Recommend me some car games

[SeeroftheNight]

I like car games, the problem is, I haven't played that many. I've found that I mainly enjoy arcade racers and combat racing games. I tend to not enjoy things that are more on the simulation and realism side (though I have been kinda interested in trying the new Tokyo Extreme Racer). So for example, I've tried Wreckfest several times but I found the physics to be too heavy and just not that fun, but more recently I tried Trail Out, which, despite being kinda jank, I found a lot more fun. It also reminded me a lot Demolition Racer: No Exit, which is a childhood favorite of mine.

Anyway, I've been wanting to try more car games and I'd like people's recommendations. It doesn't matter what era or platform, as long as it's not Xbox One or Xbox Series as I'm just not a part of that ecosystem.

 

[Yousef Yousef]

Try initial D.

 

[Jayonnaise6105 Jayonnaise6105]

There's a free demo for Sonic Racing CrossWorlds out right now. You can only play as four of the characters, but you can choose from a number of different vehicles.

 

[Kamako]

Project Gotham Racing 3.
It takes some getting used to, but if you play by its rules, trying to get the best medals for each challenge can get very addictive!

 

[RETRO-VETRO RETRO-VETRO]

Gran Turismo, all the games.

 

[X y b e r - S k u ll]

Ridge Racer Type 4 is arguably the greatest "realistic" racing game of all time. Amazing soundtrack as well.

 

[ZEGA ZONIC]

Try the Burnout games.

 

[Clippy]

I tried Trail Out, which, despite being kinda jank, I found a lot more fun.

Flatout Ultimate Carnage is made for you. Other than that try Split Second, Blur and OutRun 2006.

 

[Bonkers225]

Burnout Legends
Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing
Outrun 2006

 

[SeeroftheNight]

There's a free demo for Sonic Racing CrossWorlds out right now. You can only play as four of the characters, but you can choose from a number of different vehicles.

Oh I didnt realize a demo was out for that, thanks!
<--- huge Sonic fan btw

Try the Burnout games.

I forgot to mention I actually have a friend holding onto a copy of Burnout 3 for Xbox that I'm gonna buy off them. Looking forward to it.

Burnout Legends
Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing
Outrun 2006

I played Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing Transformed a bunch back in the day. Would you reckon the original is worth going back to?

Also big thanks to everyone for all the great recommendations so far!

 

[bjork]

You mentioned Demolition Racer: No Exit. If that isn't a sequel, there's a Demolition Racer on PS1 with no subtitle, it's pretty good fun.

 

[Cu1tur3D_Gam3R]

I recommend Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast for some fun arcade racing action by SEGA.

I also recommend Gran Turismo 2 A-Spec, which is a mod that greatly expands the original game by adding more events & a whole lot of new cars, including the entire grid of of the 1999 Formula 1 season.

 

[qw90700]

Wreckfest several times but I found the physics to be too heavy and just not that fun, but more recently I tried Trail Out, which, despite being kinda jank, I found a lot more fun. It also reminded me a lot Demolition Racer: No Exit, which is a childhood favorite of mine.

Among "have fun crashing your car to other car" games my favorite is Flatout 1-2 and Test Drive Eve of Destruction. If you wanna try only one of them I would say go for Flatout 2.

Among "dude my car have superpowers or weapons" games the most popular series is Twisted Metal but aiming is shit in these games which is why I would recommend them with great warning. Instead I would recommend everyone to play Nascar Rumble and Rumble Racing.

Among street racing genre and its car modification fun as whether engine and body modification for visual style naturally the most people games are new Need for Speed games like Underground series, Most Wanted and Carbon. Also there is a game like that that is very chaotic racing that is rather annoying called Midnight Club 3. But if you want street racing RPG developed by company that released Final Fantasy series you better play Racing Lagoon. The controls are not "simulation" yet it's not easy either so it requires you to get used to its weird laws of physics lol.

Among "closed to traffic" racers Gran Turismo is the most popular but its simulation aspects as need to earn car licenses to even start racing and weird laws of physics are annoying. Gran Turismo 1 is in a way "buy the best car and go vrooom" game while Gran Turismo 2 makes it too annoying by like every race require you to buy a different type of car therefore it forces you to grind same races over and over again for pocket money to earn enough to buy a car long time later lol. I didn't play other Gran Turismo much but probably same shit. But among such games my favorite is Auto Modellista. It's like a little bit NFS Underground merged with Gran Turismo style racing and have anime graphics. The game is a cool Capcom game.

If you wanna play a "stylish racing" my favorite is Dirt 2. Customizing your cockpit with toys was cool feature.

If you liked street racing Need for Speed games but wanted something deeper than that then my favorite is Juiced series.

If you wanna go deeper into technical car modification to have a sense of realism my favorite is Street Legal Racing: Redline. Laws of physics can randomly make your car turn into paper and totally unusable after a crash but the real fun is building your dream custom car!!! lol

So you learned about Tokyo Xtreme Racer series which there are tons of games of it. There are also spin off series that focuses on Initial D-like drifting like Kaido Racer 1. This is not a simple game though. There is a living world that NPCs discuss about other racers and all on social media you can read about them. Drift good enough and you can even have a GF lol!!!! And then you can unlock sound files to use them to produce your own racing music to listen to while you drifting!!!

 

[Turbo Kid]

Rock music, sci fi, and vehicular mayhem. Its predecessor is RC Pro am on the NES

Mad Max - It's a multi-genre game but there's a lot of car stuff as one would expect including races

Ridge Racer Type 4 is a traditional racer, but it's very accessible

Are you only interested in cars? Lots of fun races here

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Try Burnout: Revenge if you want a fun, fast and addicting racer.

Try Test Drive Unlimited if you just wanna cruise around a scenic location.

 

[Jayonnaise6105 Jayonnaise6105]

"Simpsons Hit & Run" and "Simpsons Road Rage" can be some pretty fun GTA & Crazy Taxi clones too, if you haven't tried them before

 

[SeeroftheNight]

You mentioned Demolition Racer: No Exit. If that isn't a sequel, there's a Demolition Racer on PS1 with no subtitle, it's pretty good fun.

I have the PS1 Demolition Racer as well! The Dreamcast game has a lot more content and overall I prefer it much more. There is also a PC version but as far as I can tell it is nearly identical to the PS1 version.

 

[Cardboardtubeknight Cardboardtubeknight]

Wreckfest

 

[Blamhammer]

Throw reaslism outta the window and go flat out and never brake in the Burnout games, or Ridge Racers 2 on the PSP.

(I know you said no XBox One games, but if you ever get a chance - Forza Horizon 2!)

 

[NisenWasTaken (NWT)]

OutRun 2006 Coast To Coast. (PSP)
Ridge Racer Type 4. (PS1)
Sonic Racing CrossWorld. (PC)
Gran Turismo 4. (PS2)

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

zamn no Ridge Racer V love

No Daytona either

Sad AAA AAA AAA AAA
AAA AAA AAA AAA AAA
AAA AAA
AAA AAA AAA AAA
AAA AAA AAA AAA AAA moment

 

[furnituresexual]

Rollcage series!
More specifically, rollcage stage ii for ps1. Futuristic racer, in that kinda dingy y2k sense. Cars can flip and keep going at ludicrous speeds. Fast, disorienting, trippy, great music. Has unlockables, multiplayer, career mode, single races, and one of my absolute favorite parts of any game ever: its got a bitchin' puzzle mode

Vigilante 8 series!
Car combat, mostly based in 1970s america (pretty sure) has a story rooted in the real world, kinda, I guess, cause time travel and hovercars and shit. Anyway, think Twisted Metal, but maybe with a grander scope and far different gameplay and flavor. Oh, and they still gave it jank controls like Twisted Metal, just differently

I was going to mention rock n roll racing but I see it already was above. Childhood favorite. Rented it so many times we bought the very same cartridge which I still have. Just play the super duper superior romhack of it!

 

[VampireLord1024VampireLord1024's icon]

What about the Cruis'n series?

 

[Segadude113]

If you love OutRun, there's 80s Overdrive. It's 9.99 on Steam. It's on Switch as well. (so is OutRun)

Victory Heat Rally is more like Power Drift. Also a really solid game!

 

[Don Patch]

Some options peeps hadn't mentioned (and the obligatory RR Type 4 plug)

*All on the repo


EDIT:
And on Steam (not in the repo*):