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(tweaked repost of my own Resetera OT) Release date: November 17th, 2003 Platform: Original Xbox Developer: Bizarre Creations In the early days of Xbox Live, this was THE racing game. And not just because it was online, but because the production values were sky high, and the arcade-sim gameplay was both accessible for casual players and just deep enough for serious players.  It was BURSTING with content. 11 worldwide tracks with numerous routes. Over 100 cars from both famous and obscure manufacturers ranging from compacts, trucks, SUVs and classics all the way to supercars like the Jaguar XJ220 and Porsche 911 GT1. And to quote the manual: quote:When flying down the streets of Barcelona in your Enzo Ferrari, you’re going to want to listen to some good tunes. Fortunately, you have three radio stations per city, a total of 33 real DJs (each with his or her own playlist), and more than 240 songs—plus the ability to create your own soundtracks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0X3D-ukdn8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFCvzFA-_Pc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miKSv2Fh1IA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4HLDwpIals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKTAVOPqPZM ---> Full music list <--- Not to mention DLC and one of the awesomest games-within-a-game ever. It was also one of the original Xbox's top lookers. Every track and every car is beautifully detailed, and enhanced with strong draw distance and excellent lighting effects, as well as night driving and multiple weather conditions.  The gameplay perfectly straddles the line between arcade and sim. The handling definitely isn't real-world, but each car does feel unique, with much variance in weight and power. Also, great precision and technique is required to get the highest scores. The online was the raddest part of the game. 8 players, pretty smooth netcode, full voice chat, and the ability to mix-and-match car classes. This last feature gave rise to the legendary community gametype that is Cat & Mouse, wherein teams of two, each with a supercar and a slow car (typically a Mini Cooper S) fight to get their slow car across the finish line first. Given how easily the supercars overtake and push around the slow cars, sheer chaos is the natural result.  Whether it was swinging around Wacker Drive in a Pontiac GTO convertible, drifting around KGB Corner in a Porsche 911 GT2, or hurtling down the Nürburgring's Döttinger Höhe straight in a Pagani Zonda S, no other racing game has come close to PGR 2's elegant blend of fun, polish, and atmosphere. Extended gameplay Classic Eurogamer article/review
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Oct 30, 2019 07:27
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Oct 30, 2019 07:27
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I played only the first game myself, but even then it was already an amazing game. It's a goddamn shame Bizarre Creations was closed. Nice
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Oct 31, 2019 16:57
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I really miss this series and wish it were still around. Forza Horizon has replaced it, but PGR is still different enough that I don't think it needed to go away. It sucks that none of the games are compatible on Xbox One.
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Nov 3, 2019 06:27
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I couldn't agree more, it nailed the balance of real+arcade that nothing since has ever really done for me. I don't know who holds Bizarre's assets but it would be great to get another one someday.
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Mar 8, 2020 11:08
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