Basic Tips

Whether you're new to racing games, just to Project Gotham Racing 3, or simply need a push in the right direction, these tips will get you started on a long and productive journey through the high-octane arcade world that PGR 3 provides.

Off the blocks.

In-Cockpit View
Suggesting that you familiarize yourself with the in-cockpit view in a racing game is a standard tip. It's the most natural view, and gives you the best depth perception for upcoming turns, but Project Gotham Racing 3 gives new significance to this advice. When joining a match online, you'll very often find yourself in a race where everyone is forced to use the in-cockpit view. This feature helps level the playing field, so everyone uses the same perspective, but if you're not comfortable with the view, you'll find yourself at a disadvantage. Do yourself a favor and make this view your standard.

Think Long-Term
Couple of things to note here:

• Get chummy with manual transmission, especially if you anticipate taking your driving skills online, where the competition is fierce. Auto transmission might be great for ease of use, but manual is where the control is. There's a reason race car drivers don't let the car do the shifting for them.
• Start nice and easy. There's no need to jack up the difficulty and go for the gold medals right off the bat. Unless you're a veteran of the series, and can push the early cars to their limits, go ahead and start on Easy difficulty, build up some credits, buy a few cars, and then when you're familiar with the intricacies of each track, go back and try the harder difficulties for the silver, gold, and platinum medals.

Now that's a gold medal winner.

Understand Your Ride
It's easy to fall in love with one vehicle and climb behind its wheel every race, but as you progress through the game, you'll just be making things harder on yourself if you don't pick and choose the best wheels for the task at hand. Super high acceleration and average handling aren't going to get the job done on the more difficult Cone Challenges, and you won't be doing yourself any favors by sporting a drift-happy ride on a Speed Challenge. Make sure you check the stats before you enter the race; moreover, keep the stats of your current cars in mind when spending your hard earned credits on a new vehicle.

Spectator!
Gotham TV utilizes Xbox 360™'s new Spectator Mode link to: Xbox 360 article about Spectator Mode, and while you can hunker down with a soda and a bag of chips to watch a few races for pure entertainment, the feature is just as viable for some hardcore strategy. Struggling on a particular track? Hop into Spectator Mode and see how the best players navigate each tricky turn. Have a friend who's mastered the control of a tricky car? Have them boot up a match and watch how they handle the car. Spectator Mode is a treasure trove of strategy, so don't let it go to waste.

Coming around off the draft. Good call.

Kudos Tips
Veterans of the Project Gotham Racing series are familiar with some of tricks of the trade, but there are a few key aspects regarding the Kudos system you'll want to keep in mind.

• Combo Up: A great drift around a corner is well and good, but it should be used as the building block for a long Kudos combo chain. Also, pay attention to when you earn Kudos. If you see you've just accumulated Kudos for a drift, you'll have about two seconds to combo it up with another move. Here's an example of a quick and classic combo move:

  o Drift around a corner and immediately set yourself behind the car ahead to draft them (you'll accumulate points for as long as you draft), then pop around them near the next corner, so you can cleanly drift around it. If timed correctly, you can combo the first drift, the draft, an overtake as you pass the car, the second drift, and perhaps a "clean section" bonus into one big chain.
  
• Risky but Clean: Project Gotham Racing 3 is all about style, but remember, you don't just get Kudos for good air, popping up on two wheels, and drifting hard around corners; you also snag Kudos for driving cleanly (never hitting the wall) and quickly (snag Kudos depending on how much time is left on the clock after you finish).
• Emergency Brake: A common tactic for building up massive amount of Kudos is using the emergency brake to start the car sliding to and fro. It's a difficult tactic, but if you're well ahead of the pack on a straight-away and feel confident in your abilities, you can tap the emergency brake and turn to the left or right until you start to drift. When you start to pull too far to one side, hit the brake again and turn in the opposite direction, so you can "snake" down the straight-away, building a massive Kudos combo as you go.

Bear these tips in mind as you begin your Project Gotham Racing 3 career and you'll give yourself a strategic foundation to build on. Keep your eyes peeled for future tips though, as we'll dig in deeper and unearth some hardcore tips for the veteran racers.

Article by Alex McLain