Open-world gaming has become a powerful commercial force in the industry today, with many iconic IPs ditching their tried and tested gameplay formulas to try and get a piece of the success, including famously linear franchises like Sonic. Unfortunately, this has led to numerous lackluster releases that shoehorn in an underwhelming open world for marketing and advertising purposes. Still, when an open-world game is done right, it can create a fantastic gameplay experience for the player that is hard to top.

When people think of open-world gaming, they tend to imagine action-adventure games and RPGs. Although these genres do indeed dominate the open-world market, there have also been a handful of fantastic racing games over the years taking take place in enormous game worlds that players are free to drive around and explore. The following open-world racing games on this list all struck gold with excellent driving mechanics, interesting events, and tantalizing maps that are begging to be explored.

Updated February 8, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The explosion of open-world gaming has made it clear that players love to roam around massive sandboxes, with nothing to stop them from exploring these worlds to their hearts' content. This form of gaming works well with most genres, especially racing. There's something magical about zooming through a vast open world, performing side activities, and racing across landscapes that can be mixed and matched to let players enjoy a seemingly infinite number of circuits. Players who love open-world racing games would love to check out as many quality titles in this genre. There are plenty of options that will help them satisfy their speed-demon thrills while encouraging exploration.

21 Carmageddon

Metascore: 74

• Platform(s): Mobile, PC
• Developer: Stainless Games
• Release Date: June 13, 1997

Carmageddon was one of the most controversial titles at the time of its release. Many people were in an uproar about the sheer level of violence that was promoted in the game. It reached a point where the developers had to censor the title by replacing humans with zombies and turning the blood green.

When viewed from a modern lens, the violence in Carmageddon in comparison looks tame now. In many modern games, players carry out atrocities that dwarf this title's violence. This vehicular combat racing game hasn't aged that well, but players who don't mind dated design and gameplay will love what Carmaggedon has to offer.

20 Midtown Madness

Metascore: N/A

• Platform(s): PC
• Developer: Angel Studios
• Release Date: May 18, 1999

A legendary racing game that players have forgotten about, Midtown Madness lets players race in crowded cities while unlocking faster and more satisfying vehicles to make for a chaotic and fun time. The classic racing goodness of this title can't be stated enough. Many people still love its detailed interpretation of the Windy City.

Cruising through Chicago is a blast. The many movable bridges, coupled with a wealth of faithful landmarks, make the simple act of driving around a fantastic experience. Cops can start chasing speeding players at a moment's notice, making the act of driving dynamic and engaging in a way that puts most racing games to shame at the time.

19 American Truck Simulator

Metascore: 76

• Platform(s): PC
• Developer: SCS Software
• Release Date: February 2, 2016

Driving sims can seem rather odd to players who aren't fans of the genre, especially ones that don't even feature racing as a core dynamic. Instead, games like American Truck Simulator let players control a bevy of heavy vehicles as they traverse the North American countryside.

The simple act of driving a truck becomes an oddly relaxing and hypnotic affair, making it clear why so many people are fans of this niche title. It helps that the environments are detailed, and the graphics look pretty impressive too. It may not be a racing game per se, but the solid driving and the cozy nature of this game make it a great game that players can use to unwind after a long, stressful day.

18 The Crew Motorfest

Metascore: 76

Most people had assumed that Ubisoft had given up on The Crew, despite the understated brilliance of the second game. Thankfully, fans were proven wrong with the release of The Crew Motorfest, which is a great title for fans of open-world racing games to check out.

Players explore the faithfully recreated Hawaiian island of Oʻahu, which makes for some exotic racing backdrops and beautiful visuals. It may not be groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, but The Crew Motorfest is a great title with solid racing mechanics that deserves all the praise it gets.

17 Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller

Metascore: 69

• Platform(s): Xbox, PC
• Developer: Hitmaker
• Release Date: July 23, 2002

Arcade driving games are all the rage, and Crazy Taxi 3 is easily the best game in the series that fans can go back to time and time again. This game is absolutely bonkers, using the simple premise of driving a passenger to their destination and turning it into something so incredibly enjoyable that players can find themselves lost in this game for hours and hours.

It helps that this title features many massive maps where players can get lost as they furiously drive passengers to their destinations. The areas of West Coast, Glitter Island, and Small Apple are all rife with detail and feature boundless opportunities for crazy stunts as players try to rack up the highest scores possible.

16 SnowRunner

Metascore: 81

SnowRunner is a game that has taken the sim driving scene by storm, and many players are still baffled by how many fans this title has! Trucks are some of the slowest-moving vehicles of all time... and yet, any game that manages to nail their configurations and how they feel becomes so popular within a particular niche that other casual players just can't understand this craze.

Of course, not everything needs to be dissected down to a T. Sometimes, games just need to scratch a particular itch to endear themselves to a particular section of passionate fans. The offroading shenanigans of SnowRunner have made it such a surprise hit for the same reasons.

15 Forza Horizon 3

Metascore: 91

The Forza Horizon series has churned out hit after hit, and this game is no exception to this rule. These titles feature massive open worlds that are full to the brim with races, challenges, car customization, and fun stories.

There's no denying that Forza Horizon 3 justifies the inclusion of a sandbox. Players love the idea of dropping into the game and just messing around with the car of their choice. The fact that many fans still consider this game to be superior to its successors, despite the massive success of Forza Horizon 4 and 5, proves how many things this game got right.

14 Need For Speed Unbound

Metascore: 77

Many fans of racing video games feel that the genre has stagnated. It's a fair criticism, as the genre features many games that look the same and don't really bring anything new to the table. So, it's refreshing to see that Need for Speed Unbound has decided to integrate a unique look and style into the visuals. These help the game stand out and look fresh in a genre overpopulated with titles that all use similar aesthetics.

In fact, the cel-shaded visuals and 2D smoke trails in Need For Speed Unbound look so unique that some fans of the racing genre actually find this visual change to be jarring, which is a testament to how stagnant the racing genre has become in modern times. The racing in Need for Speed Unbound is solid, and exploring the open world is a blast, even if the grind to get new cars can be a bit grating for some players.

13 Driver: San Francisco

Metascore: 80

It's a shame that the Driver series hasn't seen a major entry in quite some time. San Francisco is a genuinely amazing title that makes players feel like an action hero behind the wheel. Players can do everything from serving as getaway drivers to straight-up taking over the bodies of other drivers to steer their cars.

Driver: San Francisco is one of the most high-octane driving games around, where players need to accomplish several objectives while going through several amazing set-pieces along the way. The Shift ability is easily the biggest highlight of this game, and it's a shame that more developers haven't tried to integrate this unique mechanic in their racing titles.

12 Need For Speed Heat

Metascore: 72

Need for Speed Heat is the latest game in the series, and a pretty great one at that. It's clear that the developers, Ghost Games, learned from their work on the past few NFS games and went all out in a bid to try and modernize the series.

They did so brilliantly, and Need for Speed Heat is their best work by far. It's a shame that the studio was relegated to a less active role, although the fact that NFS was going back to Criterion Games was still a source of joy for many players.

11 Assetto Corsa

Metascore: 73

• Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
• Developer: Kunos Simulazioni
• Release Date: December 19, 2014

A racing simulation game that looks gorgeous and feels realistic, there's a reason why so many players love Assetto Corsa. Players who don't want to stick with a pure arcade experience will have a great time with this title.

It's a great game for fans of open-world racers, featuring a ton of interesting and unique locales to explore. It also helps that the game itself has some great cars that make it a blast to explore this world every single time.

10 Need For Speed (2015)

Metascore: 66

Ghost Games' first attempt at an NFS game was a truly admirable effort. The amazing atmosphere of Need for Speed (2015) is worthy of a mention in itself, as the races are a blast to get through. The main story might have been slightly cheesy, but it served as a good source of motivation to get through the races in this title.

While some people felt like this title was a regression, there was one thing that Need for Speed's reboot nailed — the atmosphere. The rain-soaked streets and the night races looked absolutely spectacular and still hold up quite well. Many players forgave the faults of this title simply because of how incredible the world looked.

9 Midnight Club 3

Metascore: 85

It's a shame that Midnight Club is a series that never really stayed relevant in Rockstar's library. Their attention shifted to open-world action games with an emphasis on driving instead of a game solely focused on the art of racing. Many fans of Midnight Club are sad that this approach has been taken since one of their most beloved racing franchises isn't a part of the mainstream anymore.

Thankfully, there are enough games in this series that players can check out whenever they feel like they're missing out on this brilliant series. The vibe of this title is unmatched, and players who check this game out will enjoy one of the finest racing games they've laid their hands on.

8 BeamNG.drive

Metascore: N/A

BeamNG.drive is a racing simulation game that is an absolute joy to play. Crashing a car in this game is more satisfying than frustrating because of how realistic and fun the damage mechanics of the car are.

The user-made content ensures that players will be able to sink a ton of hours into this game. BeamNG.drive might be one of the more hardcore games on this list, but players who get into this early access title will have a great time indeed.

7 Test Drive Unlimited 2

Metascore: 68

• Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
• Developer: Eden Games
• Release Date: February 8, 2011

Test Drive Unlimited 2 was developed by Eden Games and released in November 2011 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The game featured a stunning open world for its time based on the real-life island of Oahu, which is the third-largest Hawaiian Island, as well as the Spanish island of Ibiza. Along with the fantastic world design, Test Drive Unlimited 2 also impressed fans and critics with its wide range of vehicles on offer, with asphalt cars, off-road vehicles, classic cars, and motorcycles all available to drive.

The game features a simple but enjoyable campaign where the player is tasked with winning a range of tournaments, with the goal of earning the Solar Crown.

6 Midtown Madness 2

Metascore: 78

• Platform(s): PC
• Developer: Angel Studios
• Release Date: September 22, 2000

The sequel to Midtown Madness was exactly what most people expected, tightening up the racing controls in a title that let players explore two detailed environments across a wealth of racing modes. This time, the cities that make the cut are London and San Francisco. Both areas are a blast to explore, making it clear why players love this classic racing game despite the title's relevance being all but dead in modern times.

If players manage to get this game working on modern systems, they'll be treated to a fun open-world racing game. Midtown Madness 2 doesn't cut any corners, letting players enjoy the simple act of speeding around in these urban landscapes to their hearts' content. To this day, wrecking cops and leaving them in the dust remains thrilling, no matter how dated the presentation may feel.

5 Forza Horizon 4

Metascore: 92

Even with all the love that Forza Horizon 5 has received as one of the best open-world racing games ever made, many people feel like the previous game in the series was better. Forza Horizon 4 brought many welcome changes to the formula, while tightening the racing gameplay to perfection.

The result is a fantastic racing game that lets players enjoy the lush environments of Great Britain, featuring a wealth of landmarks that look amazing as the seasons change. It's one of the best open-world racing games that any fan should try if they want a spectacular, no-nonsense driving game where speed is king.

4 The Crew 2

Metascore: 64

The Crew 2 was released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in June 2018. The game differentiates itself from most other racing games with the variety of vehicle types on offer. Along with a plethora of cars and motorbikes to choose from, players can also drive boats and planes. The goal of the game is to become a success in the four vehicle disciplines: Pro Racing, Street Racing, Off-Road, and Freestyle.

The Crew 2 was nominated for Best Racing Game at the Game Critic Awards in 2018, though it lost out to Forza Horizon 4. With each entry in the series pushing the series to new heights, it's clear that Ubisoft has an absolute gem on its hands that can transform into something magical if it continues to build upon this solid foundation.

3 Burnout Paradise

Metascore: 88

Prior to Burnout Paradise's release, the Burnout series was synonymous with over-the-top, arcade-style street racing action. Consequently, when it was announced that 2008's Burnout Paradise would be implementing an open world, many people were unhappy, as they felt like it was an unnecessary addition that would detract from the events.

However, it soon became clear that Criterion Games and Electronic Arts knew what they were doing, as post-release data showed that "90 percent of players didn't even touch the races," opting instead to "focus on the game's social features and explore the big new world." It's not hard to understand why, as although the game's events were still great, the joy of simply driving around the meticulously crafted world was an absolute delight and unlike anything else at the time. In many ways, its open-world driving was comparable to Grand Theft Auto 5, five years before Rockstar's game was released.

Interestingly, this surprising revelation sparked a drastic shift in how AAA developers perceived and made open-world games, making Burnout Paradise one of the most influential open-world games of all time.

2 Need For Speed: Underground 2

Metascore: 82

Need for Speed: Underground 2 was released back in 2004, which makes the game all the more impressive considering how rare open-world games were at the time, largely due to hardware limitations.

Along with its open world, EA's Need for Speed: Underground 2 stood out with its stellar customization options, the story-driven campaign that was presented through comic strip-style cutscenes, and its memorable soundtrack. As for the racing itself, Need for Speed: Underground 2 had a great range of different game modes for players to choose from, including Drag Racing, Drifting, Circuit Race, and Street X mode, where four racers compete in tight, narrow tracks.