Driving game recommendation

[Sharia]

Heya

I'm not much of a fan of the genre myself, but I do like the odd driving game from time to time. I personally get on MUCH better with arcade or Kart racers, but for some reason, as shallow as it is, I am looking for the one that best shows off the consoles power at the moment. (yes, I said consoles)

Need for Speed (the new one) looks nice, but it disappoints me that it is set at night only. I saw a new game called TrackMania Turbo on PSN the other day which also looked really nice, it had a number of different kind of cars and had loops and such.

Would people mind recommending me one? I'm not the most keen on simulators, but if one truly outshines everything else in the graphics department, I might be persuaded.

I own all consoles (and a top end PC if you absolutely must recommend one)

 

[Jamash]

I can wholeheartedly recommend Forza Motorsport 6 and Forza Horizon 2 on Xbox One.

They're both great driving games which really show off the console's power and graphical capabilities.

Forza Motorsport 6 is probably the better looking of the two and runs at a consistent 60FPS/1080p, but is more of a serious sim and you only race on closed circuits (with no day/night or weather cycles, only static environments featuring those variables), although it really does look gorgeous, both in the highly detailed Forzavista mode (in which you can explore any car in your garage in close up and intimate detail), and on the track itself, especially when driving in the rain (which is probably the best rain and water effects of any racer to date).

Forza Horizon 2 is more of an arcade racer with less realistic physics, mainly because it is an open world game with day/night and weather cycles and no real limits on where you can drive, but due to this extra expansiveness it only runs at a consistent 30FPS/1080p (but it's so smooth and consistent that you don't really notice).

Best of all, both of these games have comprehensive demos which really showcase what the games have to offer and can sell them to you a lot better than I could in writing, so perhaps you should download both demos to see how the games compare and differ from each other and to see whether any of them are your cup of tea.

 

[Amigastar]

You probably played it already but F-Zero GX on GC or Dolphin is one of my favourites.

Otherwise i recommend Trackmania, though i haven't played the new one only the older but it was really fun.

Also i've heard that Fast Racing Neo is very good for the Wii U, so check that out, too.

 

[Sharia]

I do have both GX and Fast Racing Neo (both fantastic), but thanks for the recommendation of Trackmania. I had a feeling someone might recommend XBone titles, thank you Jamash. Though Trackmania might be more me, I might actually try Horizon 2, I'll just hold out for a few more responses though.

 

[Kae]

Get FUEL for XBOX360 or PS3, not PC because GFWL made it unplayable but it's a good arcady open-world racer.

If you like Kart Racers get Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing Transformed, it's actually pretty damned good, I'd say maybe even better than Mario Kart 8? Then again due to the Hovercraft/Kart/Aeroplane thing it feels more like a Diddy Kong Racing than a Mario Kart, but it's seriously damned good, seriously though, easily the best Kart Racer available.

If you are looking for a Rally style games DIRT3 complete is the way to go, it's just good at what it does, though admittedly I'm not a fan of the shared mechanic between the DIRT and GRID series of turning back time but it can be ignored and you can restart races as many times as you want if you prefer not to use it like I do, but it's a good driving game.

Yeah, that's what I'm going with, well no, I can't do this without recommending Re-Volt.

Look that game, Re-Volt it's just the best, it's an arcade kart style racer with RC cars that is just good, admittedly the absolute best version is the PC version because of the huge amount of mods but that unfortunately is no longer available for legal purchase even on GOG.com[footnote]The developers opted on using a fan-made patch in order to get the game functioning on modern systems and let's say that the creators of the patch weren't happy with them profiting from their work.[/footnote], so due to how difficult that may be to acquire then I'd recommend the DreamCast version as it easily is the best console version and even features a racing track that isn't available on the base PC version, though you can mod it in, but seriously play Re-Volt, you'll either love it or think I'm crazy for loving it.

 

[Johnlives]

Personally, the driving genre died with Wipeout 2097. When I got my orignal Playstation it came with a Demo disc with a single track, it was so much fun it rendered all other driving games meaningless. Whilst Psygnosis may be gone, it may be worth looking out for imitators.

 

[Poetic Nova]

The only 3 driving games I've played that didn't bore me to death after awhile are these:

Driver: You Are The Wheelman (PS1 and PC),

Basically an ode to movies like Driver, and Gone in 60 Seconds in video game form. If you like movies with long chases you might like it.

Demolition Racer (PS1, Dreamcast and PC),

Pretty much what is says on the tin. Regarding as a Destruction Derby clone, but for me it does things better (though Destruction Derby Raw is a good alternative).

Flatout 2 (PC, PS2 and Xbox/Flatout Ultimate Carnage (PC, Xbox 360),

Nominating both since UC is a remake of 2 for 7th generation and PC. I consider both a more modern take on Demolition Racer/Destruction Derby while keeping the spirit in tact.

 

[Sharia]

Thank you for all the suggestions guys.

I own a few racing games from last generation: Blur and Split Second I really enjoyed and I also have both Sonic & Sega Kart racers. I also own quite a lot of the "best" ones from prior generations such as Driver and the Wipeout games.

While this might be the one and only time I have ever set this kind of criteria, I was actually looking for something specific this time around though. I want something graphically impressive and specifically made for the current generation of consoles. The Trackmania trailer I watched on PSN looks quite impressive, but I find that trailers, especially ones for driving games, can be quite deceptive and often don't look quite as good when actually in-game, and I just cant be bothered to download a demo, they are so big in size these days -.-

 

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

I know you said you prefer arcadey racers, but I got to give props to Need for Speed: Shift 2. It's a mix between simulation and arcade, but it has an amazing sense of speed and tries an attempt at style I like.

Driver: San Francisco is a game I really like, where there's this hoakey storyline about a cop that gets struck by a truck and can "leap" into other cars to accomplish missions. It's quite a lot of fun and rather unique to a degree.

 

[gorfias]

Best driving game I've played is Burnout Paradise City on the PS3. But you are looking for something to really show the power of one of your consoles.

PS4 has better graphics but I don't know of a PS4 racer to match Xbox's Forza series. From what I'm reading in this thread, best get Forza 6. For that matter, I better get one too!

 

[Kae]

Thank you for all the suggestions guys.

I own a few racing games from last generation: Blur and Split Second I really enjoyed and I also have both Sonic & Sega Kart racers. I also own quite a lot of the "best" ones from prior generations such as Driver and the Wipeout games.

While this might be the one and only time I have ever set this kind of criteria, I was actually looking for something specific this time around though. I want something graphically impressive and specifically made for the current generation of consoles. The Trackmania trailer I watched on PSN looks quite impressive, but I find that trailers, especially ones for driving games, can be quite deceptive and often don't look quite as good when actually in-game, and I just cant be bothered to download a demo, they are so big in size these days -.-

From what I hear the Driving game that puts the most stress on the PS4's hardware is Drive Club.

I don't know if it's any good though, as I haven't played it myself, from what I hear it's pretty good but it runs at 30FPS which is generally not good for Racing Games.

 

[Mister K]

Well, it may not be a racing/driving game, but I always liked to simply drive my car on the roads of Brutal Legends world.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Rocket League!!

Sorry, i can't say it without the exclaimation marks. It just cannot be done.

Yeah, need for speed is consistently disappointing since Burnout stopped being made. What sad muppets thought that need for speed was the fun series of the two? The latest NFS is an always online. watered down pile of glistening shite. Some people like things that glisten, even if they are shite.

Trackmania loooks interesting, reminds me of that Xbox 360 live title where you did mid-air platforming with remote cars and loopy tracks with 3 objectives on each. There were well over 200 tracks, but i cannot find the game title currently. Edit..Gripshift! Yup, that is a recommendation too. Short, sweet levels with crazy designs and challenges.

Split Second?

Race Driver GRID, there was a DIRT Showdown which was basically destruction derby with DIRT physics.

Mad Max? If you can get past the non-driving parts, the vehicle combat and races are pretty tight.

Flatout: Ultimate Carnage. Interesting mini-games involving launching your driver through the windscreen in various ways.

 

[baddude1337]

If you're looking for something off-track, rally games are usually pretty fun. I'm not much of a racing game fan myself, but I find rally games incredibly immersive and fun. The most recent, Dirt Rally, has come out of Early Access not too long ago and is one of the best entries in the genre in years. It will be coming to consoles soon as well if you're willing to wait.

It's quite the visual spectacle too, with all the varied locales and weather effects. The car interiors are pretty spot on too, if you want to play from that perspective (I do).

If you want something a bit more arcade like, Dirt 2 and 3 had a more gamey handling system, with shorter tracks and other race types. Although with Dirt Rally you can fine tune the controls and difficulty to suit your liking.

 

[Sharia]

Thank you for all the suggestions! I plumped for Keleion's in the end as I also watched a few comparison videos against the likes of Forza 6 and Project Cars. Need for Speed seemed more consistent, but at the same time restricted. Drive Club just seemed to trump them all, especially with its weather effects. There are probably better driving games, but this is a very rare occasion where I wanted something specifically for its looks. I have played a bit of it and thankfully it doesn't seem to play/feel like some realistic simulator.

 

[The Enquirer]

I'd suggest Driver: San Francisco. The ability to swap between cars makes for an interesting mechanic as you can shift the streets themselves into your favor by blocking alley's with trucks etc.

 

[Sharia]

I'd suggest Driver: San Francisco. The ability to swap between cars makes for an interesting mechanic as you can shift the streets themselves into your favor by blocking alley's with trucks etc.

I grabbed that day one on PS3, I really like the series and I agree, that one was a lot of fun.

 

[Cati]

If platform and generation weren't a factor, Burnout Paradise was great for some light arcade-style racing/driving. I loved cruising around Paradise City and taking in the sights between races and events for a "pick a track and race" game, Burnout Revenge was a good one, although I prefer Burnout 2 PoI for that since burnout chaining is what appeals most to me in those games, as opposed to ramming my opposition off the road.

Criterion making NfS games instead of more Burnout games has been disappointing

 

[Squilookle]

Glad to see Driver San Francisco getting the mention it deserves, along with Flatout 2, Burnout (c'mon everyone knows that 3 and Revenge were the best in the series), Rocket League and... Re-Volt? Wow- don't get me wrong, it was a fantastic game but I doubt that's what OP had in mind.

That said, you owe it to yourself to check out

Mashed- the absolute best local multiplayer racer this side of Mario Kart


Dirt 3 still looks beautiful, with some really inventive game modes, like the car version of Timesplitters' virus mode:


And you know what? while we're recommending our favorite 'definitely not new' car games, I'll throw Interstate '76 into the mix- a by now ancient yet insanely cool and addictive game. After all these years it's music, involved story, memorable characters and fast paced realistic gameplay earn it the rightful place of greatest car combat game ever made. Word.

 

[Lindale FF]

Personally, GTA 5 is my favourite driving game. You can get on the beltway that goes all the way around the island, or you can practice dodging traffic in the city. Or go drive a jet ski on the lake.