PGR2 is a steadfast proponent of its own set of rules – no amount of pundit controversy or market wariness can shake its resolve. It alienates certain gaming fraternities such as those who prioritse the sensation of breakneck speed and those who see 60fps as a prerequisite of the modern genre. Luckily, like any warrior of integrity, each demonstration of this series’ confidence and character seems stronger and brighter, bringing more gamers round to the MSR ethos.

Visually, PGR2’s quality is a no-brainer – it’s astounding. Barring literally a couple of fleeting frame rate and geometry issues, the game is near-as-dammit flawless; all the more impressive considering what it sets out to achieve. Locked at 30fps, the game may have arbitrarily vanquished a fraction of its potential audience, but it also avoids the spectre of becoming an NFS-style framerate disaster. Where the series has previously visited a combined total of four eclectic cities, this instalment alone features a meticulously realised eleven. Properly fleshed out (‘box buildings’ begone), the streets, alleys and flyovers of newcomers such as Barcelona, Hong Kong and Florence are evocative at least, mesmerising at best. Despite being surrounded by this non-stop cosmopolitan beauty, PGR’s garage of over 100 cars still steal the limelight. Pushing the polygonal envelope dangerously close to photo-realism, each licensed vehicle is a pristine model of its real-life counterpart. Such is the level of manufacturer support that, when you invariably plough your factory-perfect Ferrari Enzo into a wall, you’ll be lucky to escape with lights, wing mirrors and bodywork intact. Yes – damage modelling – just in case the real-time reflections (on cars and scenery), sun-flares, wildlife and road-side decals leave you wanting.

Everything purrs like the real deal (one assumes) – it sounds like you’re in command of an individual high-performance vehicle and not an enraged wasp’s nest. Backed by a lovingly selected jukebox of tunes from dozens of freshly discovered acts, this is an effective shot of morphine into the ‘EA Trax’ infested arm of racing game soundtracks. Especially noteworthy is the automatic (and optional) splicing of radio station bridges into your custom soundtrack; again, our expectations find themselves raised.

More than any visual or aural success, the above represents the area in which PGR2 stands a full foot above the pack – its feature list is a master class for the attention of both gamers and developers. Whereas once it was cursed for snubbing widescreen TV owners and indulging in trivialities, the series has matured and finally come of age. Both novel and vital features spill out from every corner of this game, empathically leaving you to decide if they’re active or not.

Mechanically, as a new-generation racing game, PGR2 meets a new set of optimum criteria that are only beginning to emerge. The game plays accordingly: well in solo play, very well in multi-player, magnificently online. The Kudos system, anarchic and exciting in MSR, is a more refined creature in its third iteration. Bizarre chose to ditch the notion of a points-based progression ladder because it so nearly (many would say ‘actually’) torpedoed MSR into ultimate failure. Though the bugs could have been ironed out (panel-beaten out, more like), a more straightforward system of successive challenges has been carried over from PGR1. Kudos points are far from redundant, however, as they now provide the bulk of your garage-filling spending power. While the specific means by which Kudos is attained remain very similar to the last game, the improvement of the Kudos (now Cone) Challenge stages and a more judicious focus on track layout ensure the continued vitality of the idea. Also noteworthy is the addition of the Nurbergring to the track line-up, a decisive step into new territory which is entirely typical of the series and its attitude.

Though eclipsed by the likes of Gran Turismo in terms of sheer quantity, the range of vehicles in PGR2 nonetheless demonstrates virtuosity. Each car class is given ample attention throughout solo play, though the arguable lack of tempered variety within these classes sometimes feels disappointing. This, however, can be levelled at most well-populated racers and it may simply be the clear-cut categorization of cars here that draws undue attention. All in all, the racing dynamic is properly attuned to the brief MSR established on day one – ‘it’s not how fast you drive, but how you drive fast’. The fans know what to expect and they receive it in a smoother, more luxurious package that proves difficult to over-praise.

Difficult … but not impossible. MSR as a series has always featured characteristically ‘heavier’ handling; a primary sore point, some will find this handling at 30fps to be either unresponsive or simply uninteresting. For all the debate, few would deny that a constant 60fps would have been the ideal. A compromise has unquestionably been made and its effect on gamers is a matter of tolerance rather than preference. Elsewhere, the emphasis on self-improvement and technical perfection in PGR has, in some circles, earned it the reputation of a game bereft of soul. Admittedly, in most races the action is so closely knit that there is little room for individual cars and drivers to stand out. Frankly unavoidable, this caveat gives an impression of how the games all-or-nothing nature will quite efficiently throw you into one camp or the other.

Outside of the vehicle, however, PGR2 happily manages to unveil fresh moments of genius. The first is a soon-to-be classic Easter egg game called ‘Geometry Wars’. Initially a simple test of the games particle effects engine, this now fleshed-out blend of Robotron and Asteroids is quite simply brilliant. Vibrant, addictive and thoroughly nostalgic, you can expect to be hearing much more of this little bonus in the months to come. The game’s crowning glory, however, is one which emerges triumphantly after the more immediate qualities have settled – meet the new flagship of Xbox Live. Online support in PGR2 is more than a feature, function or add-on; it’s an embellishment of the games very core. Ghost cars, times and tables from players worldwide are so impressively integrated that the eight-player online racing comes seemingly as standard. As for downloadable content, just visit the Live annex of the gorgeous first-person showroom and count the reserved spaces – there is definitely much more on the horizon before PGR3 appears.

So in a genre where fresh-faced audacity and sheer nerve so frequently fall beneath market demands, it’s the determined offspring of Metropolis Street Racer that provides the latest barrage of fireworks. Still a party with doors unflinchingly closed to its opponents, PGR2 stands as a genuine, professional arcade racing event for its followers.