Project Gotham Racing 3 (Xbox 360)

The improved graphics alone are worth the price of admission in Project Gotham Racing 3.

Herald rating: * * * *

The Xbox's flagship racing game gets an overhaul for the arrival of the 360 and while the street-racing formula is much the same, the improved graphics alone are worth the price of admission.

The great thing about Project Gotham Racing is its replay value. You'll never get sick of blasting around the streets of Las Vegas or London in single-player races where you're pitted against computer-controlled opponents or through Xbox Live or the Xbox link system that let you play your friends or people on the other side of the world.

I know people who still regularly play the original Gotham, such is its appeal. The main difference in the game on the Xbox 360 is the level of detail in the cars and the more realistic driving experience.

It's hard to accurately capture the experience of flying along tracks at high speed, but the extra brain power of the Xbox 360 means the picture looks more like video than ever before. When you do get the chance to pull your eyes away from the track, you'll appreciate the accuracy with which the famous landmarks of the major cities are recreated.

I had the pleasure of test-driving the third instalment in the franchise on a high-definition TV screen. It looked fantastic. The soundtrack is a diverse collection of tunes ranging from hip-hop to classical.

If you have ripped music to the Xbox 360's hard drive you can use it to generate your own soundtrack.

A new feature called Gotham TV mirrors the spectator function in rival racer Gran Turismo where you can sit back and watch others race the elaborate tracks from different angles. It seems a little passive for video gamers, but just enjoying the new graphics from the sidelines is surprisingly absorbing.

The game's Kudos point system remains, allowing you to build points as you win races in 23 tournaments to unlock extra content. A route creator tool lets you plan your own race tracks through the cities. There are a few racers arriving on the Xbox 360, so competition will be fierce.

But Gotham is good, a well-tested formula that has instant appeal to casual gamers and, God forbid, even girls.

Rating: G, Price: $100