Top 10 Racing Game Franchises

For those that drive to work every day and can’t stand the sight of regular cars anymore, there’s no better escape than this anti-gravity racing series set in the not too distant future. With races taking place at insane speeds over some great tracks, players can either rely on their skills or their weapons to get the better of the competition. The stakes have never been higher here, since once you take too many hits your shield will break, your craft will explode, and you’ll be knocked out of the race permanently. Tread carefully.

Setting the standard that “Wipeout” would follow, Nintendo’s futuristic racer is still loved and played by fans, and for good reason. Characters like Captain Falcon and Black Shadow breathe just as much personality into the games as their rides do, and the soundtrack is consistently one of the best anywhere in the gaming world. While new players can pick up the game and have just as good a time as anyone, there’s a huge skill ceiling where experts can master the difficult turns and advanced maneuvers to set incredible completion times.

Sending racing to the streets of real-world cities like Tokyo and New York, Rockstar’s racer gives players the freedom to approach the open world setting however they like. Each game is presented as a gritty, urban experience with some great presentation, music, and enough vehicle customization to make even the most dedicated gearheads happy with the final product. Falling heavily in the arcade category of the genre, the story doesn’t take itself too seriously, but doesn’t need too either.

While the core gameplay of this series revolves around setting world record times once you’ve mastered the tricky turns of your favorite tracks, what continues to draw in fans is the powerful built-in track editor. Allowing players to customize everything from terrain to elevation and share it online, some of the hardest races the franchise has to offer can be found by browsing the community creations. Its focus on timing and creativity means we never get bored no matter how often we pick up the controller to challenge ourselves against some of the best racers in the world.

Tired of running your races on pristine circuits but still want a more realistic experience? Then this is the series for you. Adapting rally races under the advice of world champion Colin McRae himself, the series has some immersive, detailed environments and some excellent controls. Seriously, between all the sponsors, leaderboards, and realistic car models, we felt like we were racing for real each and every time we sat down to try and master the unique point to point format.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching high speed collisions play out, and this is one of the series that scratches that itch the best. It took a little while to reach peak popularity here in North America, but the aggressive driving, fantastic slow-motion replays of your crashes, and emphasis on destroying every one of your opponents finally cemented itself as one of the genres greatest offerings. You’ll still get to go as fast as your car will take you, but you’ll also have to deal with every other driver trying to kill you at every opportunity.

One of the first franchises to come to mind when you think of racing games, the series has consistently tried to innovate, and because of that, it still feels fresh with each new entry. With an emphasis on underground street racing, the games always have a surprisingly decent story mode with tons of unlockables, lots of customization, and of course, multiplayer if you really want to challenge yourself against other racers from around the world.

Featuring some of the best graphics in any racing game ever, this series caters to those that not only want an authentic racing experience, but want to do so in real-world cars with real-world specs. The attention to detail is mind-blowing, with each car being a faithful recreation of the most iconic models from Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari and more. There are hundreds of cars to choose from, dozens of tracks with even more layouts, and they even managed to cram in a career mode for good measure. If you like cars even a little bit, play these games. Seriously. Just do it.

It’s tough choosing between two of the best racing simulators on the market, but in the end this series just edges out its closest competitor. Yes, there are less cars here, and yes, they may be represented less faithfully, but the soundtrack is much, much better, the worlds are more diverse and interesting to explore, and each little bump and scratch on the pristine body of your ride looks much more realistic and satisfying. After all, you might not be able to afford an Aston Martin V12 in real life, so driving recklessly in a virtual model is the next best thing, right?

No, it’s not the most realistic driving experience, but for our money no series is more fun to race in than Nintendo’s offering. Featuring the best characters from throughout Mario’s history, the franchise is known for its incredible soundtrack, great track design, and ability to end friendships. Focusing heavily on the battle aspect of racing, players can pick up randomized weapons to toss at their enemies, leading to some of the craziest and most frustrating races around. We swear off the series every time a blue shell costs us first place, but keep coming back because it’s that damn good.