Racing games are a type of game that isn't relying on a story too much with the plot being simply racing, and of course, winning. That's why some of them are played in E-sports. Its purpose is in its self, as well as the force that "drives the game." Racing games have a long history, with the first games being produced in the 1970s - the Gran Tark 10 for Atari was among the first. Later, in the coming decade numerous other titles emerged, and today, if someone wants to play a racing game he will have a big pile to choose from.
Throughout history, there have been all kinds of racing games, with some trying to be as realistic as possible with others wanting to do something new and innovative, and below are the ten best according to Metacritic.
10 Wipeout XL
Wipeout XL, also known as Wipeout 2097, is first on the list with a rating of 93 on Metacritic. It was published in 1996 by now-defunct studio Psygnosis for PlayStation and later for Microsoft Windows and Sega Saturn. As the rating of 93 on Metacritic could suggest, the game did receive critical acclaim with many publications at that time praising the game for its graphics, controls, and gameplay.
While the game is good, its graphics, are by today's standards pretty archaic, and mindless racing has been seen countless times before. The game worked well in 1996 but in today's age of reality simulation racing games, it is just an old forgotten classic.
9 Test Drive Le Mans
Test Drive Le Mans is another PlayStation game on the list. Published in 1999 and later ported to Dreamcast and Game Boy Color, it is, as its title says a racing game based on the famous 24 hours Le Mans race in France. The game holds a rating of 93 on Metacritic, while in subsequent reviews upon release the Dreamcast version received critical acclaim.
PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast version have better graphics than the original version and the game is quite enjoyable to play even today, and race on the tracks of Buggati Circuit, Road Atlanta, Suzuka Circuit, Donington Park, and Circuit de Catalunya.
8 Mario Kart Super Circuit
Mario Kart Super Circuit is a Nintendos game published in 2001 for Game Boy Advance. It serves as the third installment in the Mario Kart series and the first to be published on a handheld console. Like its predecessors, it has similar gameplay - a player races in a kart against other teams in different courses.
The characters available for play are the same ones seen in previous installments and are divided into three classes with Peach, Yoshi, and Toad being Light, Mario and Luigi Medium and Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Wario Heavy. Like the previous entry, the game holds a rating of 93 on Metacritic.
7 Gran Turismo 2
Gran Turismo 2 is a 1999 game published exclusively for PlayStation. It is a typical racing game where the player races against artificially controlled drivers. In terms of graphics and gameplay, the game is pretty similar to its previous title - with additions of new cars, tracks, and races.
The game holds an approval rating of 93 on Metacritic while simultaneously having a high score on other publications at the time of release, and besides being critically acclaimed it was also a major commercial success with more than 9 million sold copies and eventually becoming a part of Sony Greatest Hits.
6 Real Racing 2
Real Racing 2 is a mobile game publishes in 2010. At its core, the Real Racing 2 is a classic racing game, that managed to realistically replicate real life. Al that can be seen in "Career Mode" where the player can only choose from Woskwgen Gold GTI Mk6 or Volvo C30, until he is ready for more powerful cars, like Nissan GT-R, Lotus Evora, Jaguar XK, or Ford GT. The locations and the tracks in the game are fictional, though.
The game managed to surpass its predecessor, both commercially and critically, with many publications giving it a perfect score, and a rating of 94 on Metacritic.
5 Burnout 3: Takedown
Burnout 3: Takedown is a 2004 game released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. In the game, the player races other opponents, and the game is renowned for using boosts that drastically increase speed as well the ability to perform takedowns which involves shutting opposing players until they crash.
The game was critically acclaimed upon release with many calling it the best racing game of all time and has a current rating of 94 on Metacritic. It also received many "Game of the year awards", from various organizations such as Spike Awards, Game Critics Awards, and Golden Joystick Awards.
4 Jet Car Stunts
Jet Car Stunts is sort of an intruder on this list. It holds a rating of 94 on Metacritic which indicates universal acclaim but on a basis of only six reviews. Comparatively, it holds a User Score of 6.2 indicated mixed or average reviews, which is more a reality for this game.
As far as other things go, the game was published in 2009 for iOS, so the graphics standard isn't really high, but is at least eyes pleasing. Combine that with addictive gameplay that consists of massive jumps, mid-air hoops, floating platforms, outlandish maneuvers, and impossible environments you got a game worth playing.
3 Need For Speed Shift
Need for Speed Shift is a 2009 game that was published for various platforms. While PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 hold ratings around 80 on Metacritic, the iOS version of the game is the one that really shines. It holds a rating of 94 on Metacritic on a basis of six reviews - which is not enough for an objective verdict. Especially when keeping in mind the low User Score of 4.1.
Need for Speed Shift is definitely not that bad a game, but Metascore of 94 is probably too high. Nevertheless, it received an award as the best iOS game of 2009, and as the other Need for Speed games, it is really fun to play.
2 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec holds a rating of 95 on Metacritic. A score high enough for Metacritic to declares it a must-play on its site. This is not an exaggeration, upon release it received perfect scores from many publications, while also having strong commercial success with more than 14 million copies sold, and today is considered one of the best games ever made.
The locations in the game are fictitious and the player must win them all in order to complete the game. In that objective on his disposal are several unlicensed Formula 1 cars, Lamborgini Diablo, Porsche 911 GT3, among others.
1 Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo is the first installment in the same name series. It was published in 1997 for PlayStation, after five years of long development, and currently holds an impressive rating of 96 on Metacritic which makes it currently the highest-rated racing game on the website.
The game received universal acclaim upon release and influenced other racing games as well as started the series that consists of 10 sequels and spin-offs. If someone decides to play it today, he can do that using 140 available cars in the game on 11 race tracks, as well in two modes - Arcade and Simulation.