There is an abbreviated 'In Conclusion' if you would rather scroll down to it than read all the way through :-)

So before Project Cars, the only racing game I played was GRID 2. That was only because I was interested in trying a racing game for the first time since the first Gran Turismo released on Playstation 2. I'll break down my review in to segments for simplified reading. Also, because this will be my first real review for a video game on Steam, I'm simplifying it for writing too :P

- Visuals: 9.3 / 10

Beyond crisp and handsome, Project Cars brings vehicles to life in a dynamic world of shifting storms and sunlight often viewed through the digital haze of high octane racing fuel floating in the air. I could not believe how real the cars look in 2160p. Most games I play in UHD are pretty, yes, and are full of crip, detailed polygons that offer increased immersion to whatever experience is already present. But PC's detail is lifelike. That dedication, as I'm sure it required to create, is very much valued by myself as a person who spent good money on a system capable of showing me the finest level of resolution currently supported by most games. Bravo ladies and gentlemen of this game's developers. You've created a work of visual art.

- Difficulty versus Capacity: 9.5 / 10

What I mean by that is how well created is the toolset provided by gameplay to combat and conquer the difficulty presented by the game's various challenges. This is a serious criterion in my book. If a game is presenting challenges that the player cannot overcome, no matter his or her skill level, that sucks all the fun out of completing a game. Not to mention the fun in getting good enough to complete a game at it's pinnacle difficulty. So, does Project Cars provide you with the toolset needed to conquer even the hardest circuits at the highest speeds? Absolutely. In fact, as many of you may already have heard, the level of customization that you can affect per car setup is nearly too much. Fortunately for me, I have experience as an automotive technician. So much of the jargon presented in the setup screens is something I'm either familiar with or know entirely. But I can imagine something like how large your master cylinder is, and how that will affect your car, will not be a no brainer for many people. Fortunately there is a description of what the primary setup options do and will provide you with the basic knowledge needed to adjust the sliders competently. For the most part, you will not need to go deep in to this system to win races at the harder difficulties. Simply adjusting down force independantly, traction slip, MC size, and the other primary settings will make the changes you need to adjust on the tracks that need them. For a quick example, then I'll move on, Azure Circuit is a brutal LMP1 track for your first time. Especially when it rained on three of my four segments during the series. Keeping rain tires, maximum downforce, lowering tire pressure for more grip, increasing my master cylinder to 97%, and dropping the slip to 4% did the trick for me. Semi-pro tip: lowering your tire pressure by a few PSI increases grip IRL as well as in game.

- Simulation: 9.8 / 10

Does this game capture what racing a Mclaren F1 through Laguna Seca feels like? I wish I knew. But this game does capture some very significant physic factors that other racing games I've read about do not. When your tires are cold they will not perform as well as when they are warm, when your brakes overheat due to too riding them like a clutch your first time in a five-speed, they start getting squishy and you start getting closer to that wall. Extra aerodynamic downforce does cause your top speed to lower and acceleration to lower a little bit as well, but it also keeps you more stable at those higher speeds as does it help you keep traction when you open your throttle extra wide coming out of a tight corner. Cooler weather does allow for quicker lap times to a degree (so to speak) and extra hot weather causes all kinds of problems. Rain is a ****. Project Cars captures all of these facts of driving physics in a way that is tangible and, thanks to it's depth, adjustable and addressable. This is something I really appreciate out of a game that calls itself a racing game and simulator. That it offers the option of not having to deal with all of these issues in their fullest form was a very smart choice by developers as well. Not everyone will want the full force of physics punching them in the **** every few corners. And there is a great deal of variance between each extreme, allowing for you to very accurately select where you want your experience to exist between a racing game and a racing simulator.

I'll leave my categories at just those three as I imagine 1 in 150 people will read this all. The only thing I want to criticize about Project Cars is it's lack of representatives from American auto manufacturers. I, for one, adore the Viper TA and ACR. A true race car in production car guise, and it has a fantastic GT3 variant that would have fit in nicely among the others. That's just one example. Ford does have a show of cars here, but there is no Dodge (arguable that the Viper would be the only worthy contender from Dodge). There is no Chevrolet, and Chevy has been making some fantastic pony cars, muscle cars, sports cars, and track cars the last few years. The Camaro SS (both the LS3 and Alpha platform with the LT1), Corvette C7 Zo6 & Stingray, and the Camaro Z/28 with it's free revving LS7 and tremendous track performance should have all been there. I understand there is not always a way to get liscensing for using their names, but aliases with slightly different looking variants would have worked perfectly (like they did for a few others). This isn't a big issue but it's something I certainly missed not having the option to drive.

- In Conclusion: 9.5 / 10

This game should be the new standard for all racing games that desire to include any measure of sim in their description. There are one hundred steps between easiest and hardest, a hundred tuning options, dozens of cars that all drive according to the physics behind them, and tracks that are as stunning to behold as they are to experience. I highly recommend you purchase this title if you are considering a racing game. I cannot imagine anyone will be let down by this accomplishment in gaming.

Edit:

There is now a US car pack! Corvette C7R (Thank you!), Cadillac ATS-V.R GT3, and a new stock car in the Ford Fusion Stock Car! I retract my statement about the lack of American contrast to this extent: There is only one car missing now and it is either the Viper TA or the Viper ACR.