TOP 5 Racing Games of All Time
Source: Gamerrant.com
Over the past few decades of gaming history, the world has seen numerous racing game titles that have caught the eyes of many gamers; but which games would take the throne for the best racing games of all times? Here are the top 5 releases that have hit the shelves over the past 2 decades!
#5: Daytona USA
Source: Yongli Chang
Rating: 3.5/5
Developed by SEGA and hitting the arcades in 1994, Daytona USA gained a reputation for being the go- to racing game at many arcades, giving casual and hardcore gamers a good time.
At the time, Daytona USA was one of the few (if not the first) racing games to play at 60 frames per second, ensuring smooth gameplay and responsive controls which considered very advanced in this era of racing games.
Although there were many ports to home releases (released on Sega Saturn, Dreamcast and PC), the version closest to the arcade release were the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions that hit the online stores in October 2011.
Being one of the most influential racing games of the past is a suitable enough reason on why this title deserves to be put into a Top 5 Racing Game list.
#4: Forza Motorsport 4
Source: Getty Images
Rating: 4/5
Released in October 2011, Forza Motorsport 4 was made by Turn 10 to give players the ultimate racing simulation experience on the Xbox 360. Which was something that they succeeded in doing.
Some may argue that this is the best Forza title to date as it hosts over 500 cars and 80 manufacturers, improved lighting to give the cars better looks, and amped up graphics while still maintaining a smooth 60 frames per second.
#3: Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
Source: Gamerant.com
Rating: 4.5/5
Not to be confused with Criterion Games' 2012 reboot of Need for Speed: Most Wanted, this game blended the ability to tune and pimp up rides like in previous titles such as Need for Speed: Underground 1 & 2 and the intensity of being in hot pursuits with the police, which is a reminiscent to the classic Need for Speed titles.
Set in Rockport City, the game starts of arrives in a BMW M3 GTR, while racing to gain reputation and to make a name for themselves until losing a race with Razor, a street racer from the blacklist (a list of the most wanted and fastest racers in Rockport) who sabotaged the car and took it for himself to rise up the ranks to #1.
That is where the game truly starts -- the player has to work their way up the blacklist and get the car back, and also earning the title as most wanted.
With refined driving physics and a pursuit system that challenges the players skills constantly, the overall experience while playing this game has led to many fans of the series to consider this as one of the best games in the whole franchise.
#2: Forza Horizon 2
Source: Gamerant.com
Rating: 4/5
With Forza Motorsport being solely focused on racing simulation, Forza Horizon focuses more on the celebration of driving past lovely scenery and adding an arcade touch to its already racing-sim like driving physics.
Forza Horizon 2 is the sequel to 2012's Forza Horizon, released in October 2014 and set in Italy and France. Unlike its Forza Motorsport counterparts, Horizon 2 is set in an open world environment where the player competes in a fictional racing competition known as Horizon Festival.
This title especially reaches a milestone for the Forza series as it's the first game in the series to include a dynamic weather system that lets the player race through changing weathers (from dry to wet weather in one race).
Being a step up to the first Horizon title, it'll be no surprise to see this game leaving a legacy in the racing game industry over the next few years.
#1: Gran Turismo (PSX)
Source: Rakuten.co.jp
Rating: 5/5
The game that started it all. Released in December 1997 in Japan and May 1998 in the rest of the world, Gran Turismo was well-received publicly and critically, shipping a total of 10.85 million copies worldwide making it the best selling PS1 game of all time.
Another interesting thing to note about the game is that the Japanese and Western versions have different soundtracks. With Japan's version having a totally original score, and the Western version comprising of licensed music with a different genre and feel to its Japanese counterpart.
The game boasts a list of 140 cars and 11 race tracks which at the time was considered a big list, despite having the list comprising of mainly Japanese manufacturers (with the exception of TVR, Aston Martin, Dodge/Chrysler and Chevrolet).
Though this game wasn't the prettiest looking game today, it did start a racing sim revolution as it was the first racing title to call itself one, and was also subtitled as "The Real Driving Simulator".
