E3 Precap: Five Big Racers Set to Hit the Track

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Last year's E3 was a great one for racers. Both the major franchises had their latest iterations on display – but for the first time they were split generationally. Gran Turismo 6 was shown on the outgoing PS3, while Forza 5 was one of Xbox One’s finest showpieces. We were also introduced to a new PlayStation racer – DriveClub – that debuted on PS4 with the promise that it would be a day-one launch title.

A promise that unfortunately wasn’t kept, thanks to the game being pushed back to “early 2014” due to development issues. Though as we close in on the midpoint of the year, and with E3 2014 just around the corner, the game still seems stalled. But nevertheless, it’s something I’m looking forward to seeing when it’s given its inevitable second showing in just a week or so.

DriveClub’s delay was a big disappointment for me, because I played the game last year and raved about it. What I liked about it was that despite it not quite being as technically accomplished as its more storied rivals, it did an excellent job is articulating the excitement of racing. I played several multiplayer sessions, and it was just plain fun. In some respects it reminded me of playing old multiplayer arcade games: the competition is fast, fierce and intense. I’m interested to see whether that theme has been maintained, or whether the game has been toned down to be a more sim-like racer. I hope that’s not the case, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Last year Gran Turismo 6 made a minor splash at E3, with an unfortunately tepid demo that did little to convey the game’s new features. Of which there weren’t many. When the game was released in December, most critics praised it, but really it seemed like the development team had spent far more time fussing over technical details than adding anything exciting and new to the series. The game also took way too long to arrive. By the time it hit PS3, PS4 had already been launched, and many gamers were looking to the next generation of systems for their kicks. Something that was evidenced in its shockingly low sales that were some 8m units down on the prior version.

So my big question this year is are we going to see anything of GT7? Last year, series creator Kazunori Yamauchi promised that a game based on the physics engine, and using some of the car models from GT6 would arrive "in a year or two.” In which case, we really should be seeing something – even an early demo. And while I won’t exactly be surprised if there’s nothing to see, I’ll also be shocked that there isn’t. The franchise feels like it’s been resting on its laurels for some time, and after the surprising lack of interest in the prior version, the series really needs to come out firing on all cylinders.

Forza, on the other hand, is spooling out quite a lead for itself. It looked great at E3, and rolled out on time as one of the premier Xbox One launch titles. I’ve put a huge amount of time into the game, and while it did feel a little light on content, there’s not denying its physics engine was top-notch, and, most notably, the way it used the Xbox One’s controllers to articulate wheelspin, loss of grip and lockup was nothing short of superb.

This year I’m hoping that perhaps we’ll see some kind of Forza 5.2 – adding more tracks and cars, and perhaps activating some of the other features seen in prior editions of the series. I’ll be extremely surprised if we see a sequel, but I wouldn’t completely rule it out. I wait with bated breath.

And then there are the newcomers. I played World of Speed at GDC and came away impressed. It seems to be tailgating DriveClub in its approach to racing: it’s multiplayer-focused, and the emphasis is on speed and excitement, and a little less about obsessive attention to detail and technical accuracy. I can’t imagine much has changed in the last few months, but I’m still excited to take it for a second spin.

Like World of Speed, Project CARS is created by people previously associated with the Need for Speed: Shift series. I have yet to get behind the wheel of this game, but if the screenshots are anything to go by, I’m sure its E3 demo will be impressive. Unlike WoS’ more visceral, arcade-like experience, CARS takes a higher-end simulation approach - along with what looks like some amazing-looking collision dynamics. Although it does feature production model cars, it seems to have a heavy emphasis on racing cars – something that would help set it apart from Forza and Gran Turismo. I’m looking forward to finding out just how much it does.

Lastly, there’s a “mystery” Xbox One race game I’m set to see that I’ve been given no information about. Because of that, I assume it's going to be announced at the press conference - so maybe it's something big. One thing’s for sure: whatever it is, it’s going to be up against what looks like some stiff competition. Which is a great thing for racing fans!