100
Excels at being both a brilliant showpiece of the power of Microsoft's new console as well as a thoroughly enjoyable racer.
88
A beautiful, fast-moving racer in a style Xbox gamers are all too familiar with. The game is gorgeous, deep in modes and challenges, and well balanced, even if it's nothing more than a minor leap in gameplay over its predecessor.
80
Is PGR 3 the best racing game ever? Not quite, but it sure stands out as the most visually captivating. Even if you aren't a racing fan, the game is worth a try, just to see the Xbox 360 flexing its muscle.
7
PGR3 is my least favourite Project Gotham game. By no means a bad game to play through and it can still provide some entertainment, but given that both 3 and 4 can be had for <£10 now, if you’re deciding between the two then buy 4. PGR3’s career mode is relatively linear and there isn’t the sense of progression 4 has - you’re able to pick a quick car to begin with, and there isn’t much incentive to use anything else throughout. This is something recent Forza games have come under fire for, and rightly so - it defeats the purpose of the game.
PGR3 also has a strange difficulty curve, particularly on the cone and kudos-based challenges. I found gold to be fairly unchallenging in most of these events while platinum was near impossible - almost equivalent to the difficulty level of PGR4’s Platinum Plus DLC.
With that said, there’s still a lot to like - for a launch title, PGR3 still looks pretty good and has that familiar physics magic only Bizarre Creations were capable of. Arcade is still a fun mode to play through, and the showroom features are still a novel way to display your collection.
My conclusion - if it’s sitting on your shelf and you haven’t played it for a while, give PGR3 a go - it’s still able to provide plenty of challenge and entertainment. If you’re going out and buying one game from the franchise, get 4. It has aged better.
9
Pioneer in its genre with circuit in real streets. He gave a kick in graphics, speed and gameplay to PS3 Gran Turismo
8
Continuing the series from the original Xbox, all the improvements you'd expect are present and correct, the kudos system of progression works well for all skill levels and the handling is a really nice blend of simulation and arcade fun. Still one of the best racers on the Xbox, even now.
Project Gotham Racing 3
Released On:
Nov 16, 2005
Metascore
Generally Favorable
88
User score
Generally Favorable
7.8
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
88
99% Positive
74 Reviews
74 Reviews
1% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
With stellar Xbox Live integration and an almost infinite number of ways to play the game Project Gotham Racing 3 is the definition of what next-gen gaming should be.
93
From mind blowing graphics and lighting effects and the brilliant experience of speed. The enormous amount of vehicle choices and racing options. Music choices out the whazoo, and stellar sound effects.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.8
66% Positive
64 Ratings
64 Ratings
27% Mixed
26 Ratings
26 Ratings
7% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
Jan 24, 2012
10
This game defines what makes a good RACING game. It's all about precision. Hardcore difficulty requires you to be better than abosolutely perfect. Very difficult, very fun, challenging but rewarding. No customisation, no assists. How it should be. A fair playing field, with the better cars require more car control skill. It is very fun to drive for both drifting and precision with a lot less focus on racing against the AI. If you're the kind of gamer who wants a game which is all about visuals and holding down the trigger rather than apex-perfect precision, than avoid this. If you want pure racing with fantastic driving mechanics which is purely centred around perfection, this is the best racing game EVER. Let's not forget that PGR 3 was released with the Xbox 360 in November 2005. And what a game. It was the first truly 7th generation racing game. It features party modes (as seen in DiRT 3) for a good mess with friends, split-screen local gameplay, a career mode, achievements, medals and a variety of modes & tracks for TrueSkill ranked matchmaking. Everything is pretty much perfectly designed- difficulty, driving physics, graphics, controls, cars, tracks, multiplayer (including tournaments), interior view (which not many games had at the time and even still not all do now) etc. Not only is this game flawless in everything it tries to, it's also a benchmark setter. The sense of speed and the graphics of interior car view still remain unmatched even by Forza 4.
Sep 1, 2023
9
Pioneer in its genre with circuit in real streets. He gave a kick in graphics, speed and gameplay to PS3 Gran Turismo
90
The game’s absolutely jaw-dropping dashboard camera view provides a level of racing immersion that hasn’t been matched by any other racing game I’ve ever played, and that combined with the stunning visuals does bring enough next-gen flair and innovation to the mix to separate it from any current racing title on the market.
90
It's not quite the untouchable dream game we were hoping for, but it's still the best Xbox 360 racer you can buy right now. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]
89
It’s the premier racing franchise on the console, one of the best graphical showcases there is, and one of the best online components you can find anywhere.
83
Respected gameplay in nice new wrapping and ties it up with amazing online integration, which hints at things to come.
50
The developers at Bizarre Creations have made a beautiful thing, but they've given you no reason to enjoy it. [Feb 2006, p.87]
Jun 1, 2023
9
Beautiful graphics, nice city design and great driving fun. A must have for every racing fan! Overall rating: 8.9.
Aug 31, 2025
7
PGR3 is my least favourite Project Gotham game. By no means a bad game to play through and it can still provide some entertainment, but given that both 3 and 4 can be had for <£10 now, if you’re deciding between the two then buy 4. PGR3’s career mode is relatively linear and there isn’t the sense of progression 4 has - you’re able to pick a quick car to begin with, and there isn’t much incentive to use anything else throughout. This is something recent Forza games have come under fire for, and rightly so - it defeats the purpose of the game.
PGR3 also has a strange difficulty curve, particularly on the cone and kudos-based challenges. I found gold to be fairly unchallenging in most of these events while platinum was near impossible - almost equivalent to the difficulty level of PGR4’s Platinum Plus DLC.
With that said, there’s still a lot to like - for a launch title, PGR3 still looks pretty good and has that familiar physics magic only Bizarre Creations were capable of. Arcade is still a fun mode to play through, and the showroom features are still a novel way to display your collection.
My conclusion - if it’s sitting on your shelf and you haven’t played it for a while, give PGR3 a go - it’s still able to provide plenty of challenge and entertainment. If you’re going out and buying one game from the franchise, get 4. It has aged better.
Jul 24, 2011
7
I have only owned this game for about two weeks, and I have to say that it is one of the best racing games I have played. Despite only have 80 cars as opposed to Project Gotham Racing 2's 100+, these cars are not only the rarest, but also have a great amount of detail. The real improvement to the series was the addition of the interior camera. It adds so much depth to the game, because now you can't necessarily see the next corner as clearly as an outside view. The photo mode is also a cool edition, you can get some really good shots. The only reason this game doesn't get a 10/10 is because of the music selection and the limited amount of cars. I hope to soon get Project Gotham 4 and do a hopefully positive review on that.
Apr 11, 2017
4
Si on considère que c'était un jeu de lancement, graphiquement parlant PGR3 en met plein la vue, incontestablement. Même aujourd'hui il n'est pas ridicule (quoique très flou...) et les ralentis sont de bonne facture. La partie sonore est hélas très en retrait bien qu'un peu moins médiocre qu'un Gran Turismo. Jolies vues cockpit également qui compense un peu l'absence de vue capot mais après tout on est dans un jeu 100% arcade... comme tous les PGR évidemment. Tirer le frein à main à chaque virage devient un réflexe pavlovien... ça reste plus ou moins distrayant un certain temps mais qu'on ne se méprenne pas, à côté d'un Forza cette jouabilité simpliste finit par lasser très vite malgré une tentative pour diversifier les épreuves (radar, cônes, kudos etc) L'épisode suivant (et final) PGR4 étant sensiblement moins emmerdant, ce PGR3 répétitif ne peut prétendre accéder à la moyenne, surtout après les deux premiers sur la première Xbox...
Nov 25, 2010
3
This was one of the original launch games for the Xbox 360 and people used it to prove how good the console could make games look. First off, while it does look pretty good, I felt like the game itself was complete garbage. Everyone got the same car, the fastest one in the game, and raced it over and over and it was awful online. The single player was the most repetitive and uninteresting modes around. I'm usually not so harsh on a game, but this one is just no fun at all.
SummaryThe original Kudos challenge: Powersliding, pulling off a 360, getting airtime, staying on the race line, drafting, and getting up on two wheels will earn gamers Kudos points for their style and skill. Take the wheel of more than 80 authentically modeled and licensed supercars from manufacturers such as Ferrari, Dodge, and Lamborghini wi... Read More
Rated E +10for Everyone +10
Platforms:
- Xbox 360
Initial Release Date:Nov 16, 2005
Developer:
- Bizarre Creations
Publisher:
