Even more ambitious PGR sequel with more cities, more cars, exceptional Xbox Live multiplayer. One of the best racing games of its generation across all platforms. Hong Kong at night is a moment of pure video game beauty.
Your verdict
Category
Racing1 player3+
Description
Sequel to Project Gotham Racing with new world cities and more cars in a stylized driving simulator that rewards both talent and the beauty of driving. Published by Microsoft Game Studios, released in 2003 in the United States and Europe. Adds Barcelona, Moscow, Edinburgh, Florence, Washington D.C., and other capitals, over 100 cars, an Xbox Live online mode, and a reworked Kudos system.
Project Gotham Racing 2 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Refining the Kudos system and broadening the circuits pushes further this idea of rewarding the beautiful move as much as raw performance. Polished drifts and daring overtakes feed a driving model that's demanding yet gratifying, poised between simulation and arcade. A few menus feel dated, but this rare balance of style and speed remains a genuine driving pleasure.
Project Gotham Racing 2, a sequel hailed as a home-racing peak of its generation, refining the Kudos system and expanding cities and cars, exclusive to the console. Sought, its desirability rests on this status as a genre-reference entry on the machine and a tenacious demand rather than scarcity, the US and Asian pressing being harder to find. A prime piece for a racing set on the console.
Is Project Gotham Racing 2 still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2003, Bizarre Creations' sequel refines the Kudos formula and makes Xbox Live the natural arena for arcade racing. The selection of cities, including Edinburgh and Tokyo, offers memorable layouts, the car modelling gains finesse and the community based radio brings a rare sense of coherence. The handling is more precise and the difficulty rises with elegance. The closure of Xbox Live shuts down an essential portion of the content. Recommended today for fans of demanding arcade racing and for nostalgics of the original Xbox Live era as a defining online service.
