The Best Racing Games Ever

Racing is one of the oldest genres in video games, stretching back 50 years, but what are the best racing games ever?

There are thousands of titles to choose from and cover everything from simulation to arcade. Whatever your preferences are though, these games are bound to entertain.

As the release date for both Forza Motorsport and Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is scheduled for next year, we give our picks for the best ever right here!

The best racing games ever

This list is a compilation from all of the RacingGames.GG staff. Do you think there is something we have missed out? Let us know on Twitter!

We've gone for a mix of arcade and sim racers, with both new and retro games included. There are so many greats to choose from that it feels cruel to leave some truly great titles out.

Some that didn't quite make the cut include F1 2020, Gran Turismo, Forza Horizon 3, Colin McRae Rally, Wreckfest, and Assetto Corsa.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart is a racing game series that all gamers can enjoy. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the pick of the bunch too, as the Switch upgrade has suited MK8 so well.

The upgrade to HD graphics has made the tried and tested formula spectacular to look at. It's little wonder why this game has sold over 50 million units, becoming one of the best-selling video games of all time.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has the biggest and best selection of tracks, characters, karts and accessories to choose from.

While the original Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo was revolutionary and the games on the DS and Wii were also great, nothing matches 8 Deluxe.

The fact that Mario Kart 9 isn't being talked about much shows how impressive what is effectively an eight-year-old game.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)

Need For Speed has been going for almost 30 years now. While Unbound is a fun time, it doesn't come close to the series' best. Need for Speed: Most Wanted is still the best the series has produced and is absolutely timeless.

Great cars, fantastic customisation, an iconic soundtrack, and that gloriously cheesy storyline filled with over-the-top cutscenes makes Most Wanted an experience you'll never forget.

In most fans' estimations, the Underground games are the only two which come close to Most Wanted and it's hard to disagree with that.

If NFS can return to these glory days, it will become one of the best series out there again, there's no question about that. Most Wanted was a product of its time though, and it's possible that NFS will never get back to these levels.

iRacing

It's hard to believe that a game that's approaching 15 years old is still as popular today as when it launched. Ever since releasing back in 2008, iRacing has been in constant development and is always evolving and expanding.

The array of circuits and cars available is amazing and the simulation physics are second to none, it's incredible.

The only con that stops it being higher than fifth on our list is that iRacing isn't as accessible as some other racing sims.

Daytona USA

Chances are that if you're a millennial, you will have played this classic on an arcade machine at some point. In fact, even those in Gen-Z can enjoy Daytona USA as it's still one of the most common racing games to find in arcades.

Having been around since 1994, you'd think that this game would have aged significantly, but you'd be wrong. Yes, the graphics and sound are dated, but it's just as fun now as it was in the 90s.

You race stock cars around ovals for as long as you can in a classic time attack mode. 10p a go? Don't mind if we do!

Speaking of money, this game holds the world record for the most coins sunk into it, which speaks volumes about its quality.

Burnout 3: Takedown

Burnout is a series that we wish was still going. Burnout produced some of the best arcade racers ever, and we believe that 3: Takedown is the best of the sub-genre.

Burnout 3 transformed the franchise from a racer to the iconic and unique style that the series is known best for. You could now "Takedown" your opponents, meaning that it wasn't just racing anymore, but survival.

Hours upon hours were spent playing this classic and not one of them was wasted. Just like most EA games from the mid-2000s, the soundtrack is also a classic.

Even to this day, the crunching noises the cars make as they fly up into the air and split into a thousand pieces hits harder than any game has since.

Grand Prix Legends

Long before Codemasters took over the reins of the Formula 1 game, there was an F1 game that all were compared to. Grand Prix Legends was released back in 1998 and like iRacing, it still receives updates to this day.

These aren't updates via the developers, but rather the modding community. This has polished and tweaked the game to make it appear almost brand-new despite being over 20 years old.

Grand Prix Legends is often called the most realistic racing game ever, and it's easy to see why. GPL's damage and handling models are both more extensive and accurate than most modern games.

GPL is very challenging and genuinely terrifying at times. Flying up the old Eau Rouge or around the Monza banking in 1960s F1 cars is something you won't forget in a hurry!

Gran Turismo 4

In truth, Gran Turismo 1-4 all could've made this list, so it's no surprise we've chosen a GT title to top this magnificent seven.

Gran Turismo 4 wasn't the first GT on the PS2, but it's when Polyphony made perfect use of the new hardware. This is still one of the best-selling games in the series' history too, shipping almost 12 million copies worldwide!

GT4 has a handling model that some games even today cannot match. The car collection was huge for the time, with 721 cars in total. This was a series high at the time and significantly more than Gran Turismo 7 this year.

The level of detail that was also put into the game's single player mode was incredible too. You really did feel as though you were a real driver, not someone controlling a computer-generated racer.

Maybe we've got nostalgia goggles on, but the graphics don't look bad at all, especially considering this game came out in 2004.

Gran Turismo 4 is a rare game in that it has both quality and quantity and we think it's the best racing game of all time.