Ya know when used to play the best racing series of all time, PGR I would load up a ghost to race against of someone who achieved a Platinum score and I would race against that ghost until I got the combination of speed and drift right and Platinum-ed the event as well. The shock I had when I saw that ghost with a multi second lead over me entering the 2ND turn. Crazy. Nothing is off. I've Platinumed every PGR and 100% Burnouts and spent 35 hours with Flatout Ultimate even when a rock ruined my race
so I'm telling you nothing is off. I'm able to Drift over stairs for AIR during drifts in this game with the most sensitive Drift cars and come out straight as an arrow. Game rocks. Tell me the race you're having trouble with and the car you're using and let me run that again.
I hear ya, I did the same re: PGR2, was only a few Plats away from getting the TVR when my Xbox locked up during the save icon after a mp match. All progress gone and no way in hell I was going through those 100+ races again. Did get a #1 spot on one of the later leaderboards though that remained there for almost 7 months. Very stoked with that.
Something similar happened with PGR4 as well with less than a handful of Plats left. Had issues with account recovery before it was possible to put profiles on USB drives, this was back when we had XBL stability problems that one Undertow Xmas. Something went wrong, every save for every game was no longer compatible with my profile (I made a Gaf thread about it 4yrs ago). Flatout Ultimate Carnage I 100% as well, apart from a couple of Online Achs.
It sounds like we're almost on the same page, although you're probably a few paragraphs ahead!
Back onto Unbounded, I don't mean the handling of Unbounded is off, just the structure, or maybe I am, as mentioned above, just starting to get a bit older and my reactions are starting to dwindle. I'm finding it hard to explain at this point because of lack of sleep/working night shift. It's just that there are some early parts of the game that feel like winning with the default unlocked cars is a lot harder than it should be especially if Namco/Bugbear want to keep you interested. I'm sticking with it cos the game is far from shit and I love the driving genre to bits. =)
Anyway, two of the earliest tracks I'm having problems on, both in Upper Westside (3rd city?), 1st race, Posh Destruction using the Ashburn '72 (I have two Stars) and the Second race I'm having issues, same tier same car, track called The Punishment. A direct feed video of me playing The Punishment linked below (recorded during the making of this reply to prove it's bad luck!), see below for synopsis. Haven't even gotten one star on this course yet since I got the game over 72hrs ago. I know it's all just stringing everything I know into two perfect laps, I'm nearly there, just luck isn't on my side time and time again.
Some races I did find easy, but the initial start of the game was so unforgiving but that was probably because I was trying to play it exactly like Burnout/Split Second. I'm using my boost a lot more efficiently now. I literally just took the XP as I earned it and eventually went back to earlier tracks with better cars. If I pick a car that excels at handling I will drift as little as possible, back off the gas, turn in sharp, hammer it out. I win those races but I think the Ashburn '72 is just a twitchy bitch to drive, especially with the dualshock.
Here's a progress shot.
And now boys and girls, it's video time.
http://youtu.be/dZ7Hv9BS57o
1st crash Lap 1. Started fish tailing at the last second. You know the drill, the pendulum effect.
1st crash Lap 2. Clipped something just as I entered that shortcut, enough to bounce me subtly to the left and off course into crashville.
2nd crash Lap 2. Just bad luck, boosted into an opponent for a frag before destroying the Night Club but as luck had it, the car didn't flip out of the way like usual, causing me to veer off to the left just enough to fail.
3rd crash Lap 2. I've been through that building so many times and not once have I been off course and hit something upon landing. Whaddya know? Honestly didn't expect it, lost a top 3 placing for that.
On the upside, although 4th, I did get a new high score!
*edit*
Wtf is up with youtube uploading? First two attempts were going to take over 1800 minutes! 300 minutes later! ARRGGHH!
*edit #2*
Google Chrome uploads in half the time.