------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Project Gotham 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With this latest game in the Project Gotham series we see the introduction of two major new features; Dynamic weather and Bikes. ---------------------------------------- 00 - Contents ---------------------------------------- 01. Menus 02. Events 03. Cars 04. Tracks 05. Online Racing Tips ---------------------------------------- 01 - The Menus ---------------------------------------- A major issue with a lot of the text is the size! On smaller TVs it can be almost impossible to read the smaller writing. Luckily, the words aren't all that important, it is the racing that counts! The root menu gives you a choice of 4 different types of race. These are: - Arcade Race - Gotham Career - Time Attack - Custom Match I will explain each one in a little more detail. ------------------ Arcade Races ------------------ The Arcade Races are set in the format which looks the most familiar to people who have played other games in the series. The events are split into 10 different sections which get progressively more difficult. Each section has 6 races in, that can almost all be raced on using either a car or a bike. You must complete enough of the races in each section before being allowed to race in the more difficult ones. Before starting each race you can select the difficult you which to play it on, and that will determine the medal you are awarded at the end, and the amount of kudos you earn by winning. This amounts to a total of 108 medals to be won. Specific tips for the different types of races available in Arcade Mode can be found in section 2. ------------------ Gotham Career ------------------ The Gotham Career is a new addition to the series, and allows the player to progress through a whole calender of events, with the goal being to become the top ranked racer. With each race you attempt, you only get one chance at it, and then you have to wait for it to show up on the calender again. Completing more of the events gives you a bigger selection of races to attend on the following season. You have a choice of 3 different difficulties for these events. You can change the difficulty in the middle of the career, but not in the middle of a championship. Successfully completing certain championships will give you the opportunity to race a one-on-one match against a car. If you win the race, you unlock the car! Also available in this mode is the ability to place cars you own in garages. You can then walk around them and admire your collection. No Project Gotham game would be complete without it's own version of Geometry Wars, and PGR4 is no exception. The games machine can be found in the garages. Specific tips for the different types of races available in Gotham Career can be found in section 2. ------------------ Time Attack ------------------ This is as simple as it sounds. You can select any track, car, and weather, and then race around to try and obtain the fastets time possible. The main reason why you would need this event is to practice the conditions of an event without having to worry about the time limits. Sometimes cone challenges or street races can prove very difficult using the vehicle selection that they give you, so time attack can be used to learn the track without having to worry about cones or other cars. ------------------ Custom Match ------------------ Another new addition to PGR4 is the ability to create your own conditions for a street race or an eliminator race. Both of these ---------------------------------------- 02 - Events ---------------------------------------- There are 11 different types of event you will meet while playing PGR4. A lot of them are the same as they have been in the earlier versions, but there are some new ones. Email me if you want any tips for any specific Arcade Races. ------------- Street Race ------------- This is what racing is all about. Just you and a handful of computers - whoever crosses the finish line first is the winner. The computer racers feel slightly more skilled than they were in PGR3, but they don't have the violent edge they had in PGR2. Anything up to silver difficult should be a walkover if you have played racing games before, but the upper difficulties could prove challenging. Out of all the different types of events, this is one of the easiest, and when unlocking new sections these are the ones you should be sure to win. You almost always start from the back of the pack, so if a computer in front of you is going too slow, don't be afraid to give him a little shunt. It means you can brake quicker around the next corner, and if the computer bumps into the wall, that just means he probably won't be able to do the same to you on the next corner! ------------ Eliminator ------------ This is very similar to the normal street race. The only difference is that at the end of every 30 seconds, the vehicle in last place is removed from the race. It is important with these races more than any other to make sure that you get into the lead as soon as possible. Just surviving at the back of the pack will not give you first place as there will be too much ground to catch up at the end. ------------ One on One ------------ For me these are the easiest types of races and I always go for Platinum difficulty on the first try. As long as you pick the best car in the catagory you should have no trouble winning the race. Keep checking behind you and make sure that there is no room for the computer to get passed you, and if he does, then you can knock him into the wall on the next corner! I usually try and race without making contact with the computers, but as soon as they start doing it to me, the gloves are off! ------------- Cone Attack ------------- This is an unusual addition to the game because up to now cones have been bad. Now you get the chance to get some revenge! You must race around the track in the time limit, while hitting as many of the cones as you can. The time limit is usually not too harsh, so you can afford to slow down a little when approaching a bunch of cones to cause maximum damage. Sliding a little as you go through the groups of cones means your vehicle is more sideways on, and so should knock down more cones. ------------- Cone Sprint ------------- Similar to the timed runs of old, but now you must not hit any of the cones! For every cone you hit, you get given a 3 second penalty. For the more difficult sections it is definately worth being overly cautious because those penalties quickly add up! If you can see you are going to hit a cone no matter what, then accelerate into it means that you don't waste as much time. The Super Cone Sprints are almost identical except the course is made up entirely of cones. In general they are MUCH more difficult and you will need to be nearly perfect to get the Platinum medals. --------------- Time vs Kudos --------------- A difficult type of event to get your head around, but once you know what you are doing, they are quite straight forward. You must get to the end of the track before the timer runs out, and While ever you are gaining Kudos the timer stops counting down. The first few times I tried events like these I was sliding around all over the track trying to freeze the timer almost all the time, but unfortunately this doesn't work because you can only keep the timer frozen for a certain amount of time in total. Keep your speed up as you are racing, but tap the handbrake as you turn. If you can spin the wheels a little then you can keep your speed going, but also the sliding will freeze the timer. Make your slides as big and as fast as possible. ---------- Overtake ---------- Fairly straight forward to understand. You have a time limit, in which you must overtake the required number of cars. The cars you must overtake are spread around the track to start off with, and are generally a lot slower than your own car. Even so, it will take consistant racing all the way around to be able to catch the front one by the end of the race. The most crutial parts here are being able to overtake the cars without losing speed. Decide early how you are going to pass them, and try and not touch them if you can. If the car is moving really slowly and is just coming up to a corner, you may decide it is worth pushing the car off the road. This can be especially useful if you have to overtake the same car again on another lap! ----------------- Speed Challenge ----------------- As you race around the track, there will be a series of checkpoints. As you go through each one, your speed will be recorded. At the end of the race the total of those speeds must be greater than the target total. Learning the track here is important, so it could be useful to have a few really slow drives around the track to learn where the checkpoints are, and where the tight corners are. It is quite often worth going slow around a few corners so that you are better lined up to go fast through the speed gate. You have a lot of time for the whole event, so it is just the speed through the gates that count. You must pick the best car in the groups for these or they may be impossible. -------------- Breakthrough -------------- Another straight forward event. You are given a number of checkpoints that you must drive through before the time runs out. Each time you pass through one, you get some extra time. Doing the race on the lower difficulties will help you to decide what difficulty you think you can complete it on. It may be worth popping into the time attack mode for a few laps to get the feel of the track and the car. ----------- Superstar ----------- Another new addition to the series, and by far my least favourite of them all. Performing stunts as you race around the course earns you Kudos Stars. You have to get the required number of them before you reach the end. I don't have many tips for these, but remember that the handbrake is your friend. -------- Hotlap -------- Simple. You must reach the end of the course in the time given. What isn't simple is the fact you don't have very much time to spare at all. If you mess up on a few of the corners, just restart because it will be difficult to make the time up. I have completed some of the 3+ minute courses with just a second or so to spare. It is really that close! Not crashing is the main worry here. (obviously!) Better to go a little bit slower than to slam into every corner. ---------------------------------------- 03 - Cars ---------------------------------------- (list as used on www.cyberscore.net) Class G (Cars Only) Austin Mini Cooper S Delorean DMC-12 Lotus Cortina Lotus Europa Mazda MX5 Pontiac Firebird Toyota 2000GT Class F (Cars) Alfa Romeo SZ Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Buick Regal GNX Chevrolet Stingray Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Ford Mustang GT 2+2 Fastback Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 GMC Syclone Jaguar D Type Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Lancia Stratos Lancia Delta Integrale Evo Lotus Esprit Essex Turbo Plymouth Hemi Cuda Class F (Bikes) BSA Gold Star DBD34 Buell RR 1200 Class E (Cars) Bentley Continental GT Cadillac Sixteen Concept Dodge Challenger Concept Ferrari Testarossa Ferrari 250 GTO Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Lamborghini Countach LP400 Maserati 250F Mazda RX-7 Saleen S281E Shelby GT500E Subaru Impreza 22B Sti Tesla Roadster Toyota Supra Turbo Vanwall GPR V12 Class E (Bikes) Honda RC161 Norton 500 Manx Triumph Trident Class D (Cars) Aston Martin V8 Vantage Aston Martin Vanquish S Audi R8 BMW M5 E60 Chevrolet ZR1 Ferrari 355 F1 GTS Ford GT40 MKI Honda NSX-R Lamborghini Diablo VT 6.0 SE Light Car Company Rocket Mercedes CLK DTM AMG Mitsubishi FQ400 RUF RK Coupe Shelby Cobra 427 S/C Spyker C8 Laviolette LWB TVR Sagaris Class D (Bikes) BMW F 800 S Ducati Paul Smart 1000 LE Class C (Cars) Aston Martin DBS BMW M1 Procar Callaway Sledgehammer Caterham R500 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Dodge Viper GT-2 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Ferrari F430 Ferrari F40 Ford GT Lamborghini Concept M Lamborghini Gallardo Lotus Exige GT3 Mclaren-Mercedes SLR Rossion Q1 RUF CTR Yellowbird RUG RGT TVR Typhon Class C (Bikes) Honda NR750 MTT Turbine Superbike Triumph Speed Triple Class B (Cars) Ariel Atom 300 Supercharged Dodge Viper Competition Coupe Ferrari GTO Evoluzione Ferrari Enzo Ferrari Jaguar XJ220S Joss Supercar Lamborghini LP640 Maserati MC12 Pagani Zonda F Palmer-Jaguar JP1 Radical SR3 Turbo RUF RT12 Ultima GTR Class B (Bikes) BMW K1200R Ducati 998 Ducati Monster S4RS Testastretta Harley Davidson VR-1000 Honda CBR600RR MV Augusta Brutale 910 R Suzuki GSX-R600 Yamaha YZF-R6 Class A (Cars) Aston Martin DBR9 Caparo T1 Ferrari FXX Ferrari F50 GT Gumbert Apollo Koenigsegg CCX Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT Mclaren F1 LM Mercedes CLK-GTR Supersport Panoz GTR-1 Coupe Radical SR9 LMP2 RUF Supercar Concept Saleen S7 Twin Turbo SSC Ultimate Aero TT Toyota GT-One Class A (Bikes) Ducati 999R Xerox Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 MV Augusta F4 Senna Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa Ltd Suzuki GSX-R1000 --------------------------------------- 04 - Tracks --------------------------------------- (list as used on www.cyberscore.net) ------------ Las Vegas ------------ 01 Big Apple Loop 02 Flamingo Straits 03 Buccaneer Loop 04 Tropicana Tour 05 Spring Mountain Turns 06 South Strip Loop 07 Las Vegas Boulevard Tour 08 Boulevard Straits 09 Long Strip Straits 10 MGM Bellagio-Grand Loop 11 Mirage Mini 12 Vegas Baby ------------ London ------------ 01 Her Majesty’s Pleasure 02 The Birdcage 03 Embankment Rush 04 Whitehall Straits 05 The Bulldog 06 The Old City Loop 07 Westminster Tour 08 Trafalgar Tour 09 Tourist Twist 10 Big Ben Ten 11 Parliament Square 12 Short Nelson ------------ Macau ------------ 01 Instituto Politecnico 02 Avenida de Amizade 03 Guia Hill Park 04 Estrada de S. Francisco 05 Avenida de Dr Rodrigues 06 Estrada de Casilhas 07 Avenida de M. Baptista 08 Macau Hairpin 09 Hatel Lisboa 10 Avenida de Praia Grande 11 The Grand Stand Loop ------------ Michelin Test Track ------------ 01 The Short Test 02 The Medium Test 03 The Long Test 04 The Complex Test 05 The Ultimate Test ------------ New York ------------ 01 Worth and Walker Street 02 Broadway Run 03 City Hall Park 04 The Outskirts 05 Park Row 06 Brooklyn Bridge Strait 07 The Bridge Tour 08 Park to Tilary 09 Twisted Straits 10 Loops and Longs 11 Gotham City Challenge 12 Little Apple Loop ------------ Nurburgring ------------ 01 Half F1 Circuit 02 Full F1 Circuit 03 Nordschleife 04 Nordschleife Long 05 The Behemoth ------------ Quebec ------------ 01 La Haute-Ville 02 Grand City Tour 03 Abraham’s Battlefield 04 Rampart Run 05 La Basse-Ville 06 Old Port Short 07 La Grande Allee 08 Chateau Frontenac 09 Twisted Old Port 10 City Hall Detour 11 Fountain Square 12 Parliament Hill ------------ Shanghai ------------ 01 The Grand Theatre 02 Neon Tour 03 B-Circuit 04 People’s Races 05 Shanghai Old Town 06 Xizhang Road 07 Shanghai Grand Slam 08 Jiu Fu Loop 09 Landmark Tour 10 People’s Avenue 11 On The Bund 12 Museum Loop ------------ St Petersburg ------------ 01 Nevisky Run 02 Embankments and Parks 03 The Hermitage Race 04 Pushkin’s Places 05 Kazanskiy Cathedral 06 Moika Turns 07 The Admiralty 08 The City Center Loop 09 Channel Tour 10 Great Peter’s Wall 11 Artist’s Square Circle 12 Palace Square ------------ Tokyo ------------ 01 Shinjuku Kabukicho Loop 02 Tochomae Loop 03 The Good Tomorrow 04 Ekimae Loop 05 Bark To The Sun 06 Nishiguchi Short 07 Shinjuku Speedway 08 Shinjuku Skyscrapers 09 The Triangle Building 10 Crazy Turns 11 Shinjuku Short 12 Triangle Loop -------------------------------------- 05 - Online Racing Tips -------------------------------------- So you are doing pretty well with the offline modes, and you want to know how you can show the world how good you are at racing? Well, here are some tips that I have picked up while playing people online. [It is just a game] There will be people you race who enjoy just getting in the way. They will smash other cars around every corner, swear at you when you beat them, and breathe loudly down their microphones. Just take the good with the bad, the wins with the losses. You will find races where everyone else is just there to have a good time, so once you find one of those the whole online racing becomes so much better. Losing a race by 0.001 seconds is just as much fun as winning by 0.001 as long as both people can have a good laugh. [Pick the right car/bike] If you see everyone else picking fast cars, pick a fast car yourself. Being stubborn and sticking with your favourite slow car will only cause you to get frustrated when you start getting lapped. Conversly, don't pick a fast car if everyone else is going for slower ones. Nobody will think you are great if you beat them with a car twice as fast. Close races are much more fun, so smile, choose the same car, give it a go, and you may just realise why Bizarre put in such a wide range of cars. [The first corner pile up] In a really good lobby, the racers will not all smash into each other around the first bend but more often than not it will happen. Suppose the first corner is a 90 degree one to the right. Most people who are trying to smash into you will be holding the left hand side of the track coming into the corner, because that makes the most sense. If instead you go on the right side of the track, brake early, and then sneak around the inside, you maximise your chance of avoiding the pile up. If someone is doing this all the time deliberately then hopefully they may be removed from the room. [Overtaking] Personally if I am racing along and I see the person behind me is approaching me fast, I will make sure I keep my racing as smooth as possible to give them the room to overtake. If they are catching me, then they are faster than me, and deserve to be in front. If you are overtaking someone, then try and race as close as you can to them, and you will get a chance to pass them. A little bit of contact is fine if you are both wrestling for the racing line, but slamming other cars out of the way is frowned upon, and will not make you look like a very good racer. If they are swerving all over the road to try and block you - crash them into the barriers. They are asking for it! There will always be people who do push you off the road, but it is quite possible it was by accident. Wait for it to happen a few times before you start to moan about foul play. [Learn the tracks] Put me on the Nurburgring tracks, and I can hold my own against any racers I am randomly matched against. I know the tracks well, I have raced them on previous versions of the game, and have learnt the racing lines that are the best to take each corner. Put the track in reverse, and I will lose. I never race reverse tracks and so I do terrible when I don't know what corner is coming up next. Play through the offline mode, and take some of the cars for a spin in time attack, and you will soon start to remember where the annoying lumps and bumps are. Here endeth the good bits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. Thanks to Bizarre Creations for making the game, and for anyone else who had a hand in it's making. Thanks to Cyberscore (a highscore gaming site where I work as a moderator) for providing some of the info. Copyright 2008 Mark Turner (MarkTurner10@gmail.com)