For those who love speed and don't want to be limited to racetracks, and want to drive racing cars on roads without fixed routes. Open World racing games are the perfect answer. This genre is not just about "who crosses the finish line first," but about driving in a vast world, exploring landscapes, customizing your dream car, and sometimes even experiencing other aspects of life. Whether you enjoy driving leisurely while taking in the scenery or racing fiercely among online players worldwide. In this article, we have compiled a list of Open World racing games that you should try at least once in your life.
Test Drive Unlimited is like the "OG" or the prototype of Open-World racing games, featuring a large map and a variety of activities to choose from. It has set the standard for racing games and inspired many racing game developers.
In Test Drive Unlimited 2, there are over 100 racing events, with a variety of cars to choose from, including sedans, coupes, and supercars from various brands. The game also features a customization system that allows players to personalize their characters and a house-buying system for fast travel points, similar to the first installment. If we overlook the technical issues and the now-defunct online system, Test Drive Unlimited 2 remains an enjoyable game with a system that is quite advanced compared to other racing games. Test Drive Unlimited 2 remains a fun game to play and features a system that is quite advanced compared to other racing games.
The Crew 2 was heavily criticized upon its release due to its limited content and often compared unfavorably to Forza Horizon 4, which is superior to The Crew 2 in almost every aspect. However, the game has seen improved reception after continuous content updates every season, as well as Quality of Life improvements to various systems that make gameplay more enjoyable.
Even though the vehicle physics in The Crew 2 feel "strange" and take quite a while to get used to, and the map may not have as much detail compared to Forza, the massive scale of the map and the variety of competitions—from car races, planes, speedboats, to motorcycles—make The Crew 2 one of Ubisoft's most ambitious games that racing enthusiasts should try.
It is considered a comeback installment that helped restore the reputation of the Need for Speed franchise, making it popular again after the Reboot and Payback installments received poor feedback from many players.
Need for Speed: Heat is a racing game that focuses on both legal and illegal car competitions. The game still features a standout customization system with options to modify various parts of the car, and a challenging escape system from police chases that almost makes you want to throw your controller away. Even though Heat is not a Perfect level Need for Speed game, it is considered a Need for Speed game that has returned to the right path as it should be once again.
No need to explain much about the Burnout game series because many gamers probably already know that it is an arcade racing game that does not focus on realism but on destruction and the fun of crashing opponents' cars out of the race track temporarily.
Burnout Paradise is both the first and the latest installment that incorporates Open-World elements, allowing gamers to freely explore the map in their spare time. However, the core gameplay remains the same as the old Burnout games, where players must race against others and challenge Road Rage to destroy rival cars in order to claim the number one victory.
Forza Horizon 5 is an almost perfect Open-World racing game in every aspect, whether it's the impressively large map that still maintains the attention to detail like its predecessors, the overall graphics and environmental models such as trees and grass being of higher quality, or the improved sound and driving system.
Although the overall system is still similar to the previous installments, almost all game elements have been refined, making Forza Horizon 5 still the reigning champion of the best Open-World racing game at the moment.
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is an Open-World racing game that doesn't just let us drive; it's as if we are "living" with the speed. The entire map of Hong Kong Island has been recreated in a 1:1 scale, allowing us to race, explore, and experience the atmosphere in a realistic way. The cars in the game are from world-renowned brands. This game is not just about racing; whether you're a street racer or a classy person driving a Lambo, it's all possible. Players can customize their cars, join clubs, and compete with other players.
A detailed simulation of the entire island of Hong Kong, with various roads both in the city, mountains, and sea. There are luxury cars from real brands, famous brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, etc. that can be driven and customized in detail. There is a character customization system and activities in the racing game community.
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