Motorsport is a beautiful pastime. It’s also gut-churningly expensive, and you generally only get to drive the fast stuff if you’re incredibly talented or incredibly wealthy. Video games are a way to scratch that racing itch at a much cheaper cost. Thus, I ask you—what racing games are you playing right now?
These days, you’re spoilt for choice. You have console sims like Gran Turismo 7 and Forza Motorsport, along with esports titles like iRacing and Assetto Corsa. That side of gaming is growing faster than ever. Then there is the increasingly large bounty of indie titles that trade on nostalgia, silliness, or some combination of the two. Or maybe you’re the one person who finds the racing minigames in Grand Theft Auto V compelling?
I’ve had a taste for a wide variety of titles over the years. As a tot, I cut my teeth on Jaguar XJ220: The Game back on the Amiga 500. We’re talking 2D graphics, module music, and faster lap times if you turned the sound off because it freed up spare CPU cycles. Sadly, I have never quite completed the arduous career mode, which sees you trying to race around the world without running out of money due to airfares and repairs. It was well ahead of its time in 1992, featuring a real damage model, refuelling, and weather effects to boot.
I then moved on to a number of Need for Speed titles, before graduating to the Forza series when I got an Xbox in the early 2000s. Much of my early obsession was with street racing titles. I adored the soundtracks of Need for Speed: Underground and Midnight Club 3 in equal measure. Both taught me swear words I’d never heard before when I looked up the non-censored versions of their track listings.
I also branched out into more off-road titles. Favorites included Colin McRae Rally 04 and the more arcade-like RalliSport Challenge 2. But I also dabbled in more oddball fare, too, enjoying the track-building fun of the original GeneRally. Eventually, in the early 2010s, I drifted away from gaming entirely as a crushing university workload squeezed any remaining time I had for joy.
Lately, though? I’m back with controller in hand. I’ve gone full twee, firing up art of rally (yes, lowercase) on Steam. It’s a weird title. Cute as hell, and dripping in nostalgia. But I’m not in love with it. Many agree the controls are horrible out of the box, and that the first set of cars are terrible to drive. But I’ve persevered with it, and found some joy in trying to beat my ghost on the Sardinia course.
I still probably wouldn’t recommend the game. I find the career mode utterly dull and disappointing. The game is too minimalist. There are no split times, no pace notes, or even any sense that anything is really happening as you drive along. You just do rallies and at the end you find out if you did good or not. Still, hitting that one stage and trying to optimize my lines is enjoyable and has me hooked for now.
But enough about me. What about you! What are you playing, how much are you enjoying it, and should we all be getting on board? Sound off!
Image credits: Art of Rally via screenshot, Salvatore Forenza via YouTube screenshot
I’m still out here playing Blur, local split screen when able. Such an incredible game, just pure fun Mario kart for adults. Fun handling, great sense of speed, interesting car list, cool art style, great track diversity, and super fun skill based weapons.
Otherwise I constantly come back to Dirt Rally 2.0 as well as Dirt 1-3. Plus Art of Rally as it’s easy to pick up in short bursts.
The Horizon games were my absolute jam for a couple years, but they really started to feel the same. I picked up FH2 first and put an obscene amount of time into it, but each game since I find myself putting in far less time. Hoping for a Japan location next with a wider lineup of weird Japanese classics and a more unique map than Mexico.
BeamNG Drive, this is what you want. Not a total racing game or even mostly a racing game. However, you CAN race but more importantly to me, the physics are incredible!!
Turbo Golf Racing. Becoming proficient in the game makes you an unstoppable force in Rocket League. Also GTA and latest Gran Turismo.
A replay of Need For Speed Unbound. Shame the soundtrack is mid at best because I love the rest of it.