Summary
Few genres can offer as much excitement and top-speed action asRacing. Many titles out therehave an amazing sense of speedthat can make players feel like they’re inside the car they’re driving, and competing against expert pilots. In most cases, racing games are released for as many platforms as possible to increase a title’s chances of becoming massively popular.
However, in some instances, racing games can either be released on PC first and on other platforms second, or remain exclusives for PC. This article will touch on games that suit either case and expand on what makes them great. Here are some of thebest racing gamesthat started as PC exclusives.
7rFactor
A Great Title That Was Limited By Its Time
rFactoris one of those games that, while it never reached mainstream popularity, delivered an amazing experience to players who wanted the authentic look and feel of driving a race car at the time. The game was released in 2005, so naturally, if players intend to compare its driving mechanics and graphics with what’s available today, they’ll probably be disappointed. This is true for bothrFactorandany other game from that era.
But if they manage to look at the game for what it is and take into account that it’s almost 20 years old, the experience completely changes, and it becomes clear to see how authentic this title was in many regards.
6Assetto Corsa
Good Driving Physics Offering a Realistic Experience
Like other games on this list,Assetto Corsadoes a great job at delivering players witha racing experience that is meant to feel realisticthrough the use of driving physics that includes tire simulation mechanics and other technologies.
Assetto Corsawas first released for PC in 2014, and later for the PS4 and the Xbox One in 2016. Several years later, it also made its way to Apple devices through the iOS operating system, but naturally, the experience on mobile wasn’t as complete as it was on consoles and PC.
Offering different game modes, including Multiplayer Races, Custom Championships, Single Races against AI, Practice, Leaderboard Challenges, and Online Competitions,RaceRoom Racing Experienceis a very complete title that gives players a ton of options.
As opposed to some other titles on the list,RaceRoom Racing Experiencecan be played in VR through the Valve Index, HTC Vive, and the Oculus Rift, which can help elevate the experience and make players feel like they’re inside a race car. In this title, cars behave and sound like they would in real-life, which says a lot about the developer’s attention to detail. Given that the game has been out since 2013, it’s one of thoseracing titles that can run well on low-end PCstoday.
4netKar Pro
The Sky’s The Limit When It Comes To Customization
WhilenetKar Prowas neveras popular as franchises likeForza, it is still a blast to play, as the game features tons of customization options for players' cars, including aerodynamics, brakes, chassis and even transmission. In addition to this, players can also adjust their steering wheels to their liking and even decide the pressure they want their tires to be at.
Like other titles on this list,netKar Prowas only ever released for PC, leaving many console players wishing they could be a part of the experience. That said, the game offersXbox 360 Controller support, which is great for PC owners who don’t want to drive using a mouse and keyboard.
3iRacing
Players Can Feel Like A Real-life Pilot
While other games on this list might focus on both realistic simulation and offering an all-around enjoyable experience,iRacingtakes things to a whole new level by implementing some of the most advanced mechanics out there.
According to the developers, this title not only has thrilling competition modes as well as open practice and testing, but also dynamic track surfaces that change over the course of a race, emulating real-life scenarios. The cars that are officially licensed to the game are designed in cooperation with real-life race teams, so players can rest assured knowing that their experience will be authentic.
2Dirt Rally
Many other racing games focus on F1 cars and NASCAR races, which are restricted to a track that’s been carefully designed and cleared of debris for safety. However, this isn’t the case forDirt Rally, as it will take players to the farthest reaches of Earth to attempt to drive in treacherous terrain. Catlike reflexes, good eye-hand coordination, and a good sense of driving are required to win races and prevent accidents.
While the game was released almost a decade ago, it still holds up rather well, and could be considered one of thebest rally racing games of all time.
1GTR — FIA GT Racing Game
An Outstanding Racing Title From A Golden Era
Not only didGTR — FIA GT Racing Gamewin PC Gamer US’s “Best Racing Game 2005”, but it was also praised by many other gaming outlets for the experience it offered players and how fun it was to play. While nothing flashy compared to modern titles that have near real-life graphics, complex driving mechanics and dynamic weather systems,GTR — FIA GT Racing Gamenever let its era hold it back.
With a large variety of different vehicles to choose from, this title is arguably one of the greatest in the racing genre of the mid-to-late 2000s.
