AMSTERDAM--Undoubtedly one of the most popular games at Microsoft's X05 event in Amsterdam is Project Gotham Racing 3. Being shown in playable form for the first time, Bizarre Creations' racer looks even more impressive now than it did in Tokyo a couple of weeks ago. And according to the Bizarre Creations representatives present at the event, the demo version on show is at least two weeks behind those currently being tested at their offices.

　　The version of Project Gotham Racing 3 that we were able to get our hands on featured courses from three of the game's cities--namely London, Tokyo, and New York. We were able to race around these impressively accurate city re-creations in cars from five different speed classes, and we had an opportunity to compete against both CPU-controlled opponents and other X05 attendees.

　　The first thing we did was jump into one of Project Gotham Racing 3's many Ferrari models and race against a field of CPU opponents on the sun-drenched streets of London. Certain areas of the city were instantly recognizable to us, despite the fact that all of the streets were lined with barriers, route markers, and crowds of cheering race fans. The gameplay, on the other hand, felt quite different from Project Gotham Racing 2. But we're pleased to report that we were in no way disappointed.

　　The first thing we noticed about Project Gotham Racing 3 (besides the excellent car damage models--ahem) was that the handling is far less forgiving than that in the previous game. We wouldn't necessarily describe the vehicle handling in Project Gotham Racing 3 as superrealistic, but you certainly won't be able to slide around corners quite as easily this time around. You'll also need to brake well ahead of sharp turns.

　　It's fitting, then, that unlike its predecessor, Project Gotham Racing 3 will reward you for skillful rather than showy driving. You'll still be able to earn the series' trademark kudos points for sliding and skidding, but larger bonuses will be available for fast cornering, clean sections, and for sticking to the correct racing line. The thinking behind this change is that the game should reward you for good driving, rather than for tricks that aren't necessary to win races. Bizarre Creations is also well aware of the fact that Project Gotham Racing 2 players would frequently take advantage of that game's kudos system by performing endless donuts in an attempt to improve their online rankings. That won't be possible in Project Gotham Racing 3, and online ranking points will also vary according to which of the game's skill levels you're playing on.

　　Another interesting change that's been made to the kudos system for Project Gotham Racing 3 is that single maneuvers, such as skids and corner-taking, are divided up into sections now. So the points you're awarded for a well-taken corner, for example, will be based on your entry into the corner, your speed around the corner, and your exit from the corner. You'll also be given immediate feedback as to how well you did via a series of comments, such as "brisk," "gutsy," "stunning," "breakneck," or "screaming."

　　The multiplayer race on the streets of New York that marked the end of our time with Project Gotham Racing 3 was a hotly contested affair between four X05 attendees, including a representative of Bizarre Creations. All four of us chose to drive different vehicles from the same class. Although the vehicles' characteristics were very different from one another, they seemed to be quite evenly matched for the most part. Our open-wheel racer, for example, was extremely fast off the line and around corners, but had a top speed that was some 50 miles per hour slower than some of our opponents' cars. On several occasions we were overtaken by the same opponent on a straightaway, but would then regain our lead at the next sharp corner. The differences in our vehicles made for a really interesting game of cat and mouse that will hopefully be the rule rather than the exception when Project Gotham Racing 3 is released alongside the Xbox 360 in November.

　　We'll bring you more information on Project Gotham Racing 3 as soon as it becomes available.