Project Gotham Racing 4 – Xbox 360 [$59.99]

Hardcore gearheads and racing simulation fans may swear by the Forza Motorsport series, but for our money we’ll take the arcade-like thrills of Project Gotham Racing 4 for the Xbox 360. Instead of spending hours fiddling around in a game menu trying to decide what suspension or exhaust system to buy, Project Gotham Racing 4 lets you just get into a fast car and drive almost immediately — car or motorcycle, that is. Of the 120 vehicles available to be selected, many are two-wheeled, giving the gameplay another dimension by adding stunts to the mix. New vehicles aside, the core dynamics of the PGR series have remained the same in its fourth installment — it’s all about collecting so-called “kudos” (think PGR‘s own version of Xbox Live achievement points) to unlock new vehicles, paint jobs, etc., or racing your way to the top through the game’s extensive career mode. It’s almost a shame that your car goes so fast, though, because you’ll be speeding by the game’s beautifully detailed urban landscapes in places like Shanghai and Quebec. Minor quibbles with the gameplay aside, (motorcycles might be a bit too easy to race), it’s hard to find much fault with Project Gotham Racing 4 unless you prefer your games in the slow lane.