design choices and missing features like this. For instance, you can easily set a dedicated button for ABS or traction control, but changing the camera view inside the car requires pausing the game and navigating a separate menu with sliders.

The game offers 18 tracks with multiple route options, and while Le Mans is notably absent, the selection is generally good. It really shines with essential tracks like Monza, Silverstone, Nordschleife, Spa, and Mount Panorama. It’s a little strange to see some tracks with fictional names, likely due to licensing issues – something you’d expect from a fan project, not a full retail game.

The car selection is much stronger. You’ll find both new and classic models, covering a wide range of classes including N-GT, GT4, GT3, GTO, Group C, 70s single-seaters, hypercars, LMP, LMDh, MX-5, 992, and 964 Trophy. With over 70 cars from iconic brands like Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Saleen, Nissan, BMW, and Ford – and many more – there’s something for every racing fan.

The driving feels excellent, and the game’s physics are very realistic. It’s clearly designed for serious racing fans who enjoy a tough challenge, not just a relaxed driving experience. There are a lot of options to fine-tune your car’s setup. The game’s marketing emphasizes the immersive sound, and it delivers – the engine noises are fantastic, continuing a tradition of the GTR series. While racing, you really feel connected to the track, noticing every detail like bumps, curbs, and even the temperature of your tires. However, some cars, like the Porsche 964, didn’t feel quite as detailed or responsive. It seems that with so many cars included, the level of accuracy varies, and this is also noticeable in the quality of the cockpit textures.

Despite having solid physics and generally fun driving, the game is unfortunately held back by frustrating issues. These include brief stutters, various bugs, an unfair penalty system, and incredibly unrealistic opponent AI. The AI drivers behave predictably, never make mistakes, avoid penalties, and stick rigidly to the perfect racing line – even if it means ramming into you. They don’t brake, don’t react to your presence, and don’t try to avoid collisions. I even encountered a bizarre qualifying session where all AI drivers were inexplicably limited to 60 mph. While the dynamic weather and time of day are a nice addition, the game’s engine makes them look quite poor, so it’s best to play in clear, sunny conditions.

Multiplayer is not for casuals

The game clearly focuses on multiplayer, as it’s the main feature presented. To compete in ranked races, players first need to earn a “Project Motor Racing” license by completing an 8-lap race within a specific time. This time limit seems quite demanding, possibly intended to separate serious sim racers from casual players, or the developers may fine-tune it later to ensure full lobbies. Before the game officially launched, joining online races was challenging. Without the license, players are limited to just four short, 15-minute races.

Career is for money, not for victories

Playing alone, the game’s AI isn’t very challenging, but the career mode is the most engaging part. It starts in a realistic ‘hardcore’ mode with quick AI drivers and no option to redo races. The focus isn’t on winning every time; instead, the developers aimed to simulate the life of a real race car driver. The main goal is to manage your finances and stay competitive throughout the racing season. Each race involves entry fees, travel expenses, and car repairs, and you’ll need to buy new cars when you move up to different classes. You can choose from eight different sponsorship deals, offering various rewards – from a flat fee per race to bonuses for finishing well, setting fast laps, or even just completing the race with your car intact. Some sponsors might cover your costs in exchange for lower payouts.

This game offers a refreshing change from typical five-lap races, adapting to your driving style and performance. In Career Mode, you continue racing as long as you can afford it – running out of money means the game ends. This mode focuses on a different racing strategy, and the contracts you choose can even prioritize goals other than simply winning. The only drawback is the presentation; all information is displayed in basic, text-only windows. While elaborate cutscenes aren’t necessary, adding some graphics, images, or color would significantly improve the overall experience.

At least get to the finish line

While Project Motor Racing has a strong base – great driving physics, a good selection of cars, impressive sound, and an interesting career mode – the game feels unfinished. It plays more like an early access version than a fully released title due to issues with the game engine. I’m worried about performance, especially in VR with challenging conditions and a full grid of cars. The developers are planning mod support, but I think they should prioritize fixing performance, bugs, and AI, and adding TrackIR compatibility first. It’s uncertain if these improvements will make Project Motor Racing competitive, but they could at least prevent it from failing. The game doesn’t need to win, but it needs to be stable enough to finish the race.

Read More

2025-11-25 16:04