What Games have the best "Sense of Speed"?

[stroopwafel]

I'd say Driveclub and NFS Hot Pursuit. Both have really linear track design that's all about speed. They are probably my most favorite racing games. Hot Pursuit in particular was all about race & (high speed) chase and I can't think of an arcade racer I enjoyed more. Espescially the online Interceptor mode(1 cop vs 1 racer) was insanely satisfying and fun. Driveclub kinda hits the sweet spot between arcade and a more sim like racer but trims off all the fluff like customization and tedious micro management. It's a game that has gotten better and better with each update to the point it's now one of my most favorite racing games of all time. Definitely the prettiest as well. Driveclub also has one of the best dashboard views from any racing game I know as you really 'feel' the car rumbling and shake and pulling weight as you race down a mountain pass at high speed. The rain and weather effects also look really realistic. The game might not be a sim but it's actually the closest approximation of real driving that I know. Pushing these cars to the max is so much fun.

Driveclub had a shitty launch with all those server issues and it kind of lost momentum but it's such a good game now. This is actually the only game I ever bought the season pass for b/c I wanted all the DLC. Hot Pursuit was awesome for just being an undiluted experience and being all about speed instead of incorporating all this The Fast & Furious crap and fragmenting the game with 'open world' track design. It also still has the coolest trailer:

 

[MrFalconfly]

I'd say Driveclub and NFS Hot Pursuit. Both have really linear track design that's all about speed.

To me, that doesn't actually convey the sense of speed.

Long straight wide roads merely cause high speeds to feel slower.

I can go 350km/h down the roads of NFS Hot Pursuit, and not actually feel I'm going that fast.

However, being on the edge of control, pushing your tires as much as possible in corners, or fighting for grip on loose surfaces is what I think really gives a sense of speed.

It's actually why I like rally racing (DiRT 3 for example), because while I rarely drive faster than 120km/h, it feels like I'm going much faster than that, because I'm on the ragged edge of control.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Burnout 3 Takedown and Star Wars Episode 1: Racer

 

[stroopwafel]

I'd say Driveclub and NFS Hot Pursuit. Both have really linear track design that's all about speed.

To me, that doesn't actually convey the sense of speed.

Long straight wide roads merely cause high speeds to feel slower.

I can go 350km/h down the roads of NFS Hot Pursuit, and not actually feel I'm going that fast.

However, being on the edge of control, pushing your tires as much as possible in corners, or fighting for grip on loose surfaces is what I think really gives a sense of speed.

It's actually why I like rally racing (DiRT 3 for example), because while I rarely drive faster than 120km/h, it feels like I'm going much faster than that, because I'm on the ragged edge of control.

Fair enough. For me the fun is really trying to keep and maintain the almost maximum speed of the car and knowing one small error means either crashing the car or losing the match so it almost becomes hypnotic in a way. Not the biggest fan of racing games in which you need to wrestle to keep control of the car but I do enjoy memorizing tracks with lots of curves and corners and knowing exactly when to break and accelerate for optimal speed gains. I do imagine sports cars on flat surfaces drive quite differently than off-road rally cars. Never played a DiRT game but interested to give one of those games a try though.

 

[RunsWithBears]

Funny, when I read the title I immediately thought of Colin McRae DiRT aswell.
Especially when you don't know a track very well and every corner is a surprise.
I also cannot count the amount of times I parked my car against a tree. x)

 

[MrFalconfly]

I'd say Driveclub and NFS Hot Pursuit. Both have really linear track design that's all about speed.

To me, that doesn't actually convey the sense of speed.

Long straight wide roads merely cause high speeds to feel slower.

I can go 350km/h down the roads of NFS Hot Pursuit, and not actually feel I'm going that fast.

However, being on the edge of control, pushing your tires as much as possible in corners, or fighting for grip on loose surfaces is what I think really gives a sense of speed.

It's actually why I like rally racing (DiRT 3 for example), because while I rarely drive faster than 120km/h, it feels like I'm going much faster than that, because I'm on the ragged edge of control.

Fair enough. For me the fun is really trying to keep and maintain the almost maximum speed of the car and knowing one small error means either crashing the car or losing the match so it almost becomes hypnotic in a way. Not the biggest fan of racing games in which you need to wrestle to keep control of the car but I do enjoy memorizing tracks with lots of curves and corners and knowing exactly when to break and accelerate for optimal speed gains. I do imagine sports cars on flat surfaces drive quite differently than off-road rally cars. Never played a DiRT game but interested to give one of those games a try though.

The fun in Rallying, which is especially possible with DiRT 4's Your Stage, function, is that you don't actually know what's round the corner.

You're completely reliant on your pacenotes (those fun, "4 left don't cut, 50 crest caution dip, going into 2 right", comments the co-driver gives you), because you've never been on this road before.

Tarmac racing is fun too, however I find that I have the most fun on a track with loads of tight corners, and elevation changes, and preferably in a car that isn't clued to the ground with downforce, meaning I can't just mash the throttle everywhere.

 

[American Tanker]

I find that I have the most fun on a track with loads of tight corners, and elevation changes...

Completely unrelated to what you guys were talking about, but I just wanted to mention the Portuguese "Algarve" circuit(Or is it Portimao? I've seen both names in different games). One pre-race line from your race engineer in GRID 2 calls it a roller coaster, and I LOVE it!

The opening straightaway, especially from the second lap on, is insanely fast, then you go through a series of corners with wild elevation changes, then you end on this massive downhill right-hand sweeping turn to come back down to the stripe.

Easily my favorite of the game's circuit tracks, though I definitely prefer the point-to-point courses in that game.

And while I'm talking about GRID 2, anyone here ever tried the "Live Routes" mode? Talk about not knowing what's around the next corner. It's crazy. Live Routes in Paris, with all the height in that city? WILD.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

I find that I have the most fun on a track with loads of tight corners, and elevation changes...

Completely unrelated to what you guys were talking about, but I just wanted to mention the Portuguese "Algarve" circuit(Or is it Portimao? I've seen both names in different games). One pre-race line from your race engineer in GRID 2 calls it a roller coaster, and I LOVE it!

The opening straightaway, especially from the second lap on, is insanely fast, then you go through a series of corners with wild elevation changes, then you end on this massive downhill right-hand sweeping turn to come back down to the stripe.

Easily my favorite of the game's circuit tracks, though I definitely prefer the point-to-point courses in that game.

And while I'm talking about GRID 2, anyone here ever tried the "Live Routes" mode? Talk about not knowing what's around the next corner. It's crazy. Live Routes in Paris, with all the height in that city? WILD.

The last GRID I played (Autosport) Okutama track had some pretty cool elevations. That game did speed pretty well, throughout the cars abilities.

Currently playing Forza Horizon 3, which does very high speed extremely well, but the lower speeds seem a bit....off or something. The slower cars seem really really slow, even when doing a decent pace. Then suddenly at 250km+ everything is insanely fast, which for me makes the A-S1 class cars the most fun. S2 is kinda mental, the most thrilling definitely but not the most fun when you just want to chill and slide around.

DiRT rally does speed very well because of how the momentum of the car carries you through the terrain. You have to be very careful of weight, or you just go bashing through while barely hanging on. There's no rewinds, so every cock-up has consequences. There are some very narrow cliffs in Wales and Greece where you literally pass through them with one wheel hanging over nothing, to set a competitive time there is hugely rewarding when you know you've squeezed the car for every inch of it's worth, and made it with most of the bodywork intact.

 

[American Tanker]

Burnout Revenge did ?speed? best for me. I loved barreling down the congested streets at 200 mph, camera shaking, the hiss of the nitrous, knocking other cars out the way in spectacular fashion, then, of course, the explosions. That game is basically testosterone?s and adrenaline?s love child.

I loved the Burnout series, especially Takedown and Paradise to somewhat lesser extent. I hope they make another one soon.

I agree with both this series and F-Zero providing an outstanding sense of speed.

 

[MrFalconfly]

I find that I have the most fun on a track with loads of tight corners, and elevation changes...

Completely unrelated to what you guys were talking about, but I just wanted to mention the Portuguese "Algarve" circuit(Or is it Portimao? I've seen both names in different games). One pre-race line from your race engineer in GRID 2 calls it a roller coaster, and I LOVE it!

The opening straightaway, especially from the second lap on, is insanely fast, then you go through a series of corners with wild elevation changes, then you end on this massive downhill right-hand sweeping turn to come back down to the stripe.

Easily my favorite of the game's circuit tracks, though I definitely prefer the point-to-point courses in that game.

And while I'm talking about GRID 2, anyone here ever tried the "Live Routes" mode? Talk about not knowing what's around the next corner. It's crazy. Live Routes in Paris, with all the height in that city? WILD.

Portimao, or Algarve, a dear child has many names. (kinda like Sears Point/Sonoma/Infineon in the US)

But yeah, that's definitely an example of a great GP track.

And the Grid series has really nailed how to make everything from a FWD Golf or Focus ST, to a GT1 or LMP feel fast.

 

[retsupurae yahtsee]

I am playing a really fun and challenging one that makes most racing games look sedate: Thumper. Thumper is like trying to play a platformer where the character moves at the speed of an F-Zero car.

Independence War: A classic space simulator where you can travel many times the speed of light and experience time dilation.

Metal gear Solid Rising: Revengeance: You can play it as a stealth game like the others, or you can run around at high speeds and chop everyone to shit with fast sword strikes.

Gunstar Heroes: Classic run and gun where you are constantly riding fast-moving vehicles, sliding down hills, jumping between walls and other chaotic activities.

Ninja Gaiden: A series where you constantly have to run and jump with perfect reflexes with enemies speeding towards you from all directions.

Bionic Commando: Fast-paced grappling over long pits and spikes.

 

[Wintermute_v1legacy]

I think Audiosurf is pretty fast depending on the song. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, haven't played it in years.

 

[BarkBarker]

Need For Speed Underground 2 when kicking those drag races late game felt terrifying at times I was gonna leave the tarmac and take flight, hot damn.

 

[Hazy992]

F-Zero GX, fuck me that game is fast. Also it has a first-person mode which is just mental.