What Location Would You Feature in a Free Roam Racing Sim?

With Test Drive Unlimited and Taxi Life, Nacon is all about 1:1 scale locations in games. Where would you set a free roam sim racing game with a 1:1 scale real world location map?

Image credit: Nacon

This week, Nacon has announced an all-new driving game. Yes, the publisher does currently have its hands full with Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown. However, that is not stopping the team thinking up new ideas.

The title in the works is Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator. Far from a racing game, the title is seemingly similar in one aspect to one hotly anticipated title releasing next year, TDU. In fact, both games feature maps representing 1:1 scale versions of real world locations. Whilst Taxi Life will portray the complex streets of Barcelona, Test Drive will allow players to visit ever nook and cranny of Hong Kong Island.


The idea of faithfully recreating locations in games is not new. Gamers often cry out for titles showcasing their local area, whilst titles such as Assassins Creed games have actually gone out and achieved some 1:1 scale locations.

But sticking to sim racing, the world is truly immense and each region has its own automotive scene. The idea of an actual open-world racing sim keeps coming up in the sim racing community, too. With that in mind, there are many excellent parts of the world to showcase in a full-scale free roam sim racing title. But what are the best options?

Make sure to let us know either in the comments below or on Twitter where you would like to race in a free roam simulator. In the meantime, here are some locations we would put forward for a potential open world simulator.

Some Obvious Free Roam Sim Locations​

As aforementioned, the world is a vast place with varying car scenes. But there are a few top locations that would make for excellent 1:1 scale racing game maps.

French Riviera​

Firstly, throughout the Forza Horizon series, there have been some fantastic locations featured. However, arguably the most enjoyable was the French Riviera seen in Forza Horizon 2. The game included the city of Nice and a variety of small towns and different biomes. It was a great map for the time. But if one were to recreate the same region at a 1:1 scale, it would be nothing less than a marvel.


Being able to race around the Monaco Street Circuit and then climb the Col de Turini in the same game session would be a fantastic experience. This area would most certainly include portions of the famous Route Napoléon. One could imagine it stretching as far as Circuit Paul Ricard, making for a great sim racing addition.

California​

When one thinks of a fantastic automotive community, it is hard to look elsewhere than California. This is a State of the US that features some of the most varied terrain anywhere in the world. It also includes some of the most famous race tracks in motorsport. Finally, the state holds a great reputation for motoring enthusiasts with its events and communities.

Featuring the immense bustle of Los Angeles would be a feat. But it would not be the most fun area to race around. Instead, in this fictional title recreating a famous location in perfect scale, one could focus on Northern California.


Here, one can find the gorgeous city of San Francisco, the often-overlooked Sonoma Raceway and the brilliant Laguna Seca. One could also feature a large part of the Pacific Coast Highway, a bucket list road for many car fans. One can get an early taster of this specific road thanks to Pheonix77’s recreation available on RaceDepartment for Assetto Corsa.

We are sure that either of these locations would make for brilliant 1:1 scale maps for sim racing games once Nacon releases both TDU: Solar Crown and Taxi Life. But what regions or locations would you like to see in sim racing?

What location would you recreate in 1:1 scale for a free roam sim racing game? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!