Racing gameses have been around ever since PC gaming began. But never have they been so successful as they are in this age of consoles. Perhaps the reason is that joysticks and controllers have made it easier and more enjoyable to control cars and bikes in the games.
Be it realistic games like iRacing or animated ones like Burnout: Paradise, racing games would always be about the thrill, the feeling than simply the genre.
As the genre evolved over time, racing games have become less about the race itself and more about the characters, obstacles, roles and most importantly, the story. Let us take a look at some of the popular Racing games for Xbox One.
Racing games for Xbox One
1] Forza Horizon 2
Forza Horizon was quite an impactful game which received positive reviews from game critics. Its sequel, Forza Horizon 2 has been improved to make it even better. The drivable length has been increased to thrice of the original version.
Forza Horizon 2 features and open environment, set somewhere near the France-Italy border. The player is a participant in the Horizon Festival, competing with other racers. The new version of the game had an added feature called Bucket List to pick up the challenges.
2] Project CARS
Project CARS could be counted as the toughest racing games on Xbox. A single collision marks an end to your race. If the tires aren’t changed on time, they will make it tough for the vehicle. However, a mode of the game allows the player to revive the game upon pressing a button. This is what makes the gameplay so brutal.
The game has a dynamic environment which keeps changing between a sunny landscape and a thunderstorm mode. The helmet cam view in the game is almost realistic.
3] Wipeout HD Fury
When the futuristic Wipeout Fury was released in 2008, it was a rage both in the American and Japanese gaming market. And if any flaws could have made it any lesser of a game, the sequel Wipeout HD Fury is certainly a major expansion of the original version.
Wipeout HD Fury isn’t the ordinary car or bike racing game. It features a futuristic world where space-ships race with each other in an anti-gravity environment. If playing the online mode, it allows up to 8 players on 8 racing tracks.
4] Daytona USA HD
Daytona is indeed the oldest in the series of fine racing games. I remember playing the first of its versions when in primary school. If something has changed since then, it is the graphics, a few new features, some added characters. But the story and the thrill remains the same.
With the option of choosing manual or automatic transmission, the player is allotted a car, known as Hornet in the game. The racer has options to repair the car in between laps. Usually, the competitions are time bound when playing with bots. The game supports multi-player modes and could be played online as well.
5] Forza Motorsport 4
This is the original series from the developers of Forza Horizon. While Forza Motorsports has 5 sequels, the 5th one is exclusive to Xbox One. The best option for all Xbox players is Forza Motorsport 4.
The best part about the game is the realistic graphics. Perhaps, the most realistic ones amongst all racing games. Typically, the handling and performance of the cars are better in the 4th sequel than its later versions. With 26 courses to complete, you might not get bored easily with the game.
6] Burnout Paradise
The 5th game of the Burnout series, Burnout Paradise is set in the fictional ‘Paradise City’. This game has the maximum gameplay options among all racing games, ranging from typical races to ‘cops and robbers’ kind of modes.
Being an Open World Environment game, the racing game gives players and option to progress at their own pace. A few options have been added in the 5th version, like the day and night mode, Showtime mode and a better damage system.
7] Grid Autosport
The story of Grid Autosport is such, that the player assumes the role of a racer who is to build his racing career. The racer is given a career card. As and when the player completes various levels, the score card adds his/her achievements.
Grid Autosport could be played online as well. The option is available through RaceNet. You can create your own clubs, earn points and cash for the online mode.
8] Mario Kart 7
If you are a 90’s kid and know about Mario, your childhood was awesome. Having said that, Mario Kart 7 is a racing game that brings those same good old characters from the Mario comic and PC game a refined console mode.
Though it has a childlike animated gaming environment, those in their mid-20’s would enjoy it the most. The gameplay involves single-player and multi-player racing against each other in go-karts. The players have to pick up items in the race before their opponents to slow their progress and win the game.
Mario Kart 7 is not a typical racing game, but fun in its own manner.
9] Gran Turismo 6
The Gran Turismo series, developed by Sony is a veteran racing game series. Now that they have experienced their users with the first 5 versions of the game, the developers understand what they want.
Gran Turismo 6 has excellent graphics, and the cars and tracks look quite realistic. The soundtrack is simply awesome, and one could stay engaged with the game throughout the day. The latest monitor has multiple monitor support for a better experience.
10] Need For Speed
If I was to name the best overall racing game, the answer would be Need For Speed without a second thought. One of the oldest in the slot, Need For Speed has launched the maximum number of sequels among all racing games. When they started back in the early 1990’s, the game was a simple 2-dimensional competitor race. But now, it has a story, levels, characters and a reputation.
The story behind the newer versions of the game is that the player has to complete a ‘blacklist’ which is basically an indicator of the number of levels he/she has completed. Every level comes with better cars, a larger environment to cover and added difficulty.
You can get them from the Xbox Marketplace.