When you boil down gaming to its finest points, no genre captures the cut-throat nature of competition at its purist better than racers. Shooter fans may bristle at the notion, but when it comes to speeding on four wheels, no exploits or money moves will hand an advantage to anyone. This generation of consoles has delivered more fascinating leaps in graphics and gameplay in racers than any previous iteration, yielding one spellbinding example of excellence after another.
Here’s a look at the best racing games available right now:
5. Forza Horizon 2
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developers: Playground Games, Sumo Digital
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQFiWpp5Y5w
The breezy, freewheeling offshoot of the more rigid and technically intense mainline series, Horizon is all about the open road and emergent moments that come up when you go spinning off country roads during impromptu races. Roaming the well-designed open world to seek out challenges from strangers and friends is one of the game’s great joys, and there are always stats-building throwdowns with bots at hand to help you grind for experience and cash you can use for upgrades.
ORDER: Forza Horizon 2 here
4. Project CARS
Publishers: Slightly Mad Studios, Bandai Namco
Developer: Slightly Mad Studios
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPnPJXE2fhw
Boasting dozens of thoroughly detailed vehicles from various disciplines and one of the more addictive progression systems found in any racer, the game can easily become your next racing addiction. It’s also an excellent go-to for screensaver-quality visuals, with mesmerizing particle effects capturing the breakneck sense of speed in contrast to stunning backgrounds, dazzling weather elements and brutal vehicle damage.
ORDER: Project CARS here
3. Mario Kart 8
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Wii U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU7tXqYplA8
Purists may bristle at this Wii U offering’s rubber band AI and penchant for wacky, skill-nerfing power-ups, but few games capture the spirit of burning rubber and trading paint as well as this wacky free-for-all. The online and couch multiplayer are both thrilling, even though they’re hampered by the lack of voice chat that plagues Nintendo titles.
ORDER: Mario Kart 8 here
2. Dirt Rally
Publisher: Codemasters
Developer: Codemasters
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E79ofEtVlBg
Tearing up dirt tracks on PC several months before blazing onto consoles, this is the game that does rally racing proud. Navigating hairpin turns while peering through a mud-splattered windshield yields the type of high-pressure adrenaline that oval track racing can rarely match. While its demanding difficulty makes it tough to master for newcomers, a solid tutorial system helps you get up to speed to compete with the obsessives online.
ORDER: Dirt Rally here
1. Forza Motorsport 6
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: Turn 10 Studios
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBbXxfZYTAA
A tinkerer’s dream, this hardcore racing sim is tuned to give gearheads a leg up on those who ignore what’s under the hood. A mind-wrenching amount of qualities of vehicles to mess with makes it as fascinating to spend time hunkered down in the garage and on the practice tracks as it does clashing against opponents in live races. The true genius of the game is how it fails to fall into the Gran Turismo-like trap of letting the racing become dry and stale. There are enough arcade-style flourishes to keep the racing wild and joyous.
ORDER: Forza Motorsport 6 here
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