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# ‘Project Gotham Racing 4’ is fast-paced excitement
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/project-gotham-racing-4-is-fast-paced-excitement/
- Published: 2007-12-01T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T04:12:09.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: local, Santa Monica, #archive-import

X-BOX 360 It’s been said that three times a charm, but when it comes to the stylistic “Project Gotham Racing” series, the fourth time is when it all comes together.

The creators at Bizarre have finally ironed out all the kinks for the fourth installment, creating an adrenaline-laced racer with crisp, clean graphics and stunning landscapes that will amaze, while the car handling is fun and forgiving, letting the most inexperienced gamers jump into the driver’s seat and speed off into the horizon.

While not that different than its predecessors, “PGR 4” does offer a garage loaded with awesome rides of all makes and models, plus speedy motorcycles that will rip the scalp off of any man or woman who dares to hop aboard and pull back the throttle.

Players can also change the weather to their liking, going from a dramatic downpour to a bright sunny day with just a few clicks of the controller. This helps if you’re battling against someone with a faster car but not the best handling. Turn up the rain and watch them slip and slide all over the course.

The bike riding experience is a little unrealistic, and making maneuvers around sharp corners can be difficult. The same goes for the autos. At times it is difficult to see what’s coming up ahead and pop ups showing points earned from performing drifts and burnouts can be distracting. You can turn them off, but not without turning off one’s map, which is suicide since most of the tracks are on small, winding city streets.

There is an arcade and a career mode that allow drivers to earn Kudos that can be used to unlock tracks and access better cars. Kudos are given for wheelies, burnouts and spins, but also for running fast laps and taking tight turns perfectly, rewarding those drivers who like to take things seriously.

The visuals are outstanding and so is the selection of cars and bikes available, but racing the computer does get repetitious. This is one of those games that works for one player, but is better suited for X-Box Live where drivers can test their skills against the best in the world. Without another human trying to tear you off the road, it can get a little tedious.

In all, its got gorgeous graphics, a seemingly never-ending supply of rides, a nice selection of tracks to choose from, and user-friendly controls, making for a great game, but one that still has its limitations.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 1, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/120107.pdf?ref=smdp.com)