Not all racing games are built the same, but there are certainly a few best ones that stand out from the crowd.
Racing games have a long and storied history, with some of the earliest arcade games ever put out into the world doing their level best to simulate, well, driving. Since then, every type of vehicular competition has been turned into a video game, from overtly silly titles to deeply realistic simulators, there’s a little bit of something out there for everyone.
So, keep reading for our full rundown of the very best racing games on offer in 2023.
Dirt Rally 2.0
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- Platforms: PC, PS4 and Xbox One
- Release date: 2019
- Subscription Service: EA Play
- Key features:
- Interesting selection of rally cars
- Dynamic weather and terrain
- Solid control systems
There are several games in this list that dedicate a portion of their races to off-road rally racing but players looking for the very best at delivering that experience should stop searching and buy Dirt Rally 2.0.
The nature of rally driving places particular importance on simulation elements like dynamic weather, changing terrain and a lack of computer-related assistance, all of which this game delivers in spades.
Equally, the rendering of damage is particularly impressive with crashing almost always spelling the end of that race, exactly as it would in real life. Car options are limited by viable options for the game’s tracks but it’s difficult to notice when enduring the thrills Dirt creates in one of these best racing games.
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F1 22
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- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5 Xbox One and Xbox Series X
- Release date: 2022
- Subscription Service: Xbox Game Pass
- Key features:
- Licensed F1 assets
- Deep single-player career mode
- Rewarding, realistic difficulty
F1 games have a spectacularly spotty history in gaming but more recent efforts have shown a remarkable increase in quality, with the penultimate release easily the best game tied to the immensely popular sport to date.
Featuring fully licensed teams, cars and drivers, F1 22 was the second game in the series to be published by Electronic Arts. Don’t let that put you off though, as the developer has done a great job expanding the single-player career and adding the F2 season after the game’s release, meaning there are now more ways to RP Lewis Hamilton than ever before.
The style and clean driving experience of Formula 1 may not be for everyone but it’s difficult to deny that the developers have done a great job transferring the sport to our medium and this is currently the preferable choice over the most recent entry.
Formula 1 is certainly an acquired taste, but that doesn’t prevent it from being one of the best racing experiences on this list.
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Gran Turismo 7
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- Platforms: PS4 and PS5
- Release date: 2022
- Subscription Service: None
- Key features:
- Beautiful graphics
- Hundreds of cars to use
- Accessible gameplay
For a very long time, the Gran Turismo series was seen as the greatest approachable racing simulator in the world, allowing PlayStation players to experience hundreds of cars and dynamic weather long before anyone else.
Though Forza has since levelled the playing field and opened the genre up further to players on other platforms, there is still a lot of good to be said about Polyphony Digital’s latest offering. As the seventh game in the series, more dedicated fans will know roughly what to expect.
It does feature the long-awaited return of the single-player mode and myriad features like classic tracks and Championships to take part in. Though player reception was lukewarm thanks to the Gran Turismo 7’s always-online DRM and microtransactions, it still feels fantastic to jump on and play.
Trackmania
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- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5 Xbox One and Xbox Series X
- Release date: 2020
- Subscription Service: None, free-to-play
- Key features:
- Super responsive miniature cars
- Fun arcade-style gameplay
- Thriving hardcore community
As an outwardly classic, arcade-style racer, Trackmania may seem like the antithesis of many of the games on this list but after a few races, it becomes immediately obvious that it’s the most competitive of them all.
The entirety of the game revolves around time trials and leaderboards that see players go up against each other to post the best time. The very top echelons of Trackmania have a thriving and extremely tight-knit community that quite literally all know each other, as well as a huge following on sites like Twitch and YouTube.
Though it might be a little more difficult to get into than a lot of racers, those it does hook will likely be players for a long time to come.
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Wreckfest
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- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5 Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch
- Release date: 2014
- Subscription Service: None
- Key features:
- Incredible destruction physics
- Wide range of vehicles from hatchbacks to trucks
- Unique mechanical systems
Sometimes there’s a special bit of the brain that needs to be stimulated not by pristine graphics or realistic, finely-tuned racing, but instead by wanton destruction. That’s where 2014’s Wreckfest comes in. A delightfully zany demolition derby release from developer Bugbear Entertainment, the game has some of the best destruction physics in any genre. Watching an opponent’s car get absolutely obliterated by a concrete barrier or, even better, yet another opponent’s car genuinely never gets old and Wreckfest is likely the game that provides the most outright excitement on this list.
- If racing against foes across the world has you in the mood for more multiplayer action, there are plenty of options out there.
Forza Horizon 5
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- Platforms: PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X
- Release date: 2021
- Subscription Service: Xbox Game Pass
- Key features:
- Deep vehicle customisation
- Interesting open world to explore
- Dynamic weather and seasons
The Forza series has arguably cemented its place as the world’s most popular racing game and the latest in the series takes everything the developers have done up to this point and somehow draws even nearer to perfection.
The open-world elements and varied biomes within that make exploring without aim just as appealing as participating in one of the game’s very varied multiplayer modes. Equally, the customization and tuning options available to players are extensive and refreshingly implemented, with it more than possible to stay competitive without having to delve into the minutiae of the fuel mix for each type of engine.
If that is your jam though, it’s absolutely something that can be done and it remains the hallmark of a game that can be as casual or hardcore as it needs to be. It’s easily one of the best racing games out there right now.
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Assetto Corsa Competizione
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- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5 Xbox One and Xbox Series X
- Release date: 2018
- Subscription Service: None
- Key features:
- Hyper-realistic gameplay
- Engineering levels of vehicle tuning
- Beautiful graphics and models
Where Forza and Gran Turismo attempt to strike a balance between simulation and arcade-style playability, Kunos Simulazioni’s Assetto Corsa Competizione makes no such claims. Going all in on creating a full-scale racing simulation for a knowledgeable audience of enthusiasts, playing this is probably as close as it’s possible to get to driving a real car without going outside.
The development offices are actually located at Vallelunga Circuit in Italy and the team garnered real-world knowledge by working alongside actual racing teams on a day-to-day basis. Assetto Corsa Competizione is built entirely via a proprietary in-house engine and there is truly nothing else out there that feels quite like it.
That’s it for our full list of best racing games to play right now in 2023. For more best list content, keep reading TRAN HUNG DAO School.
Categories: Gaming
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