Nothing can get the adrenaline pumping more than aracing gameor, better yet—an open-world racing game. It’s incredibly fun to get into your dream cars, modify them, and take them for a spin across massive open-world environments.
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For when you crave the smell of burning rubber.
Race against your friends in supercars, drift across in JDM monsters, or just cruise in vintage vehicles—whatever floats your boat. There’s something for everyone, and I aim to prove it with this list of exciting open-world games geared towards motorheads.
10Japanese Drift Master: Rise of the Scorpion
The Drifting Experience Every JDM Fan Wants
Release Date
8 Aug, 2024
Developers
Gaming Factory
Reviews (Steam)
Mostly Positive
Every car guy’s dream is to drift across the streets of Tokyo in some of the most legendary JDM cars, like the Supra, Skyline, or Honda NSX.
JDM: Rise of Scorpionexists to fulfill that dream, allowing you to take your favorite JDM cars and drift across various locations in Japan—Initial Dstyle.
The game encompasses everything about Japanese car culture, from installing body kits and decals to making custom tunes to maximize your car’s horsepower.
Sure, the driving mechanics might not be themost realisticcompared to games likeCar XandAssetto Corsa, but it’s still quite good, and the driving is pretty enjoyable.
So, hop in your favorite JDM car and drift across downhill mountain roads or crowded suburban areas.
Japanese Drift Master: Rise of the Scorpion also gives access to the demo of Japanese Drift Master, which is supposed to be released in 2024. It’s a more modern version of the same game, featuring better graphics and overall better gameplay.
9Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
A Classic Open World Racing Experience
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crownaims to fix the mistakes of the widely criticizedTest Drive Unlimited 2. The game takes you back to the original city of Hawaii, Oahu, where the first game was based.
Solar Crown’sbest features are thephenomenal graphicsand the various environments it lets you drive in. From off-road tracks to crowded suburban streets to long highways, Oahu has a lot to offer.
You also have a wide range of cars to choose from; whether you are a luxury car guy, a sports car enthusiast, or someone who prefers the raw power of muscle cars, there is a lot to choose from.
Plus, being a modern game, you can customize your vehicle to whatever you want—make it fast, look elegant, or maybe both.
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8CarX Street
Realistic Car Physics
29 Aug, 2024
CarX Technologies, LLC
Car X Streetis an open-world street racing version of the widely popularCar x Drift Racing. It’s built on the same physics engine asCar X Drift, so you’re able to expectrealistic drivingmechanics.
Everything from the tires, suspension, and engine response feel real, unlike many of the arcade racers out there. It’s one of those games I highly recommend playing with a steering wheel.
Apart from that, the game has pretty much everything you need: a massive open world, thrilling races, a plethora of car choices, and modification features.
All in all, if you are looking for a more realistic and immersive racing game, thenCar X Streetmight be right up your alley.
7Driver: San Francisco
Every Car Is Yours For The Taking
Driver: San Francisco
Compared to modern titles likeForza Horizon,Driver: San Franciscomight not look as good, but its legacy and nostalgia-fuelled experience make it one of the best open-world racing games out there.
The game’s standout feature is the “Shift” mechanic, which allows you to possess any car on the road. This opens up many opportunities for strategic or chaotic maneuvers when racing at breakneck speeds.
You can use this mechanic in the dozens of different missions available in the game, from police chases to undercover operations or straight-up street races.
All of this is set in the beautiful recreation of the (drum roll please)city of San Francisco. If you are considering playing some of the old racing classics, tryDriver: San Francisco.
6The Crew Motorfest
A Robust Online Experience
The Crew: Motorfest
AfterCrew 2’ssuccess, it was hard to imagine a game that could surpass it, butCrewMotorfestis definitely up for contention.
The game is set in the fictional world of Motornation, which features various environments from off-road and proper racetracks to shoddy mountain highways; there is a lot to explore.
Crew Motorfestfeatures a variety of racing styles. Whether you like rallying,drifting, racing on tracks, or street races at night, the game has something for everyone.
You can also customize a car both mechanically and cosmetically, allowing you to create a vehicle that’s as fast as it looks good. If that’s not your taste,buy a carfrom the game’s vast library.
But, the game’s main feature is the robust online system, which allows you to race and explore with friends or other strangers on the map. Don’t worry; there is also a Career mode for single-player fans.
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A tough decision has to be made!
5Burnout Paradise Remastered
Endless Chaotic Fun
Burnout Paradise Remastered
Burnout Paradiseis quite different from the open-world racing games you see today. It doesn’t have the breathtaking open-world environments or the super realistic driving mechanics that modern games feature.
If I were to describe the game in two words, it would be “chaotic fun.” That’s because the game is all about going fast and causing chaos.
The sense of speed in this game is excellent. It feels like you are going at suicidal speeds through the town, wreaking destruction everywhere. Interestingly, the game encourages you to cause crashes and rewards you for it.
It features a unique game mode called Crash Mode, where the goal is to cause as much chaos as you may in a set amount of time. You can crash into other cars, buildings, and billboards to earn points.
Burnout Paradise is an arcade racing game, so don’t expect realistic driving physics. However, the game’s superfast and clunky race mechanics makeitsuch a gem in the open-world racing space.
Not to mention, the remastered version has a lot more content, different game modes, and improved visuals. What’s not to love?
4Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
The Best NFS Game of All Time
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Many consider the originalNeed for Speed: Most Wantedto be one of, if not the best,Need for Speed gamesever made. While you may disagree, it is acceptable to say that the game was one of the best of its time.
You start the game as a rookie driver with ambitions of being the “Most Wanted” racer in the fictional city of Rockport. Things don’t go according to plan, as you lose your car in the first race because of tampering by the other racer.
From then on, the goal is simply to defeat the other Black List racers, climb to the top, and reclaim your car. All the while, the police are out to get you.
Whether it was the thrilling cop chases or the great story behind it,Most Wantedis a game still remembered most fondly by many NFS fans.
3Need For Speed: Heat
Reviving the NFS Series
Need for Speed Heat
While you might argue thatNFS Unboundmight be better,NFS Heatfeels more like an NFS game thanUnbound.
Sure, the new cell-shaded and comic-like art style is excellent, but the open world of Heat is just better, and that’s what this list is about.
Set in a fictional Palm City, the game features a massive open world that’s rewarding to explore. Both day and night look phenomenal in this game, and the same can be said for the various locations within the city.
The story is stale, as expected from aNeed for Speedgame, but the arcade racing mechanics feel fluid and immersive.
Apart from that,Heatis an NFS game through and through. It features various vehicles, vast customization options, a decent Career mode, and thrilling cop chases. If you are looking for a modern NFS game, tryHeat.
2Midnight Club: Los Angeles
The Classic Street Racing Experience
Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Midnight Club: Los Angeleswas praised for its open-world environment, street-style car racing, and fast-paced gameplay. It’s set in a fictional recreation of the bustling city of LA.
While the story is stale, the game focuses on car racing and open-world exploration, allowing you to play with different cars customized to your liking. It’s anarcade street racing experiencethat we all know and love.
If you are bored exploring the city, you’re able to try modes like Time Trial, Drag Races, and Circuit modes. All the races occur in the town, making it extremely enjoyable to race through the traffic in your favorite cars.
Although the game is quite old, it still holds up as a good arcade racer that’s extremely fun to play.
1Forza Horizon 4
The Ultimate Open Racing Experience
Forza Horizon 4
You can’t discussopen-world racing gameswithout mentioning theForza Horizonseries. The entire series has greatly influenced the modern open-world racing genre.
While the series has had a couple of games,Forza Horizon 4is hands down one of, if not the best.
Set in the vibrant countryside of Britain, the game not only gives you a massive open world to explore but also different season cycles.
At one point, you are rallying on dirt tracks in the rain, while at another, you are driving trucks along the snowy mountains. The game features dynamic seasons that rotate throughout the year (game time).
Along with this,Forzahas one of the largestcar libraries. you may find cars from German, Japanese, and Italian manufacturers and more. Frankly speaking, there are some manufacturers that even i haven’t heard of (I am a car guy).
In short,Forza Horizon 4offers one of the best open-world racing experiences. Whether it’s the rotating seasons, the beautiful and vibrant city to explore, or the plethora of car options available, there is so much to unpack.
