This was not easy to do. But we tried to take into account every little thing. And although the quality of graphics and soundtrack for the genre of “racing” is not very important, it is with their help that you can imagine yourself in the driver’s seat and be imbued with the feelings that you experience rushing at a speed of 240 km / h. In this article, you can learn about the best racing games for Pc. And the feeling when you choose the right moment to shift gears on the gearbox to get ahead in quality races is completely indescribable.
Don’t even ask us, “How could you forget about the great simulator Grand Prix Legends? Where is Jeff Drummonds?! ” As soon as versions of these games appear in online stores such as Steam or GOG, we will add them to the list and recommend them for purchase. And for those who want to immediately choose for themselves some arcade racing or a more realistic driving simulator, we have prepared a list of the best representatives of the genre. So, let’s get started.
Best Racing Games for Pc
FORZA HORIZON 4
Forza Horizon 4 is the sequel to the acclaimed best racing games for pc series from Playground Games, released in 2018. The ten-hour campaign takes you through the picturesque Scottish Highlands, coastlines and quaint British cities. Landscapes will change depending on the season ( winter, summer, spring, autumn ).
Changing seasons and changing weather will have to adapt. For every change, like wet leaves or frost, the car will react differently. If you want not only to finish first but also to surprise everyone with the best time, then each route will have to be carefully studied.
You can participate in regular races, seasonal championships, cooperative competitions, and a variety of endurance challenges. You have a huge fleet of vehicles at your disposal, where you will find transit vans and disposable hypercars. Drive through British villages and touch classic cars. By the way, in the game, you have a chance to get behind the wheel of the famous James Bond Aston Martin cars. And yes, driving to Forza Horizon 4 is expensive.
DIRT RALLY
Dirt Rally is arguably one of the best games from Codemasters. The game managed to surpass the famous Dirt 3 and deservedly gained popularity among gamers. The Dirt Rally project stands out from the rest of the games in the series. Perhaps because there are no arcade elements here, and the controls are more realistic. That is why Dirt Rally is one of the best in the rally genre.
And it’s not just that you’re driving on busy dirt tracks. This is an endurance race where everything depends only on you. All the little things need to be thought out in advance. And this approach is quite rare in games like sim-racing.
Dirt Rally was released in 2015. Therefore, since its release, the game has managed to acquire community support, which regularly releases any custom modifications that change the gameplay, fix bugs, etc.
Perfectly recreated cars, a variety of skins, a huge number of weather and lighting settings are waiting for you to make the game even better. Dirt Rally is the perfect choice for rally fans.
SHIFT 2
Among all the games on our list, only Shift 2 has managed to find the perfect balance between realism and arcade. And it’s not at all how you drive the car. In Shift 2, you won’t be staring at the hood. And for this, it is not at all necessary to use any Track IR. The game has a dynamic look that changes depending on the situation.
On sharp turns, the camera will move slightly in the direction in which the driver is looking. The sharper the turn, the more the gaze will sway. As a result, you get the impression that you are driving on a rough road, but there will be no disorientation in space. Feelings are quite natural.
The same goes for the depth of the field of view. Many game developers often overuse this visual effect, but in Shift 2, it is used to focus attention. When someone quickly “sits on your tail,” objects that are too far away are blurred, and mirrors emphasize the clarity of what is happening.
When you are moving in close traffic with other cars, the cockpit loses its clarity, but the rivals behind it, on the contrary, fall into focus. This all sounds pretty weird, but it feels just as natural in the game as if you were driving. Shift 2 is suitable for having fun and enjoying all the delights of driving.
PROJECT CARS 2
Project Cars 2 is a racing game car simulator, so you can expect from it the same sensations as from real driving. This is especially noticeable at high speeds and in sharp turns.
In general, get into your Ferrari or Lamborghini, your task is to finish the track and not leave the car right in the middle of the track. And believe me, you will not regret the time spent.
The guys from Slightly Mad Studios took care of making driving not only as close to reality as possible but also fun. Here is the perfect balance of arcade and simulator. The game does not punish you for the slightest mistake and does not issue penalties. True, it is better to use the steering wheel for control, and not other manipulators.
The sequel to Project Cars 2 has other features as well. You have at your disposal a huge fleet of vehicles and several game modes. Starting a new “career,” you can adjust various parameters, which will completely depend on the further passage of the campaign.
Participating in online races is not at all necessary. The AI of rivals will not disappoint you. Another feature is the presence of a dynamic change in weather and time of day. Project Cars 2 calculates the properties of different materials and surfaces, transforming the passage of each track into a unique experience.
TRACKMANIA 2: CANYON
Any gamer will confidently say that race track design is an integral part of any “racing.” That is why TrackMania 2: Canyon is so popular among fans of the genre, and this is one of the best racing games for pc.
If, in other games, the race tracks are rather commonplace and predictable, then TrackMania 2: Canyon has something to surprise even the most sophisticated gamers. Moving platforms, crazy ramps, and superb physics. All this greatly distinguishes the game from other arcade racing.
But TrackMania 2 is revealed online, where you can find unusual, intricate tracks created by users. To compete with them is another challenge. At any moment, the race can turn from an ordinary chase into a fun overcoming of obstacles from ramps and platforms. The gameplay mechanics are pretty simple and don’t require any training. You can sit down and play right away. Believe me. You won’t even notice how quickly the hours spent at the computer flew by. Driving is quite simple, but as soon as you finish first and set a record, someone will immediately beat him.
DRIVER: SAN FRANCISCO
If Steve McQueen was digitized and turned into a video game, he would be Driver: San Francisco. This is what all arcade racing should be like.
Despite the fact that the game features cars from different eras, the 70s are felt in everything here. American masculinity, growling engines, squealing wheels, incredible hills and bends in San Francisco. Driver: San Francisco may have one of the finest soundtracks in the history of the genre.
The game has other features as well. For example, you are not tied to any one car and can change it to any other vehicle with just one click of a button. Therefore, it is not unusual for you to start and finish in different cars. Over time, you will be able to correctly respond to the turmoil happening around. And, as we said above, many modern races would benefit from learning from Driver: San Francisco. Such masterpieces are no longer produced.
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F1 2016
F1 is a series of racing games based on the
Formula 1 World Championship, developed and produced by Codemasters. F1 2016 was released in 2016. The game features advanced physics, wonderful graphics, and unusual gameplay mechanics. In other words, this time the fans got exactly what they were promised back in 2010.
Part of F1 2016 features the most compelling career mode we’ve seen. After the release of F1 2015, the series really changed. You can now completely customize the car by testing every change you make on the race track along the way.
And there are really a lot of such little things that greatly affect the gameplay and the overall impression: incredible weather effects and customization, various game modes. Launching F1 2016, you will understand how reverently the Codemasters studio is about Formula 1.
RACE: INJECTION
You can’t make a list of the best races and not include at least one game from the SimBin studio. And although the company is known to the general public today for the shareware RaceRoom Racing Experience, old- school gamers still remember the great masterpieces that SimBin produced in the 2000s. In a sense, Race: Injection is a hybrid of the GTR and Race 07 series.
This is a pretty difficult game. Even if you are not driving a full-fledged racing car, but just a modified sedan. Therefore, the racing Honda Accord, which you will try to finish first in the World Touring Car Cup, will still be the Honda Accord.
Race: Injection features well-designed physics and a huge vehicle fleet. You have luxury cars at your disposal, and each model feels different. For the money, you can hardly find anything better than Race: Injection.
The game was released in 2011, so you should not expect from it the graphics that modern racing simulators can offer. Still, don’t let poor lighting and boring visuals put you off. Give Race: Injection a shot, and you will see how good it is, especially if you are using a dedicated steering wheel.
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ASSETTO CORSA
Assetto Corsa is a complete driving simulator from the Italian studio Kunos Simulazioni. The game is based on the application of real racing experience, so driving a virtual car will feel like you are driving.
On the other hand, in the Assetto Corsa, they are not as good as direct driving. But as soon as you move back to the race track, all the shortcomings immediately fade away. And yes, the AI of rivals is also at the highest level here. Their behavior is also difficult to predict as if a real person was driving. Assetto Corsa is a great car simulator that combines superior AI and realistic graphics.
RACING
IRacing’s racing simulator blurs the line between play and work. Plus, the league rules are as complex as any racing club.
It’s a great choice for those looking for something really challenging and willing to train for hours just to be the first. If the names of such series as IndyCar and Grand Prix Legends are not empty words for you, then you will definitely appreciate iRacing.
Moreover, it is distributed by subscription and not B2P (buy to play, buy, and play). However, the price of $ 50 per year is not that much compared to some MMO. In addition, the game does not put emphasis on the graphics. Still, this is not the main thing here. If games from the studio Codemasters or Race: Injection seem like child’s play, then iRacing is your choice. Not to mention, the game is available in VR.
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WRECKFEST
A racing simulator from the creators of the unforgettable FlatOut series, in which you will do, in general, the same as you did in FlatOut – beat, crush, crush cars in uncompromising racing races.
The game boasts a reliable physics model, thanks to which the process of destroying cars becomes realistic, spectacular, and addictive, and numerous racing modes make Wreckfest not just a tech-demo to demonstrate the destructibility system, but also a good game that can challenge the single-campaign and multiplayer.
GRIP: COMBAT RACING
GRIP: Combat Racing features hurricane races on three dozen tracks, a killer arsenal of weapons and amplifiers, a large selection of cars, including squat wheeled cars, cars on anti-gravity cushions and even a flying DeLorean, as well as crazy multiplayer modes in which you show your skills to thousands of players from all over the world.