Shift 2 developer Slightly Mad Studios believes it is following in the footsteps of the shuttered Project Gotham Racing studio Bizarre Creations.
Speaking to VideoGamer.com at a recent tour of Slightly Mad's London studio, Andy Tudor, design lead, had only good things to say about Bizarre.
"You know, absolutely unfortunate. Those guys, we're kind of following in their footsteps with the work they set out on Project Gotham. Absolutely fantastic game," said Tudor. "I remember playing that 'til midnight and beyond on some nights. And then things like Geometry Wars have inspired modes within our games as well."
A breakdown of the best PS3 racing games according to Rantgaming.com. Games are rated based on replay value, graphics, gameplay, and controls
I'm not impressed with much in terms of racing this gen. Graphics have been really raised racently, and it wasn't by the "two kings" (GT and Forza) in racing. Shift 2 and the upcoming Project Cars are now DOMINATING racing games graphically, GT5 and Forza 4/H do not even compare. But physics and gameplay-wise, most everything's been "off" aside from a select few. My short list would be.
#1 GT5. It's still rocking everybody in terms of gameplay and variety. It's got every kind of 4 wheeled racing almost from Karts to F1 and everything in between. GT needs to step it up graphically now though. Forza is the LEAST of their worries there.
#2 Motorstorm Pacific Rift. Just the #1 most fun and intense arcade/off-road racer ever made or ever will be made. SOOOOOO much variety compared to the bare bones (but great) first game, and a way better racing game than the 3rd game which was more like Split-Second than MotorStorm in THIS Motorstorm Fan's opinion.
#3 F1 Championship Edition. This PS3 exclusive launch game is imho still the best F1 game this gen in terms of the racing.
#4 FerrariChallenge/SuperCar Challenge. Alot of people havn't heard about these, they got VERY little attention. They sucked because not alot of cars, but it's a fact that System 3 put into these PS3 exclusives (they were on Wii too, but they weren't as advanced) the most advanced, realistic physics to ever be in a console racer. The same physics they put into their PC sim. Good graphics for the time too. Very under-rated.
#5 Shift 2. This is only here because I think graphically, it's a sneak peek at the next level in racing sim graphics. Project Cars is improving on that. But Shift 2 has HORRIBLE physics and I disliked playing it. If Project Cars can get the physics more in line than Shift 2, and have enough of a garage to have the variety in the racing while keeping the online field fairly even like GT5 does, it will truly be the next level of racing sims, and something may actually pull me away from GT5, which nothing has based on gameplay.
Also: WipeOut HD- awesome game, awesome value, it's expansion makes it an even better value, top notch quality.
John Bedford (Modojo): Modojo rounds up the best of the price-drops for Wednesday 4th July.
Origin have released a new set of 50% off game in week 2 of it's Best of 2011 Sale.
RIP bizarre. to me their loss is one of the saddest things in gaming history.
hopefully these guys would reemerge and give us pgr 5.
I hope MS Employ the Bizarre crew as they have given us some of the best games and PGR and MSR have been some of the best racing games ever made. They way MSR looked and felt when it came out on the Dreamcast was amazing I remember pluging in my modem to get the weather in that conuntry you were playing in and for some of the tracks having to change the DC clock to get the track to be in the day time as it was impossible at night.
Then I reember getting my xbox with Halp and PGR good times.
Please MS or even sony emply the guys and give them freedom and back them up on what they want there games to be even blur was a good game just pushed in the wrong way imo by the studio who only has one goal to milk what it can out of a ip and then drop it like it dose not matter.
Bizzare closed even after making good games.Their last title was Blur.Only lack of publicity from activision and a bad release timing led to poor sales for such a great game.I hope they rise from the ashes and make PGR or Blur 2.