Current and classic Italian sportscars from Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini all feature prominently in Project Gotham Racing 3, the latest and most advanced computer game designed for the Xbox 360, published by Microsoft Game Studios and developed by Liverpool-based Bizarre Creations, which was released late last month. The roll call of evocative Italian sportscars and supercars - amongst the choice of more than eighty cars available to the Project Gotham 3 player includes the Ferrari F430, Enzo, F355, 360 Modena, 575 M, F40 and Testarossa, the Lamborghini Countach, Diablo, Diablo GTR Supercup, Murciélago, Murciélago R-GT and Miura, while from Maserati, comes the GranSport Trofeo.

"Project Gotham Racing 3 creates the ultimate roster of the hottest supercars in existence, introduces them to the high-definition era, and drops them into a completely new gaming world, where style rules the road," says the Xbox 360 press release. "Define and create individually customized gameplay; race on or offline; and drive what you want, where you want. Drive with style and daring to earn Kudos in front of large crowds, and win badges to reward your skills in all areas of the game. With a whole host of new racing modes, custom races, community support, and campaigns, PGR 3 takes advantage of the online advances Xbox 360 has to offer."

Forty thousand polygons start the player off inside each car's utterly unique and authentic cockpit, offering a level of interior detail never before dreamed of, let alone seen.
 

While each detail is exquisitely modeled, down to the buffed wood paneling on a Jaguar, or the subtle hand movements of the driver as they shift up and down using the steering wheel gearshift paddles on the more exotic cars, it's the sheer intensity of the viewpoint that makes this feature worth calling out. The full-throated roar of the car engine is much more intimate in this view, the windshield reflections zoom by and change with each movement, the interior shakes and vibrates at high speeds. In short, the in-cockpit view is absolutely exhilarating and dramatically ups the intensity level.

A full online roster of race modes, customizable options, and the whole shooting match of Xbox Live features would seem to be a pretty sweet deal, but Bizarre Creations has taken online PGR 3 bliss a step further. Choose to play through all the challenges offered in career mode online instead of off: race against and with friends and foes alike in Street Races, Cone Challenges, Speed Challenges, etc. Earn your Kudos, your credits for car purchases, and your medals in the more dynamic online environment.

The player of PGR 3 need only to look at the screenshots to see that this game has come closer than any other game to achieving completely true photorealistic environments. More impressive that even that is perhaps the life the environments brim with. They don't feel like the flat photographed "realistic" environments we've seen in past generations, and the crowds no longer appear as 2-D sprites that look like oddly animated cardboard cutouts. They cheer you on as you drift effortlessly around corners and even dodge out of the way if you slam into a nearby partition. It's these little touches, along with the incredible depth and detail of the surrounding environment that create PGR 3's fully immersive experience.