Nothing Beats Gran Turismo 7
Racing video games have been a staple for arcades and home consoles for decades. They're thrilling, exciting, and require some skill to play. From Forza to Mario Kart, there are a lot of options on the market for racing fans to enjoy. Here are the 20 best racing video games of all time.
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1. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
This game was touted as a masterpiece for its realism, as it brought cinematic visuals and precise driving controls to the PlayStation 2. It also offers hundreds of meticulously modeled cars and authentic and challenging tracks.
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2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Nintendo's popular party racer delivered accomplished gameplay, stunning visuals, and endless fun. With 48 inventive tracks and advanced drifting mechanics, gamers have a blast zooming around while collecting items like lightning bolts.
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3. Forza Horizon 5
Set against a bold and detailed Mexican backdrop, Forza 5 offers open-world exploration unlike any other racing game. Gamers put the pedal to the metal across deserts, volcanoes, and jungles in hundreds of cool vehicles.
4. Need for Speed: Underground 2
This street-racing arcade and home console classic was widely popular in the early 2000s. Racers love the neon-lit cities, customization, and soundtrack. This racing game made every player feel like an underground racing star.
5. Burnout 3: Takedown
Very few games made crashing a car as fun as this one. Burnout 3 is all about reckless driving, and that makes it one of the best racing games ever. The speed and slow-motion crashes were always a blast and offered a genuine adrenaline rush.
6. Gran Turismo 7
This racing game modernized the franchise's commitment to beauty and precision. It offered some of the best ray-traced visuals, adaptive triggers, and gamers could choose from hundreds of stunning cars. Car purists loved the deep tuning options.
7. F-Zero GX
This wildly fast, futuristic racing game put players' reflexes to the test. Tracks would surprisingly invert, twist, and loop, all at breakneck speeds. F-Zero GX remains one of the most rewarding and challenging racing games, thanks to its sense of velocity and physics.
Krémer Krisztián from Siklós, Hungary on Wikimedia
8. Project CARS 2
This racing game is a technical marvel for sim racing fans, delivering physics, dynamic weather, and pro-level vehicle handling. With over 140 tracks and a deep roster of cars, it captured the unpredictability and fun of real motorsport.
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9. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition
This racing game from Rockstar Games blends open-world freedom with flashy urban racing. Considered by some enthusiasts as the coolest car game ever, it oozes style, licensed music, and a ridiculously fast pace.
10. Forza Motorsport 4
Forze Motorsport 4 offers the perfect balance of realism and accessibility. Its driving physics are amazing, and its visuals are immersive and breathtaking. Another fun feature is its Autovista mode, which lets players explore cars in museum-like detail.
11. Mario Kart 64
This racing game brought out a few rivalries and ended a few friendships. It introduced 3D tracks, fun items, and split-screen chaos to video game racing fans. Decades later, Rainbow Road remains a fond memory for many gamers.
12. Dirt Rally 2.0
This racing game is beloved for its ability to punish mistakes and reward good driving. It demands a player's complete focus as you go through snow, mud, and gravel at high speeds.
13. The Crew 2
This racing game introduced a scaled-down USA for racers to explore. It offers a mix of planes, cars, and boats, creating a unique gaming experience. Sure, it lacks realism, but the variety and freedom more than make up for it.
14. Wave Race 64
This classic game lets players hop on a jet ski and enjoy fluid physics and water realism that were far ahead of their time. It wasn't just fun to play this game; it was soothing and engaging and made you feel like you were breaking waves.
15. Wipeout 2097
This PlayStation game was a definitive futuristic racer with a bopping electronic soundtrack. It fused high-speed racing with anti-gravity vehicles and an edgy design.
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16. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
This one revived the thrill of the cat-and-mouse car chase. You could even play as the police, using fun gadgets like EMPs. The slick design and social competition system fueled many online rivalries.
17. Sega Rally Championship
This arcade legend lured racing fans with its precision controls and breathtaking excitement. Sega Rally brought variable terrain physics to gamers, forcing them to adapt their driving. There was also a catchy soundtrack and exciting time attacks, which have contributed to it remaining one of the most influential rally games of all time.
18. TrackMania 2 Stadium
Racers with skill and who loved speed and mayhem loved this video game. It turned racing into a competitive and creative battlefield. Players built a track, and racing required top-notch precision. This game lived at the intersection of driving skill and pure speed.
19. Test Drive Unlimited
Years before open-world racing was truly popular, this game provided an entire Hawaiian island as a playground for players. Test Drive Unlimited combined luxury cars, fun online play, and total road freedom. It was revolutionary at the time, and is still beloved today.
20. iRacing
To many, this game is the gold standard for online racing simulation. It focused on discipline and realism with laser-scanned tracks, licensed cars, and unbelievable driving physics. It also has competitive leagues that make every lap feel like a real motorsport event.
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