Most Played Racing Titles on Steam in April 2023

ZuneGuy said:

Forza Horizon is complete crap. I remember many years ago wondering what it would be like to have the Forza franchise on the PC. I know that we're talking primarily about racing titles, but on a wider scope of Xbox on the PC I've gotta say that it's been a real letdown so far. It's is nice to have Xbox titles on the PC now but it isn't what I expected at all. Personally I'd like to have some of the Xbox One titles that never made it to the PC.

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I almost got FH4 on sales, the demo was ok, the setting looked cool (UK), but I changed.my mind by watching reviews. Most of them are positive, as for FH5, but I found a few ones pointing out never fixed game breaking issues (connexion issues for example). I don't know whether there are still unfixed right now but I didn't want to take the risk.

Also, I was worried about doing boring activities, as I did one in the demo, doing an uninteresring stunt for a movie. I've seen more of these activities by watching gameplays and they seem really to kill the rythm of the game. I think The Crew 1 activities were better integrated, you saw one on your way fir a mission or while during roaming, you just did it, it took a few seconds and that was it.

I may be not the target for.these titles anymore. Older open world racing games (NFSU2, SRS...) focused on the racing. Most recent titles seem to focus on activities to fully make use of the map. In NFSU2 and SRS I wanted to explore the whole map because the city was cool, with various terrains and memorable places. I didn't need to cut the pace of street racing by boring activities. There is no unuseful part in the cities. The Crew 1 map, although absolutely different, was interesting thanks to the diversity of the (really big) map and the huge amount of points of interest, I wanted to zdrive just to discover ew places.

The FH maps look like big pieces of generic lands with a few points of interest (on a small map), lands filled of activities to make use of them because you would not go for some roaming on them by yourself. I may be wrong.but that's the impression I get while watching gameplays. Obviously collecting and completing achievements is a big thing nowadays for kids, so no wonder that FH5 and 4 are still played so much, and FH5 added some content recently (FH4 having been on sale few weeks ago must explains it coming back at the head of the list, I don't think I've seen this game at this price range before, between 20 and 25 euros ).

Are these figures taking in account Uplay figures? Because The Crew 2 seemed to be a good contender. I think it received ots last update recently or will get it soon, before the new game comes out. I haven't touched this one, as everything is a downgrade of the first game (map, graphics and story), except the vehicules, which make all of its appeal. At least it can be found cheap (less than 10 euros the basic edition).

I’ve got Gamepass Ultimate so you can try the Forza Horizon games out as part of that. I played a reasonable amount of FH4 but bounced off 5 pretty quickly. I’d prefer a version of them that was based on a more realistic physics and driving model, you can still do stunts but bring it all a bit closer to reality. The novelty off jumping 500ft and the driving away soon wears off for me so make me jump 50ft but have to think about it a bit more.

Released in the same year as Forza Horizon 2, Assetto corsa still in the top 3 is one hell of an achievement.

Wreckfest, Grid Legends, Disney Speedstorm, CarX Drifting online, F1 2021 (still played a lot), Dakar Desert Rally, Circuit Superstars, The Crew 2, Kartkraft are all missing.

(Without considering also all the motorbikes titles like MotoGP 22, Ride 4, TrackdayR, Monster Energy Supercross and Superbike 22).

Fair point about Wreckfest, CarX, The Crew 2, Ride 4 and F1 2021 - the others, however, were all below the numbers of WRC Generations. Thank you for the suggestions, though, I appreciate the input

Gevatter said:

Is this the official 'My sim is better than your sim' discussion thread then? The one place where I can show to the world how my favourite sim is superior to all other sims in all the aspects most important to me subjectively?

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So long as you don't say RF2.

So Assetto Corsa has more active players than all other racing simulators together with a huge margin. If this doesn't prove easy modability (if this word exists) is a key for success for any racing title then nothing will prove. That also indicates how much a tool that allow tweak everything online/offline in the game like Content Manager is missing to rF2 with its black-box UI and online system (not to mention the lack of a simple offline championship after 11 years, great job)

A man with a Harmonica said:

So Assetto Corsa has more active players than all other racing simulators together with a huge margin. If this doesn't prove easy modability (if this word exists) is a key for success for any racing title then nothing will prove. That also indicates how much a tool that allow tweak everything online/offline in the game like Content Manager is missing to rF2 with its black-box UI and online system (not to mention the lack of a simple offline championship after 11 years, great job)

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There's a bit more to think about this success. Firstly, it depends on what were the objectives for the game. It is usually game sales or company valorization (if the aim is to sell it to a bigger company).

Secondly, let's admit the success is a bigger current average players number, regarding AC's sales, the figure is really low, much more (in %) than its competitors. Which leads to several hypotheses (which would be interesting to investigate on).

- Sales are not going on anymore and the player base is mainly a core fanbase having been playing the game for years ; basically, AC would have managed to do what flight sims do, keeping a long term dedicated fanbase.

- Sales are still going on but the number of players is still relatively low because players lose interest : it may be that the new players are disappointed by some aspects of the game, or that there is a regular players turnover (players just try a new mods from time to time or just lose interest after a few time at the same rythm than sales). Imo, it is more probable the fanbase is still there and the new players, buying the game on sale are just disappointed or get bored quickly. I can understand the feeling of being lost in an ocean of mods and a not easy to use at all, now mandatory, content manager. This would just mean 505 Games has found the perfect price for AC, keeping sales at a good level (and the hype is still big thanks to a dedicated fanbase, which is free publicity years after the game came out).

As a result, depending on which hypothesis is the right one, the modding feature can be considered differently.

What is sure is that AC came out at a very different time than nowadays, when sim racers were expecting something new, a new generation of titles, and were enthousiastic. rfactor2 was there with its subscription model and wasn't impressive in its presentation. Raceroom was also there with a good presentatiol but disappointing physics, especiallly coming from Simbin ; the game as a service model was new (except iracing but is is not comparable) and rare. Kunos had a solid reputation as Nektar pro developpers, the hype was big. AC came out a year after rfactor2 and RRE with a fair price and a modern presentation (the integration of apps is still where the game shines), except the sense of speed which was lacking a lot (still an issue but you can add motion blur with content manager).

It wasn't that good at the beginning but it rapidly got better, Kunos not losing itself in the development of many features, giving players and modders something usable and stable the faster possiblen This was the right decision at this time.

Now,, sim racers are at best half enthousiasts, half haters (nothing to prove there, we just need to read the forum here on RD). Any missing, or not refined enough, feature is an unforgivable crime day one. So taking AC as a good example to make a successful game in 2023 (and new games will probably be out in early access in 2024 or 2025 with broken features) isn't right imo.

The questions are : would you still play AC without mods and content manager? I wouldn't. Would you be interested in AC2 if the formula was the same than AC in terms of missing features? I probably wouldn't bother and would wait a few years to see whether the modders will go from AC to AC2.

Personnally, I'm not even sure there is interest in the modding for future games. Many ask for it, but many don't want non laser scanned modded tracks. And there isbso much content for AC, do we expect that all of it will be converted in other sims? Maybe with Rennsport which should make a marketplace for mods which would be a way to motivate modders, but they are not mods anymore but DLCs. Personnally I cjanged mybmind about modding. AC is still amazing, but seeing the original content brought by Raceroom and AMS2, and even Pcars2, I peefer a solid and complete experience on limited content than a limited experience, or a neverending development, with a multitude of mods.

To conclude about the success being the average number of players, it can be an element of further success if this number convinced people to buy the game. That's why it is important to understand what there is behind. If there is a huge and fast turnover, or if it relies only on an old fanbase, any new player will rapidly abandon the game, it is a no buy. If the turnover is a 6 months one, or if there 30% fanbase and 70% 6 months turnover, it is a really good buy (even if 6 months for a sim is nothing, but for the price of AC, 6 months is ok). This kind of article leads tonbuying decisions, that's why more insight is necessaru. Figures mean nothing without information.

RCHeliguy said:

Maybe I should get a copy of Forza and see if I drive using my transmitter!

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It's hard to define why I prefer AC. Of course, all the possibilities with ContentManager and all the mods and tools like Emperor for organizers are great!

But even driving the same car on the same track in ACC, rF2 or AMS2 somehow doesn't give me the same challenge/satisfaction.

I can't really put it into words. It's a feeling. Like why I liked HOM3, Diablo2 and FarCry3 the most despite newer versions. As in movies, sequels are rarely better than the successful original.

There is no arguing about preference. But in this case, numbers may not say everything, but they say a lot.

KUNOS faces a major challenge to make AC2 as successful as its predecessor. Who still remembers scenes from JAWS2, 3 and 4?

HF2000 said:

I can't really put it into words. It's a feeling. Like why I liked HOM3, Diablo2 and FarCry3 the most despite newer versions. As in movies, sequels are rarely better than the successful original.

There is no arguing about preference. But in this case, numbers may not say everything, but they say a lot.

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Well, that's right. I prefer Far Cry 2 to Far Cry 3 for its brutality and immersion but I understand many think it is boring and repetitive (and other prefer the first Far Cry). I thought that myself when Far Cry 2 came out, I didn't know how to play the game, and years later I came back to it and it was an absolute blast. The understanding of how to play a game can explain our different tastes, liking or rejection, towards games.

For sure, I think games should not need any explanation to be enjoyable, but we have all different experiences, skills and expectations and this just can happen. I completely missed the point with Far Cry 2 because I had been enjoying a lot for years narrative or linear shooters at that time (bioshock, modern warfare....).

The same apply to sim racing titles. Physics, features, ease of use, hardware settings, we all have different feelings about each title and most of them are absolutely irrationnal, just the result of our own experience and expectations.

Why I liked so much pcars? Because it had everything I wanted under my hand : rain, even snow (and real weather until it was cut from the game), a car selection perfect for my taste, great tracks, optimised VR, fast loading times. Sure, not the best FFB, until someone made an amazing job and posted it here on RD and full of never fixed / finished features.

For other needs, I could anyway switch to AC, with all the tremendous mods, or Raceroom, with its unique content, for more. I admit I barely touch ACC although it fulfills my expectations in terms of features (but thus is GT3...) and I rarely had a great time with rfactor2 even if I try to relaunch it regularly ; there's always something that bothers me unfortunately.

HF2000 said:

I can't really put it into words. It's a feeling. Like why I liked HOM3, Diablo2 and FarCry3 the most despite newer versions. As in movies, sequels are rarely better than the successful original.

There is no arguing about preference. But in this case, numbers may not say everything, but they say a lot.

KUNOS faces a major challenge to make AC2 as successful as its predecessor. Who still remembers scenes from JAWS2, 3 and 4?

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Mmm everyone agree that the Empire Strikes Back is better than the first movie, that Revenge of the Sith is the best of the prelogy, that the 2nd Nolan's Batman is the best of the trilogy.. Tjere's always some examples but indeed, this happens when a global story is told.through several episodes.

In the case of AC, there are so much missing features.in AC that it is easy to imagine a better game. To make it real is another task...

Off topic : about the Far Cry games, imo, the best (with Blood Dragon and Primal, but this one is too controversial so it's only my opinion) and most underrated FC type game is Homefront the Revolution. Not part of the franchise but with the same basic mechanics and much more additions (gadgets, weapons transformations, amazing urban environments...). Largely bashed when it came out (bugs), the devs solved most of the issues (although they could have abandoned it after the commercial failure). If you haven't tried it, I think it is a good experience, except if what you like in FC3 is the sandbox side, which is lacking in Homefront (it is a 30 hours experience to complete it with all achievements, there's no futile activity). Take it on sale, you won't hate me if it's not that good (dlcs are inferior, more linear, one, a prequel, is uninteresting, the other finishes the story of the main game, more arenas than open areas). Sorry for the off topic! Let's go back to racing!!!

Thinking about a game which is even not in that list, I bought and made a few races on Cross Racing Championship Extreme (new version of CRC2005) yesterday, this game is still amazing. It didn't aged that bad and it shows how physics of that time are still relevant today not a full sim but this developper, Invictus, made really interesting ones for their racing games, realistic enough and not too easy (LA Street Racing, Project Torque). Project Torque has been again online on Steam and RD has never covered it. I haven't created an account again but I will, because this was an ambitious racing MMO racing game.

Maybe, these monthly unuseful articles about the games more played on Steam is the occasion to present less played titles which are not worse than the top (CRC is a much more interesting experience than Forza Horizon for a sim racer POV). At least there are still, each time, many who wonder why Wreckfest isn't in the top. Well Wreckfest is a polished game, there are no news, not another physics update or another tremendpus annoucement about how it will solve all its issues in 3 months with a roadmap for the next 12. It is done and well executed.

It makes me wonder whether a polished game is the good deal in terms of business. A neverending development create communication in itself and hype. A good game with all its promises fullfilled has nothing more to offer in the long term. There may be an equilibrium to find between good development and slow to find to keep a long term hype. How awful, good developpers are punished??? Opened question...

roadyroad said:

Mmm everyone agree that the Empire Strikes Back is better than the first movie, that Revenge of the Sith is the best of the prelogy, that the 2nd Nolan's Batman is the best of the trilogy.. Tjere's always some examples but indeed, this happens when a global story is told.through several episodes.

In the case of AC, there are so much missing features.in AC that it is easy to imagine a better game. To make it real is another task...

Off topic : about the Far Cry games, imo, the best (with Blood Dragon and Primal, but this one is too controversial so it's only my opinion) and most underrated FC type game is Homefront the Revolution. Not part of the franchise but with the same basic mechanics and much more additions (gadgets, weapons transformations, amazing urban environments...). Largely bashed when it came out (bugs), the devs solved most of the issues (although they could have abandoned it after the commercial failure). If you haven't tried it, I think it is a good experience, except if what you like in FC3 is the sandbox side, which is lacking in Homefront (it is a 30 hours experience to complete it with all achievements, there's no futile activity). Take it on sale, you won't hate me if it's not that good (dlcs are inferior, more linear, one, a prequel, is uninteresting, the other finishes the story of the main game, more arenas than open areas). Sorry for the off topic! Let's go back to racing!!!

Thinking about a game which is even not in that list, I bought and made a few races on Cross Racing Championship Extreme (new version of CRC2005) yesterday, this game is still amazing. It didn't aged that bad and it shows how physics of that time are still relevant today not a full sim but this developper, Invictus, made really interesting ones for their racing games, realistic enough and not too easy (LA Street Racing, Project Torque). Project Torque has been again online on Steam and RD has never covered it. I haven't created an account again but I will, because this was an ambitious racing MMO racing game.

Maybe, these monthly unuseful articles about the games more played on Steam is the occasion to present less played titles which are not worse than the top (CRC is a much more interesting experience than Forza Horizon for a sim racer POV). At least there are still, each time, many who wonder why Wreckfest isn't in the top. Well Wreckfest is a polished game, there are no news, not another physics update or another tremendpus annoucement about how it will solve all its issues in 3 months with a roadmap for the next 12. It is done and well executed.

It makes me wonder whether a polished game is the good deal in terms of business. A neverending development create communication in itself and hype. A good game with all its promises fullfilled has nothing more to offer in the long term. There may be an equilibrium to find between good development and slow to find to keep a long term hype. How awful, good developpers are punished??? Opened question...

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Hi Roadyroad,
Funny that although you seem to disagree with me, you also proof my point which is that the feeling is more important than the features. I agree with you on the facts you mention but those are not determinantive for the preference (well my preference). Maybe it's like buying a car. While making a shortlist you focus on the specifications with your brain but for the final decision, you listen to your heart. At least I do. And after you bought it, there's the process of cognitive dissonance where you focus again on specs in favor of your choice of car to justify your decision.

We can agree that the Empire Strikes Back is a better movie than the first one based on a lot of aspects but also a fact is that I still like the first one more. Why? Don't know. Maybe I remember while seeing it again the feeling I had when I saw it the first time.

Feeling can only be explained with facts up to a certain point. I can't tell you with facts why I like AC more than other sims. We can argue which sim is the best based on facts but arguing about feelings is useless (don't do that with women!!).

Thanks for the tip of Homefront. I will have a look!