Project CARS 2

I know that writing a review for a delisted game is basically pointless.. but.. this game really deserves it.

I'm a hobbyist simracer (have a decent setup with motion simulator, Fanatec DD, triple monitors, VR etc..) and after a few years away from the hobby I decided to have a comeback to test the new Assetto Corsa Evo. I found the game incomplete (obviously.. it's just v0.5 of early access..) but more than anything incomplete because they removed the career mode (very upsetting). Also.. I'd say it's a bit TOO sim racey for my taste (some cars a bit too unforgiving..).

So as I wanted that kind of ongoing immersion, but also a bit more easy, I thought I'd try Forza Motorsport (2023). What a mess! The worst, stupidest AI ever. A terrible arcade experience, totally unrealistic. Races without qualifying, where you decide where do you start on the grid.. no, thank you.

I thought about all the other games.. even the original Assetto Corsa.. but no career mode there.

I thought.. how is it possible that this is the state of the art of sim racing in 2026? Isn't there a decent game that is realistic, not too hardcore and has a decent career mode? And so I started looking around.. and I remembered of the old PC2 from 2017, that had been sitting for almost a decade in my game library.. almost untouched. And I thought I'd give it a try. AND WHAT A BLAST!

I won't go too far trying to explain why.. but this is THE game I wanted. It's realistic, it's immersive, it has ALL the settings you need.. all of it way better than the 2026 games.

Crazy not to have this game available to purchase anymore.. it’s my favourite sim to play when I just want to drive with no pressure.. I’d love to purchase all the dlc packs but I can’t.. why do they not want to make money? Also PC3 went full arcade so I don’t understand why you wouldn’t keep PC2 as your sim and 3 as your arcade game.. No sim player is playing your arcade game lol

PC2 is absolutely in the top 3 for all-time best sim racing games. Not only are the driving dynamics on point, (only challenged by simulators like Assetto Corsa), but the career gameplay is amazing. I've never played another game that actually makes you feel like a race car driver. You start with humble race cars and progress down a path that YOU choose, whether you have aspiration to be an F1, GT, endurance, or Rally Cross driver.

On top of that, PC2 might have the largest selection of content any racing sim has ever had. While sims like Assetto Corsa have the most content if you include mods, many mods are very poor quality. In PC2, there are hundreds of cars and 30+ courses to play, ALL of which is high quality content.

In addition to all of this, I can't think of another game that features so many racing disciplines. What ever kind of motorsport you're interested in (except for rally), PC2 has it.

Its a shame that the game is no longer supported. Luckily, there MP servers are still up though and you can still find other playing it for now. If you find a copy of PC2 or a key, buy it immediately.

Hopefully PMR will be a good spiritual successor
EDIT : This is better than PMR...

Flawed but amazing sim, I think it's my most-played sim game in my library. I'm really sad this game got delisted, more folks need to play it

Nothing today remotely matches this ambient-rich classic.
in every way, it is so easy to set up the cars, choose event and get racing.
Less than a minute to load, compared with up to 7 times as long for games with far too many non-racing gimmicks taking up mountains of disc space.
Even multiplayer live it takes 30 seconds to restart a botched start - including correcting Options.
The current fad for banishing AI live is just one example of how far non-pro semi-sim racing has been under-appreciated by (it seems) by EA and Forza especially.
I am disabled and housebound, and my family and friends are widely scattered - which would be disastrous for my mental health.
And my physical well-being.
Because sitting in my cockpit is the only way I can exercise!
Try being stuck in a bed for a month, with your mind and muscles and hopes wasting swiftly away.
And nothing you can do: not reading or talking or listening (or sleeping properly) to keep your mind from going soft...
That is NOT an option.

This game is still very good. Now teaching my son racing with my old G27.
Such a shame PC3 massacred the franchise.