That Project CARS 3 is in development has been known for a while, but Slightly Mad Studios and Bandai Namco officially unveiled the game just yesterday. And as is often the case with racing sim titles, the question many people have on their minds about Project CARS 3 is what sort of a balance it will strike between authenticity and accessibility. According to director of production Pete Morrish, it will be cater to both audiences.
Speaking with IGN, Morrish explained that Project CARS 3 will be “much more welcoming” and “supportive” for newcomers and those who’re looking for a much more casual experience- but it won’t be doing so at the cost of authenticity, or by alienating fans of the first two games in the series, which went all-in on their simulation aspects.
“We’ve gone to great lengths to make what we do and what we love about sim racing much more democratic,” Morrish said. “Much more welcoming; much more supportive.”
According to Morrish, Project CARS 3 will let players comfortably enjoy the experience regardless of where they fall on the racing enthusiast spectrum- from those who want to casually enjoy the game to those who want a hardcore sim racer.
“That person that’s umming and erring between the two versions needs to go for the latest version, because – as an experience – it’s much more their cup of tea, we think,” he said. “It’ll let them find their position on the continuum between casual, mass-market racing fan or petrol head and all the way to hardcore sim racer.”
Morrish also gave assurances that developers Slightly Mad Studios won’t be forgetting about fans of the series in its bid to appeal to newcomers, and that Project CARS 3 is also making improvements for that crowd as well.
“We haven’t forgotten about what got us to this point and the people that supported us up to this point,” he said. “So what they know and love about the franchise is there and it’s better than it ever has been before.”
Project CARS 3 is due out for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC this summer.