Project CARS 2 E3 2017 Hands-On Impressions

This is totally at odds with my experience of playing the game with both wheel and pad. I would suggest that there was some serious issue with the setup you were using.
 
Could they have dialed FFB down for someone who thought it was too violent? I mean, someone played the game before gtplanet and reduced FFB strength.
 
Could they have dialed FFB down for someone who thought it was too violent? I mean, someone played the game before gtplanet and reduced FFB strength.
There were no force feedback settings in the E3 demo build that I could find, and the representative on-hand confirmed this when I asked about adjusting it. We also played the game in multiple booths and rigs (though always with a Logitech wheel), and the feedback felt the same in each one.
 
Could they have dialed FFB down for someone who thought it was too violent? I mean, someone played the game before gtplanet and reduced FFB strength.
It's possible. It certainly doesn't feel like that on my CSWv2. It is possible to make the pad twitchy but the default settings are very smooth and by a few adjustments to only speed sensitivity and steering sensitivity I can get it feeling spot on.
 
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This is totally at odds with my experience of playing the game with both wheel and pad. I would suggest that there was some serious issue with the setup you were using.

That's what we're thinking. Unfortunately, we can only report on what we experienced, but that's why we brought up John's findings too. We tried to get some one-on-one time with the SMS guys after our initial presentation — they did tell us they wanted to have a chat later — but our schedules just never synched during the rest of the show. This year being such a bumper crop of racing games meant we always had somewhere to be! :eek:

Could they have dialed FFB down for someone who thought it was too violent? I mean, someone played the game before gtplanet and reduced FFB strength.

There's that, or the chance that the pods were simply not setup properly. However, we got on them not long after the doors opened on the first day of the show. There was no way to adjust FFB during our seat time though, nor was there really a way to dig through menus if we wanted to.
 
There were no force feedback settings in the E3 demo build that I could find, and the representative on-hand confirmed this when I asked about adjusting it. We also played the game in multiple booths and rigs (though always with a Logitech wheel), and the feedback felt the same in each one.
Yeah, I read that again and I saw that you guys tried it on a different Logitech setup, so could be some issue with logitech wheels. Hopefully Ian and the team look into this.
 
That's what we're thinking. Unfortunately, we can only report on what we experienced, but that's why we brought up John's findings too. We tried to get some one-on-one time with the SMS guys after our initial presentation — they did tell us they wanted to have a chat later — but our schedules just never synched during the rest of the show. This year being such a bumper crop of racing games meant we always had somewhere to be! :eek:
Don't get me wrong, I fully trust your impressions! The coverage from e3 has been fantastic and the articles a real treat to read. It's just such a surprise and shame for me to read it as it's so far from what I'm experiencing. Hopefully you get to try some more demos that give a more representative impression.
 
I am a little worried because im a g25 user considering a g29, since fanatec and thrustmaster are like 1500 dollars where i live.

Hopefully this isnt a widespread problem with logitech, since almost 50% of the users use this brand.
 
I have been to E3 four different times and must say that it isn't always the best environment for testing nuances of gameplay. At the same time, it is a major showcase and you would think SMS would have put their best foot forward with the setups.... particularly on day 1.
 
pCars1 feels fine and pretty strong with my current setup, after a lot of fiddling. It can be as it's described if not properly set up, so it must have been (or maybe i hope it was) bad settings, which is a terrible mistake to make in a showcase.

Good job, lots of info.
 
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I was shocked when I got down to the physics and FFB impressions and read that you guy's didn't enjoy it because just about everyone that tested this game been saying that these two area's have been majorly improved. Hopefully it was something that was off with the wheels there or something. I still think this game will deliver in those area's. I plan on getting a G29 steering wheel before this game release. Hopefully it's no issues with that wheel.
 
This is a little worrying to say the least as I have a G29 and found basically the issue described from E3 but with the GT Sport demo so I wonder if it's more a wheel related issue? Although that being said I love the feel of PC1 on the G29
 
This is a little worrying to say the least as I have a G29 and found basically the issue described from E3 but with the GT Sport demo so I wonder if it's more a wheel related issue? Although that being said I love the feel of PC1 on the G29
I figure the wheel issue with the G29 will get sorted. But I would be very frustrated by this review if I aimed to play this game on a pad. That news is much more troubling.
 
That smells a lot like FFB settings to me than the game itself. I know Project CARS 1 isn't the world's best but I found settings where I could feel the weight of a Bentley GT3 compared to the relatively light Formula C. I'd be amazed if there is a step back from that. Although it could just be your experience with those settings.

I was shocked when I got down to the physics and FFB impressions and read that you guy's didn't enjoy it because just about everyone that tested this game been saying that these two area's have been majorly improved. Hopefully it was something that was off with the wheels there or something. I still think this game will deliver in those area's. I plan on getting a G29 steering wheel before this game release. Hopefully it's no issues with that wheel.

I've already got a G29 from the first game. It's a much more fun experience than the pad. But I'd put that down to the immersion using a wheel than a pad.
 
The wheel feedback issue seems a little odd but the controller characteristics being that bad seems extremely odd. There have been so many good reviews about the controller upgrade from the first game that I have to believe something was very wrong with the settings used. There can't be that big of a difference in opinions about core gameplay between two people, much less hundreds of people.
 
As a G25 owner (a very elderly G25 at that), it does sound like things weren't quite hooked up properly. I was reading your article and saying to myself "Huh? That's nothing like the experience I'm getting on my Logitech wheel". Of course, you guys can only report on what you experienced so I'll be one of the last to criticise you for that, I just thought I'd share that, as a Logitech owner, the game certainly doesn't feel lifeless on it :)
 
Good review. I'm increasingly more excited to get Pcars 2 when released. I'm not worried about the force feedback experience since there has been some positive feedback about that. In any case if there's an issue I'm sure that will be ironed out in addition to some FFB tuning tweeks in time. Will state again, it looks like Pcars 2 will be the forerunner of the competition.
 
Sounds like there is hope for the FFB after all(or maybe we'll all be able to fix it after the fact like pCARS 1). Would hate to have that ruin what may be the most promising option for upcoming racing games. Also hoping they can get the bugs and rules problems sorted(and for the love of god let me run all the races longer than 10 minutes in career if I want to). Still no one seem to have mentioned any AI changes though which is very not promising.
 
I have to say we're surprised also internally at the pad and handling comments. This is the very first and only 'negative' assessment of our handling we've had among thousands who have tried it. As it really does stand alone I'm now wondering if it was set up properly... But then every other reviewer accessed the same kit and every other review is really positive (as in 'best they ever felt' positive). We have a collection of all of the reviews internally and they vary from great upwards...
 
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Ian, get Jordan down to SMS HQ stat!

I have to say we're surprised also internally at the pad and handling comments. This is the very first and only negative assessment of our handling we've had among thousands who have tried it. As it really does stand alone I'm now wondering if it was set up properly... But then every other reviewer accessed the same kit and every other review is really positive (as in 'best they ever felt' positive). We have a collection of all of the reviews internally and they vary from great upwards...
Make it happen, Cap'n. ;):D:cheers:
 
I should explain that the reference in agreement to team VVV'S experience with the pad is also odd as we've transformed the pad handling since then... VVV tested three months ago before any car was specifically pad tuned.

On that basis I'll happily invite Jordan to meet one of our US guys and test to his heart's content. No restrictions.

The American and him should PM and arrange something ;)
 
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I really want to give this a go but pad play was so poor with pc1 and took so much fiddling to only get almost no improvement that I'll wait for others here to review it as well.
 
I remember Ian saying they had to dial the FFB down in PC1, as it was too strong initially.
I feel this must be the rig, but ISRTV is giving a great review??
Confusion sets in....
Please accept Ians invite Jordan and retest, let us know.
I run Thrustmaster products, perhaps he'll allow you to try a few different brands with the ability to adjust FFB.
 
I should explain that the reference in agreement to team VVV'S experience with the pad is also odd as we've transformed the pad handling since then... VVV tested three months ago before any car was specifically pad tuned.

On that basis I'll happily invite Jordan to meet one of our US guys and test to his heart's content. No restrictions.

The American and him should PM and arrange something ;)
That would be great; I would love to try it out on some different hardware. I wish I could have turned a few laps on the CXC rig, but there was an hour-plus wait for the motion simulator every time we visited the booth.

I have to say we're surprised also internally at the pad and handling comments. This is the very first and only 'negative' assessment of our handling we've had among thousands who have tried it. As it really does stand alone I'm now wondering if it was set up properly... But then every other reviewer accessed the same kit and every other review is really positive (as in 'best they ever felt' positive). We have a collection of all of the reviews internally and they vary from great upwards...
I, too, was surprised by the experience. I really like the handling characteristics of pC1 with my Thrustmaster T300, so I was befuddled as to how pC2 could feel comparatively numb.

Initially, I wrote off my first experience at the Bandai-Namco booth to a bad/overused/de-tuned wheel, until I felt the same feedback (or lack thereof) in our private Logitech session with a G920. I chose the same car and track (488 GT3 at Algarve) and performed the same tests — clipping the apexes to hit the high yellow curbs and riding the rumble strips at turn-in/turn-out — but still felt nothing (I did feel a slight vibration over the rumble strips, but it was very weak). It almost felt as if the wheels were unplugged from their power source or something, but surely that could not have been the case.

My rallycross impressions were similar, but different — the dirt surface generated a sort of generic "rumble rumble", but I didn't feel any nuance or additional feedback as I was sliding the car through the corners or clipping the curbs embedded in the dirt. It didn't seem to matter as much in rallycross mode, as I was still having an absolute blast (the dirt physics are great!).

As for the gamepad experience, yeah, that's not what I was expecting, as I know how much time you guys have put into making it right. Come to think of it, much like the wheel, I wasn't getting much feedback (in terms of vibrations) through the pad, either. After four laps of Algarve, I didn't seem to be improving or coming to terms with the gamepad handling; it was frustrating. This stands in contrast to the only other racing game I played with a controller at the show, Forza 7. The controller — and the car — felt alive in my hands; it was satisfying to drive and I didn't want to stop.

This is the very first and only 'negative' assessment of our handling we've had among thousands who have tried it. As it really does stand alone I'm now wondering if it was set up properly... But then every other reviewer accessed the same kit and every other review is really positive (as in 'best they ever felt' positive). We have a collection of all of the reviews internally and they vary from great upwards...
I'm sure that's true. A lot of people whom I know and trust — like John, from ISR — have praised pC2's handling, both privately and publicly. So, needless to say, I feel more confused than disappointed after my time with the game at E3, but I don't have anything to go on other than my own experience.

I was eager to ask Andy and Stephen about all of this, but despite Raymond's best efforts and several return visits to the booth, we were never able to reconnect with them after our first media presentation. Nevertheless, what they showed us during the session was extremely impressive, and I'm still geeking out pretty hard over the seasonal changes and track temperature simulations. It's about time a racing game brought all of that to the table...

If you guys can get the handling and force feedback right, I think you are well-positioned to knock this one out of the park. 👍
 
That would be great; I would love to try it out on some different hardware. I wish I could have turned a few laps on the CXC rig, but there was an hour-plus wait for the motion simulator every time we visited the booth.


I, too, was surprised by the experience. I really like the handling characteristics of pC1 with my Thrustmaster T300, so I was befuddled as to how pC2 could feel comparatively numb.

Initially, I wrote off my first experience at the Bandai-Namco booth to a bad/overused/de-tuned wheel, until I felt the same feedback (or lack thereof) in our private Logitech session with a G920. I chose the same car and track (488 GT3 at Algarve) and performed the same tests — clipping the apexes to hit the high yellow curbs and riding the rumble strips at turn-in/turn-out — but still felt nothing (I did feel a slight vibration over the rumble strips, but it was very weak). It almost felt as if the wheels were unplugged from their power source or something, but surely that could not have been the case.

My rallycross impressions were similar, but different — the dirt surface generated a sort of generic "rumble rumble", but I didn't feel any nuance or additional feedback as I was sliding the car through the corners or clipping the curbs embedded in the dirt. It didn't seem to matter as much in rallycross mode, as I was still having an absolute blast (the dirt physics are great!).

As for the gamepad experience, yeah, that's not what I was expecting, as I know how much time you guys have put into making it right. Come to think of it, much like the wheel, I wasn't getting much feedback (in terms of vibrations) through the pad, either. After four laps of Algarve, I didn't seem to be improving or coming to terms with the gamepad handling; it was frustrating. This stands in contrast to the only other racing game I played with a controller at the show, Forza 7. The controller — and the car — felt alive in my hands; it was satisfying to drive and I didn't want to stop.


I'm sure that's true. A lot of people whom I know and trust — like John, from ISR — have praised pC2's handling, both privately and publicly. So, needless to say, I feel more confused than disappointed after my time with the game at E3, but I don't have anything to go on other than my own experience.

I was eager to ask Andy and Stephen about all of this, but despite Raymond's best efforts and several return visits to the booth, we were never able to reconnect with them after our first media presentation. Nevertheless, what they showed us during the session was extremely impressive, and I'm still geeking out pretty hard over the seasonal changes and track temperature simulations. It's about time a racing game brought all of that to the table...

If you guys can get the handling and force feedback right, I think you are well-positioned to knock this one out of the park. 👍


Cheers Jordan. Again, I'm not saying we will appeal to everyone but given the almost universal positivity about those specific areas I'm suspecting 'something was up' as I trust you guys to give things a fair shake. So The American will contact you and hopefully arrange an unlimited test session at your convenience at his place. I hope we can work that out.
 
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