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Open-world racing games are some of the most exciting games you can play. The freedom to explore the environment while driving at full speed is always an exhilarating experience. I remember playing some of these games and instantly being hooked. If you are an avid gamer like me with a preference for open-world games, then you are in the right place! In this article, we explore some of the best open-world racing games that you can play right now to your heart’s content.
What are the best open-world racing games?
There are a lot of good open-world racing games out there like the Forza Horizon 3, Test Drive Unlimited 2, and The Crew. The Forza Horizon 4 brings so much realism into the experience, from the graphics up to the handling style. You can also get thrilling vibes with the remastered versions of Need For Speed: Heat, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, and Burnout Paradise. At the end of the day, the best one really depends on what value in a game!
1. Forza Horizon 4
When discussing the best open-world racing games, Forza Horizon 4 should always be included. This game brings us to Britain. It retained all the loved features from the previous version and added it with highly appealing graphics and sound design. There are also a wide range of vehicles to play with and a customizable career mode, making it even more exciting. One unique feature in this game is the season changes, bringing a different element into the game. You can race during spring, summer, fall, and winter. Aside from the different vibe that each season gives, there are also season-specific events to look forward to. This game uses simulation-style handling, so it would be best to play it with a sim racing set up to feel the impressive in-game experience that it offers.
2. Need for Speed: Heat
With its street racing-themed gameplay, Need For Speed: Heat really is one of the most exciting open-world racing games available. The Miami-inspired map is suited greatly to the type of environment that they wanted to portray. What’s captivating with its gameplay is the adding of day and night street racing. During the daytime, it would just be a normal street race, but during the nighttime, it turns into this illegal, underground racing so be careful with cop chases. It has deep vehicle customization, allowing its players to have more freedom in terms of vehicle design. They also added the engine swap feature to provide an upgrade for some low-tier vehicles. Overall, it is a huge improvement over the previous Need for Speed.
3. Burnout Paradise Remastered
As it is a game that brings so much nostalgia, Burnout Paradise Remastered easily became popular with racing game players. The most notable improvement of this game compared to the 2008 version is the graphics and in-game details. With this, the beauty of different locales in Paradise City has become more evident, making it fun to roam around. Another exciting feature to look out for is its 5 different events that you can participate in: the normal race, stunt run, marked man, road rage, and burning routes. Each event offers a different type of challenge making the game more difficult and fun at the same time. One thing that needs further development in this game is its car customization as you can only modify the decal style, paint type, and paint color of your car.
4. The Crew 2
The Crew 2 has a very expansive map as it is based in the USA. This game offers a wide range of racing events including air and water races. One of the best features of this game is the Fast Fav system where you can switch to land, water, or air vehicles immediately. One requirement to use this feature is you need to unlock first a vehicle for land, water, and air. You will enjoy how this open-world game progresses as you will be able to unlock new cars and meet other racers. Not to be left behind, it also has a great storyline. The visuals greatly improved from the previous version but the little details especially on the street level are not very well developed, probably because it really has a huge map. But despite those little lacking details, The Crew 2 is still an amazing game worth your money!
5. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered
The original version is already good, but this version made the game cleaner and more appealing with the improved graphics and added designs on racing tracks. The game developers made sure not to ruin the best features of the original version and just focused on the things that they can improve. One thing to look out for in this game is its car chase gameplay wherein you can either be the one being chased or the one who is doing the chasing. It also allows you to use some little gadgets during a race like spike trips or roadblocks (if you are a cop to slow down your target). It doesn’t offer car customization like the other games but you can unlock better cars as you progress into the game. It also has a freeride feature for you to explore different regions freely.
Which console has better racing games?
This would depend on your preference as a gamer. Each console has its racing game exclusives that are quite good. Xbox has the Forza series which is one of the most popular and very highly rated racing games. Their latest release, Forza Horizon 4 is an open-world game so you can freely roam the map if you want. PlayStation has Gran Turismo which is also good. Partnered with a PlayStation VR, it could provide an extremely realistic and immersive experience. Nintendo has Mario Kart which offers colorful graphics while giving the game a lively substance. If you are planning to buy a console, then choosing a racing game that you want to play is the best way to start.