Gamereactor’s Gamer Guides: Essential Racing -.

There are so many great racing games that have served as icons of the genre over the years. Burnout, Wipeout, Need for Speed, Test Drive, iRacing, even annual titles like the F1 series. There is such an abundant list of great racing games, which is why, for the sake of this essential list, I have made convenience once again a driving force. Yes, Burnout 3: Takedown is an all-timer, as is Daytona USA, Need for Speed: Underground, and so on, but all of these games are more challenging to access on modern systems, which is why I’m leaning toward titles that you can find without difficulty.

Not to be missed:

5. Forza Horizon 5

I still firmly believe that the first Forza Horizon game was the best, simply because it captured lightning in a bottle and gave us a racing experience that was unlike much else at the time. But why play the original when Playground has since made four more attempts to perfect the formula? That’s why Forza Horizon 5 makes the list, because it’s still a remarkably good, vastly detailed, sprawling open-world racer that never fails to entertain hour after hour.

4. Rocket Competition

You couldn’t talk about video games with cars without mentioning one of the most popular at the moment, Pysonix’s brilliant Rocket League. Yes, this game fits into that weird area where it’s kind of a soccer racing mash-up, but I feel like it’s more of a racing game than a sports title, so it gets a place on this list. If you want a fun and competitive, easy to pick up experience that is great for all ages, there are few games that can rival the brilliance of Rocket League.

3. Dirt Rally 2.0

EA Sports WRC is a pretty great effort from Codemasters as they once again manage the WRC video game movement, but it’s not as timeless and pure as that of Dirt Rally 2.0, a fantastic racer that still thrives and excels today thanks to its huge and competitive community and great mod support. If you like simulated rally, there are few options better than Dirt Rally 2.0.

2. Assetto corsa competizione

One of the most complete and impressive simulation racing offerings out there. Assetto Corsa Competizione is basically the gold standard for anyone who loves cars and wants an authentic experience driving luxury, classic or rarer models that in reality you will probably never get the chance to get behind the wheel of. Thanks to years of support and an amazing effort from the community, this title remains an absolute titan and a must-play for all racing fans.

1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

If you can make a kart racer that is better than what Nintendo put out with the Mario Kart -series, you will be a very, very rich person. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is basically just a glorified version of the Wii U’s Mario Kart 8, is one of the best-selling games of all time thanks to the fact that everyone who owns a Switch seems to have a copy of this timeless, fun, accessible and jam-packed kart racer. This is the perfect game for solo players, online competitors, local parties and everything in between. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a racing titan and frankly, it’s probably only the eventual Mario Kart 9 that will dethrone it anytime soon.