Gameplay: PGR 3's racing controls are basically the standard racing controls on all or most 360 driving games by now, but i can't complain because they work very well. The RT is used to accelerate and the LT is used to brake, while the A button handles the E-brake and the Y button lets you looks behind your car. What really puts the gameplay above the likes of games like Gran Tourismo is the Kudos system, which rewards players for executing nail-biting turns, drafting, drifting, driving on two wheels, getting air, and generally doing cool stuff like that. The more Kudos you earn, the higher your rank goes, with your goal being to get to rank nimber one. The achievements are also done pretty well. There are some that players will get right away, such as achieving rank #10, there are achievements that might require players to go slightly out of their way to get, such as playing Geometry Wars 1 and 2 and building 10 custom routes, and then there are harder achievements with multiple requirements. Graphics: The graphics in PGR 3 are gorgeous, especially for a launch game. All of the car models are beautifully crafted, and they look even better in 1st person mode in the garage. The cities look nice, and at high speeds it is very hard to notice any lack of graphical detail. The side games, Geometry Wars 1 and 2, also have a very nice look. Each game has a bright, colorful and crisp presentation that really pops off the screen.
Sound: The sound is pretty much run of the mill for a game of this type; the things you'll hear the most are the sounds of the car's engines and squealing tires. There are also some good songs that play while you race. Of course, there are also some bad songs, but that all depends on preference. Songs are extremely varied and sometimes the choices might seem a little strange (like the classical music section), but overall everything seems to fit. There is a nice selection of rock, alternative, classical, rap, and more.
Value: PGR 3 should last players a long time, especially with online play, a track editor and the bonus Geometry Wars packed in. I'm not sure how many people still go online with this, but I'm sure that there are some devoted fans that do, and the races seem pretty fun in general. The track/route editor is also a fun addition to the racing genre. It allows players to make custom routes through PGR's cities. You can make them start and stop at certain points, and control the path in between. Geometry Wars is a good addition as well. It can be very addictive, but I recommend that players buy Geometry Wars Retro Evolved over XBLA, as it really is much better because there are 200 achievement points and you aren't timed when playing evolved mode.
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