Racing Games

Hello all. First post here. Anyway, I've never been a racing game guy but here lately I've had an inkling to give the genre a real try. Problem is I have no idea were to start. So I was wondering, what are some good games to try for someone who has only dabbled in the genre here and there, once in a while? Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Platforms I have are: PS4, PS3, XBOX One, XBOX 360, Wii, PS2, Gamecube

Im pretty bad at racing games but I do enjoy them, Forza and Dirt were good for me because of how customizable the difficulty was. if you only need one racing game I would suggest forza as it has so many different types of cars and tracks that you really dont need anything else

I would highly recommend diving into Forza Horizon 2: personality, adjustable difficulty, good amount of content, pretty cars.

Yeh Forza Horizon 2 is really good and accessible.

I loved forza 2. Sooo many cars and customizability. I hear forza 3 is just like 2 except better. Never got into the horizon games.

If you don't mind classics, I highly recommend the original Need For Speed Underground. That game was just a ton of fun.

I'm really enjoying Project Cars and Dirt Rally, not sure what your taste is like, do you like the arcade or sim style?

I'm not sure if I prefer arcade or sim. Haven't played enough of either to make a call one way or another. Forza Horizon 2 seems to be a common suggestion so far. Is that considered sim or arcade?

When it comes to PS4, Drive Club for PS Plus is finally available and you can find a demo of The Crew as well. Two very different type of racing games, but they'd be a good way to test the waters.

Forza Horizon 2 and Gran Turismo 6 are both recent ones that I've really enjoyed. If you want to go older, Gran Turismo 3 for the PS2 was fantastic in its time.

And if you want something a little more over-the-top, try Burnout Paradise.

@chance568: I would start with the Forza Horizon series just to ease your way into the genre. The Forza Motorsport series is more forgiving than a sim like Gran Turismo. The Forza Horizon series is an open world approach to Forza

I haven't played any of the Horizon games, as i bailed on consoles, but from what i've played of Forza and what I've heard about Horizon, it sounds like a good way to go.

If you want a good Arcade racing game, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit is a good one. Burnout 3 is still a fantastic straight track game, and Burnout Paradise is a great open world racing game.

Sim games are a little more layered, it's a question of what you're more interested in; Fascination with automotive culture ( ya think cars are neat ), or interest in racing as a sport ( The strategies and skill involved ). Console Sims (i've only played Forza) seem to focus on automotive culture and the interest in cars, the racing aspect seems in service of test driving these cars or the joy of adding after market parts to turn the car you could own into a racing competitor. Sport focused racing sims (more commonly found on PC) are better appreciated if you're looking to turn all assists off and use manual shifting but that also means you'll have a better time buying hardware that can capture more of the nuance in simulated driving. So that can become a pretty expensive road.

I'm really picky with racing games and the only ones I've ever loved were Forza Horizon 2, Burnout Paradise and Need for Speed Most Wanted (original 2005 one).

At this point, you're best diving right into Forza Horizon 2.

SSX, the PS2 ones.

It's somewhere in the middle. It will require you to use the brakes and corner properly if you want to do well, but turning most of the assists on makes it very accessible (it even has auto-brake), especially with it having the rewind system. Most people start with a lot of that stuff on and just slowly turn things off over time, at which point the game becomes a lot more demanding of your skill. It's more realistic than most arcade style racing games for sure, but it's not on the level of Forza 5, Project CARS, or Gran Turismo 6 in terms of realism. The level above that would be something like iRacing or Assetto Corsa, which practically require a wheel to be fun.

Forza Horizon 2 would be my recommendation too, and there's a demo available on the Xbox One marketplace so you can try it first to see if you like it.

Its considered sim.

Project cars are an even better sim and probably the best one availible on your hardware but its very motor racing focused and "hardcore". If you wanna drive the same track 30laps and finetune your brake balance thats your choice but if you wanna get into driving games and not bump your head into a steep learningwall the first thing you do try Forza instead. Horizon 2 on Xbone with he rumble triggers are awesome.

@chance568: I don't play a lot of racing games so Sims feel to deep for me. I've been playing Forza Horizon 2 on the Xbone and I'm loving it. It's a beautiful game that has a lot going on. There are a ton of different unique challenges to do, a lot of races, and a ton of different cars. It's more arcadey than normal Forza which means it's more forgiving to players with a lead finger on the gas pedal.

After really loving this game I tried Driveclub PS+ edition (hey guys it's finally out!) and thought the cars handled poorly. They are slidey in a weird way and don't feel consistent across different tracks.

Need For Speed Most Wanted. The 2005 version on the 360. Do it.

Let me tell you about a little game called The Crew. (I've actually enjoyed my time with it)

Burnout Paradise

Forza Horizon 2

Riiiiiidge Raaaaaaacer 7 on PS3, it's like $7 used.

If you can find it, F-Zero GX for the Gamecube. It has a really hard story mode, but the grand prix mode is a blast to play. It also has a fantastic sense of speed that help make the game still look good today.

I also recommend the Burnout games, namely Revenge.