Your favourite driving games of all time?

[CarMadMike]

Hey guys,

 

If you had the chance to play a driving/racing game again for the first time, what game would you choose? What game has left a lasting effect on you, please say why so we can all reminisce together :nods:

 

Here's just a few examples so you don't think 'oh crap I forgot about that one, let me change my mind!'

 

- TDU/TDU2 (what are these games? never heard of them before)

- Need For Speed Most Wanted / Hot Pursuit / Underground 2

- Forza / Forza Horizon

- Mcrae's Dirt

- Gran Turismo

- Driver

- Project Cars

- rFactor

- Sega Rally

- The Crew

- Assetto Corsa

- Formula 1 games?

- Race Driver: Grid

- Midnight Club

 

Post away :duck:

[Ryzza5]

Nothing will compete with escaping from a police chase by going offroad between trees to emerge on some other road nowhere near Waikiki and not having a clue where I was.

[TIMELESS]

Nothing will compete with escaping from a police chase by going offroad between trees to emerge on some other road nowhere near Waikiki and not having a clue where I was.

 

Yes, I loved the early 2000s NFS games but man... TDU was eye opening. So much ground to cover, so many cars to buy, so much fun just cruising down the coast. So far, it's my favourite. While I do think TDU2 is a genuinely bad game, it has to be said it was never going to live up to TDU in that respect anyway.

[CLR-GTR]

This is my list, sorted to what impact they had on me. It's basically a whole picture, not just driving around but also the soundtrack, the atmosphere and design of the game, pre-release artwork/videos, etc. I could have opted to summarize the first three as "classic NFS'es" but that will make 102% of the people think I mean Underground 1 and 2.

 

Need For Speed 5: Porsche Unleashed/Porsche 2000

Need For Speed 4: Road Challenge/High Stakes

Need For Speed 3: Hot Pursuit

Test Drive Unlimited

Colin McRae Rally 3

Colin McRae Rally 2005

Mercedes-Benz World Racing

Mercedes-Benz Truck Racing

Hard Truck: Road to Victory

[CarMadMike]

I'd say NFS Underground 2 and how 'open world' it was to an extent is what started it for me and is what eventually led to me knowing I'd enjoy TDU upon hearing of its existence.

[The Compensator]

In no order:

 

World Racing 2

NFS U2

NFS Porsche

NFS II SE

TDU

McRae 2.0

Real Racing 3 on iPad

[Eudemon]

I have been fortunate enough to play a huge variety of games over the years (:wise:) and if I had to list the most memorable and those which have a special place in my memories it would be these:

(not necessarily in order)

 

M A I N

 

Pole Position - first racing game I can actually properly remember playing, its music will always throw me back to those days.

 

Burnin' Rubber - my cousins had an Amstrad PC with this game and we would play this often when visiting their house. It was always a close battle to as the game wasn't no slouch with its opponents.

 

The Duel: TEST DRIVE II - driving fast with a cockpit view in so many legendary supercars while watching your fuel was more fun that it sounds.

 

Road Rash - pure absolute joy when playing this -- laughing as you beat-up other riders or how the police would just ram your bike to stop you. Would absolutely love to see this series come back.

 

Super Mario Kart - could easily be the ultimate split-screen racer to be honest. Despite its cartoon look it certainly caused some hard contested and fought battles.

 

F-Zero - how bloody fast am I going?!?!?!?!?

 

Ridge Racer - this is when myself and my mates started believing arcade style gaming could come to the home console.

 

Carmageddon - brutal, stupid and so much fun causing controversial carnage.

 

Cruisin' USA - the arcade machine for this was down at the local ten-pin bowling and whenever me and my mates would be down there we would have a go or two of this.

 

Destruction Derby 1 & 2 - during the PlayStation generation, it just seemed that the racing/driving game was always getting better and more fun in so many areas and this series was no different in showing that.

 

Wipeout - being a fan of techno music and racing this game was right up my future stylised alley. Was definitely one of those that was 'easy to play, hard to master'.

 

ToCA Touring Cars 1 & 2 - being a big fan of the BTCC I could not wait for this game to come. I remember reading in magazines about the forthcoming BTCC and Gran Turismo games that were coming and was crazy excited for them both. ToCA 2 excelled the first and has a solid place in my memories as this time period was the peak of the BTCC for me. (was not keen on what came afterwards until the Race Driver series though)

 

Gran Turismo 1 & 2 - soooooo good! -- shame the damn series has stagnated and still suffers even to this day what people complained about back then.

 

Need for Speed: III - Hot Pursuit - not much needed to be said about this one I would imagine.

Need for Speed IV: Road Challenge - still rate the tracks in this game as some of the best I've played, EVER!

 

Rally Cross - this to me actually comes second to Super Mario Kart for the best split-screen racer, it was fun playing alone but it was something entirely better when competing against another.

 

DRIVER 1 & 2 - one of the best driving games, you could really feel those tyres spinning or that heavy rear sliding out as you threw it around the corners as the suicidal police hunted you down! (Extra points for the hubcaps falling off)

 

GTR 2 - playing this at a mate's house with their wheel was eye-opening. Funny enough the handling wasn't exactly realistic but people always equate difficulty with realism for some reason and this game was pure hell to drive right in.

 

Crazy Taxi - amazing game and the inclusion of real brands made it all that much better imo for some reason.

 

WRC II Extreme - I absolutely loved this game, it seemed that it was doing the impossible for the hardware it was on and when it was coupled with my new Logitech DFP, the immenseness of tackling a stage perfectly and watching the replay (with that incredible helicopter view) or messing up and watching your car tumble down a mountain is something I will never tire of remembering. :D

 

Forza Motorsport - this game was what Gran Turismo should have been by that time and for Microsoft to do it on their first outing was impressive. It made me buy an Xbox and it is still regarded as the best Forza due to the variety in what it provided to players.

 

Gran Turismo 4 - racing around the Nordschleife in so many of the cars (including an attempt in that 19th century Benz) was one of the greatest PS2 gaming moments I had.

 

Enthusia - better handling than GT and some excellent courses with a cool mix of vehicles made this a real surprise. Was best experienced with a wheel though.

 

Project Gotham Racing 3 - great to see the semi-arcade racer return and with the visuals this game had on a new console launch it would have been easier to be fooled that the gameplay was better than it actually was, but no this game was a diamond and is probably one of the best launch titles for any machine to ever be released imo.

 

Test Drive Unlimited - the game I had been waiting so long for -- an open world racing game that could be played with others. Made so many new friends and created this very community due to it. It had its faults and it was lacking in details, engine sounds and other areas but the environment and the sheer ability to just blast down the open roads at your own pace with others made it a brand new defining title for me in what I now look for in games like this.

 

Forza Horizon - for a while an open-world Forza is what people had been wishing for and we got it, and it was a very good game but it wasn't very open but it had the Forza flair and it excelled TDU in the areas where it failed hard in. However the smaller environment and walled-off areas made this a title which did not have the longevity that TDU held you in.

 

DRIVECLUB - in a way this is the PGR 3 of the gen 8 consoles, in that again it would be easy to be taken in by its looks over the way it actually plays but again it's not the case, as DC is a damn fine semi-arcade racer with jaw-dropping visuals and speed that sets the bar higher imo.

 

As you can see I have played a lot of the major titles and if you ever get a chance to try them out then definitely do so. Chances are you won't see what the fuss is all about as I guess some of them will not hold up well today. :(

 

Notable Mentions

 

And it wouldn't be fair not to mention some of those that missed the list: Outrun, Daytona USA, Colin McRae Rally series, Midtown Madness 3, Rage Racer, Twisted Metal, Hardware: Online Arena, NFS U2/Most Wanted, Race Driver series, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Forza Motorsport 3, DiRT games, Project CARS, The Crew and probably some others I have no doubt forgotten. :cool:

[CarMadMike]

- TDU

Of course this one is the one that resulted in me entering your lives and you owe Atari a lot as you'd all be so much worse off without me and TDU ever existing :p It was the chilled back approach of the game, although it did revolve around racing you could have a lot of fun doing things that did not require skill. Being able to cruise in great cars around amazing scenery was just groundbreaking to me.

 

- Need For Speed Underground 2

This might come as a shock to you but I was once young and immature, and during this time I was not as classy as I am now :leaves: I loved creating chav-tastic cars on NFSU2 and it was unrivaled at the time. Of course it was NFS so the usual criticisms apply but at the age I was playing it, it was exactly what I wanted.

 

- Forza 3

I got the Limited edition with the USB etc and it was just a good game, the game allowed me to push myself and get better at driving on the game. Was it this one we had a fair few evenings racing together online? I seem to remember mellors being an absolutely awful driver.

 

- Gran Turismo 4

This is the first proper racing game that I got competitive on, I absolutely loved doing the endurance races on the game but my save files used to always corrupt and on a game that takes forever to get to a decent place it was heartbreaking.

 

- Midnight Club

Some good fun was had on this game, it wasn't amazing but it was a good time killer.

 

Notable mentions:

Outrun 2006 - I loved the Arcade style gaming on this, you didn't have to think much or put much effort into interacting with the game, it was just pure fun.

Crazy Taxi - I forgot about this games existence until I read Diablo's post. Much like above, very fun, not much thinking :D

The Simpsons Hit & Run - Is it a driving game? Meh, probs not, but still, I enjoyed the driving elements of the game :D

PGR4 - I loved the graphics on this, the gameplay wasn't quite as revolutionary but I felt the graphics were better than most of its rivals at the time.

[John Jorell]

Here are some of my favorite racing games of all-time in no particular order

 

1. Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon franchise

2. Gran Turismo (up to GT4)

3. Need For Speed (Hot Pursuit 2, Underground series, Most Wanted 2005, Hot Pursuit 2010, Most Wanted 2012)

4. Burnout series (I hope EA can still create Burnout games way better than previously)

5. Assetto Corsa

6. rFactor

7. Test Drive Unlimited (of course the first one, because TDU2 is...... meh!!)

8. Pre-Codemasters developed Formula 1 games except for F1 2010-13 games

[Ryzza5]

NFS II SE - don't know why I love it but I do

GTR2 - mods! some great tracks you'll never find shipped with games

NFS The Run - easy for many to dislike this game but when you break it down to the individual races it's the closest thing to a retro NFS. Handling was ok, and tracks/graphics were sublime.

GT5 - had some great online races here

Rocket league - I wouldn't call it a racing game but apparently it won best racing game last year so may as well add it

[calster17]

MICRO MACHINES V3

 

 

That is all.

:D

 

I'll get a proper list up soon. But That game needs a mention as was epic as, and I've fond memory's of it.

[Eudemon]

Oh yeah, I remember that game.

[CLR-GTR]

I forgot 3 more games: A2 Racer, A2 Racer II and A2 Racer III Europa Tour. Racing through dutch, english and german cities and highways, starting with utter snails of cars and working your way up to the true supercars of that time (>2000), all unlicensed and low-detail ofcourse. So recognizable, the routes, the scenery, the cheap traffic vehicles and city buses, the european police. I guess old british farts should know it under the names London Racer or M25 Racer, but that's just a port ;)

[Rassva]

-Hot Pursuit 2 (My first racing game, and it was so mindblowing at its time)

 

-18 Wheels Across America (Felt huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggeeeeeeeeee - Trump Voice)

 

-Ford Racing 2, Total Immersion Racing, Starsky and Hutch, Crazy Taxi 2? (These four games came in Nesquik or some cereal boxes.)

 

-TDU (RS4, Gallardo Spyder, Murci and CLS for lyf.)

 

-UG2, Most Wanted, Carbon (I have their music for my workouts.)

 

-Downtown Run (Because I was playing it with dad.)

 

-Street Racing Syndicate (it gave me a Tokyo Drift feel somehow.)

 

-Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now (Loved that game so much, actually I'm going to get it asap, I think it's on GOG.)

 

-Unknown motocross game- (Idk what to say lol, still haven't found out it's name, and it drives me insane)

[Carbon_Kid]

My résumé in driving/racing games:

- Pole position I & II

- F1 Spirit by Konami

- Ignition

- Grand Prix Legends

- Colin McRae Rally 1, 2.0, 3, 2004 & 2005

- Grand Prix 3 (& 2000 Season)

- NFS Most Wanted 2005

- GT Legends

- TDU 1

- rFactor

- Race07 & Addons

- iRacing

- RaceRoom (& Racing Experience)

- rFactor 2

- Assetto Corsa

- BeamNG.drive

- The Crew

- DiRT Rally

- to be continued... :smig:

[TIMELESS]

My résumé in driving/racing games:

- Pole position I & II

- F1 Spirit by Konami

- Ignition

- Grand Prix Legends

- Colin McRae Rally 1, 2.0, 3, 2004 & 2005

- Grand Prix 3 (& 2000 Season)

- NFS Most Wanted 2005

- GT Legends

- TDU 1

- rFactor

- Race07 & Addons

- iRacing

- RaceRoom (& Racing Experience)

- rFactor 2

- Assetto Corsa

- BeamNG.drive

- The Crew

- DiRT Rally

- to be continued... :smig:

 

You skipped TDU2? :p

[Carbon_Kid]

... YES! :D

 

I had the "pleasure" to "play" the game for only an hour. That was more than enough for me.

[TIMELESS]

... YES! :D

 

I had the "pleasure" to "play" the game for only an hour. That was more than enough for me.

 

Smart choice... I was in the beta and played it off and on for a year after. I still have nightmares :lol:

[hassan1995]

Oh god...I'm going to mock up a word document for this, and find some old gems lurking in my pile of games :D

[Carbon_Kid]

(at)Mr Softie:

 

Sorry to hear that! I thank God that I had waited with my purchase until after the game was released.

For me the whole thing smelled too much like "Sims On Tour". :D

 

(But enough OT... :smig:)

[hassan1995]

I didn't really like or dislike tdu2, I remember trading it in after a short period. But god I have to admit I miss that game so much, there is something about it which makes me want to play it so much. Stupid windows 10 :fuming:

[Carbon_Kid]

Let's say I was veeeery disappointed with that game I actually don't want to talk about. :smig:

 

But to get back on Diablo's opinion on the Gran Turismo-Series. It is really a shame that this game doesn't get better.

Do you guys think that they finally fix the problems from former versions with the upcoming Gran Turismo Sport which will be released for PS4?

[Ryzza5]

The only reason I haven't mentioned this game yet is because it's still kinda new, but no doubt it's right up there (warts and all)

 

 

Just gotta see if I can find any video of Tiff having a go

[Ozzmcom]

I didn't really like or dislike tdu2, I remember trading it in after a short period. But god I have to admit I miss that game so much, there is something about it which makes me want to play it so much. Stupid windows 10 :fuming:

[Eudemon]

TDU 2 was playable though... I spent so much time in the Casino playing Poker and hitting the slots. And let's not forget the roulette with roulette, where it was a game in itself to see if you won, won then lost, lost or lost everything! :lol: