CPM 2 is the PC’s latest open-world driving game… but it needs more time in the oven

If you exclude Grand Theft Auto V, CPM 2 is the fifth most-played racing game on Steam right now.

‘What is CPM 2?’ I hear some of you ask. Well, it’s an Early Access, free-to-play racing title that its developer describes as a ‘car sandbox and auto-life simulator’, and its current Steam rating is ‘Very Positive’.  Encouraging signs, then.

For those wondering, ‘CPM’ stands for ‘Car Parking Multiplayer’, a title duller than Traxion’s recent carpet-based podcast conversations (unless you have a multi-storey fetish, you weirdo).

It has open-world elements, car modification and tuning, and plenty of racing, including drift, drag, rally, and circuit. Players can also play as a taxi driver or take on a law enforcement role in a massive multiplayer world, with crossplay between the game’s iOS and Android versions (yes, this started life as a mobile title).

The 5.31GB download (!) crams in a lot of content, and I gave it a quick go to establish some early opinions (thanks to Tom Bunten for the prompt!).

Hand-holding

First off, CPM 2 doesn’t hold your hand; there are no introductory tutorials to ease you into gameplay: pick your character (I went for a bald, muscly chap and called him ‘Vin Petrol’) and buy a car. Vehicles are recognisable facsimiles of real cars, but there’s no licensing to speak of here. 

There’s apparently little quality control in the modelling as well, with many cars resembling ‘pigs on casters’: over-sized bodies on tiny wheels, with cavernous wheelarches.

I pick a souped-up Temu Scirocco as my first car, and I have to say, I was impressed with its handling. CPM 2 feels surprisingly well-sorted in terms of physics, with reactive inputs dulling down as you increase speed. The handling isn’t super-serious sim levels, obviously, but it does feel authentic. There are manual gear shifting and clutch options, and dabbing the handbrake produces satisfying results. The vehicle sounds are also pleasingly realistic.

AI traffic is plentiful and varied, too (around 200 different vehicle models are present, apparently), though the visuals are several rungs below Forza Horizon 6 (as you’d expect from the relatively small Kazakhstani developer OGames).

Jank

However, its current Early Access build has a lot of jank; it didn’t run smoothly despite my gaming laptop far exceeding the recommended specs, and the graphical fidelity varies in detail and quality depending on which part of the (admittedly sizeable) map you’re in.  It’s also unclear exactly what you should be doing at any given time; it’s a free-form experience with few guiding hands.

There are enough positives to warrant a second look at CPM 2 if you can stomach the voluntary microtransactions, but my gut tells me it needs much more development time to smooth off its rough edges.

As a free-to-play game, there’s no downside to giving it a go; just don’t expect a premium experience yet. There are positive signs, however.