Community Question | Best Racing Game of All Time?

[Shovas]

I started with this:

Mosted driven so far Race07 + all Exp.

Now AC, ACC RRE, AMS, AMS2

Wow. Memories. This is my earliest racing game memory I think. Was never quite sure what exactly the game was until I heard this music again just now.

As a programmer, I find these credits amusing for how sparse they are:

 

[23grp]

GTR2 is my personal choice as NO1. With the 10th anniversary patch this sim is in my opinion the best all round package. Graphics are good - Physics above average - Sound awsome - AI the best I have raced against. I love this SIM!

 

[aphidgod]

I'll say the very first Gran Turismo on PS1. Not only for its merits as a driving/racing game but for the role it had in introducing so many kids in my generation to cars and especially JDM cars of the 90s. (Which, in hindsight, was a golden age in that industry and produced classic after classic.)

 

[Jason Mullin]

Tough question.

I tell myself I’m partial to the simulation side of the genre, but I have to be honest and ask after all these years of racing what stuck?

Forza 4 Fujimi Kaido.

All these great developers and their high tech offerings it’s the simple fun side that I remember most.

Finding it hard to capture that magic I had for sim racing back then. Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s like a drug addict chasing that first high who knows.

 

[Sergio71]

Ams1 and rFactor in the past

 

[thierry_roldan]

F1 97 for murray walker
U cant beat that

 

[Kevin Troschinski]

i forgot indy heat of course

 

[E304LIFE]

If I was going to rate an all time best "racing game" in the "now" I would have to say ACC. Gran Turismo was the one who laid the track so to speak for the genre of sim racing, so I would give it the award for "all time best".

 

[Gregoryleo]

One of the reasons I think GTR2 is the best, (for me at least) is its playability. I was in the mood for something a little different this morning. So I loaded up AC, I’ve never been able to get a good handle on their physics, and AI. So after about 10 minutes was done. pCars was a little better, but still meh not what I wanted. Then decided to jump into GTR2. No practice or qly, went straight into the Saleen on silverstone 2005. And was immediately in the heat of battle. Started 17th, and worked my way up to 13, but in the end finished 19th after a 30min race. Loved every minute of it. After almost 7 years that sim still gets me. It’s immersion level is still very strong.
I find it interesting that it is also my first pc sim. And was wondering how many of our all time bests are also our first real intro?

 

[Oldi]

Now AC
before my favorite was GT Legends
and even older GP Legends (Is now free for everybody to download) no doubt about.

I also liked playing rF and nKar Pro (was predecessor of AC)

Sims I do not enjoy very much are Race07 (even predecessor GTR2 was better) and Project Cars 2 (first one was also better) just my opinion.

 

[silverstuff83]

GTR2, Race 07.

 

[RaceFuchs]

Hard question. Never played the older PC-only sims like GTR2. I think the most influential must be Gran Turismo. The best of this generation? Propably ACC.

 

[Terje Helle]

My third attempt at this... After some thought:
All the new sims are AMAZING! Especially if it supports VR.
AMS2, RF2, Iracing, AC, ACC, PC2, RRRE, DR2.0.

So much fun in their own way, and it’s exiting what the devs can do. It’s truly a great time to be a Sim Racer

 

[Sil]

no chance to select one game............every "decade" has it´s own best game......some years ago GP4, GTR2, GTL, rFactor were the best for me.
And now it is AC and ACC

Not quite so i am afraid, GTR2 is still ahead with AI and animations so that makes it the winner in 2000 decade, and it is still powerfull enough to compete with new sims apart from grafics, mostly if you apply the 10th anniversary patch v10.1 !
On the same level, Race 07 had rain and wipers, and most of all, in those time, the games would have at most 2 patch and thats pretty it, today it takes years till the product is really finished with tons of patches.
Thats why maybe we see so many people going back to those sim-legends.

 

[Sil]

I'm not into 'games', only Sims or simulators, so the best for me has to be rFactor 2.

What? RF2? i must be having a nightmare. lets wake up and be serious !

 

[Ghepa888]

the first most simulative were GTR2 & Rfactor on track and Richard Burns Rally for rally. After Assetto Corsa, Simracing has changed, and Assetto Corsa Competizione, for GT car racing the top. I must say that iRacing is not bad, although a little too expensive from my point of view. While Formula 1 are all arcade. For the rally Dirt Rally 1 & 2 are simulation. But even though it's old Richard Burns Rally, it's still the top as a realistic simulation.

 

[bgil66]

I may have to change my previous answer to this one----->AMS2 in an F1 95' WOW

 

[MetalMania]

Hard to say any single one is "the best ever", there's so much variance in the genre and depends what the player is looking for. There's a lot I never played so can't vouch for personally.

For me the original Papyrus Indy Car Racing / IR2 and Nascar Racing series were almost life altering. I had not experienced any game/sim up to that point that drew me in and required that kind of focus. The earlier iterations may not be best all time when judged today, but I think should be high on the "most significant" list.

Best all time focusing on a single series/genre: I'd say probably Nascar Racing 2003 and GTR2. I have not played ACC so can't comment on that, but it's probably too early to say whether it will also become legendary like NR2003 and GTR2. Maybe the current F1 series deserves a spot on the podium (sorry, had to) for its scalability and inclusion of a genuine career mode.

Best "jack of all trades": That's tough - I'll say Assetto Corsa, but RF2 and something like PCars2 cover more ground (stock cars, ovals, etc - note I'm not necessarily referring to how WELL they do that). AC does a better job of being a more polished, cohesive package (that's more vs RF2) and the mod support has extended its breadth by a wider margin. If not for the mod support, I'd rank AC lower as the "stock" content - particularly tracks, is somewhat limited. I never played AMS or AMS2, RaceRoom, and plenty of others so can't comment on them.

Most significant "franchise" in the history of sim racing: Gran Turismo. Whether you consider it a "sim" or not, GT as a series has probably introduced more people to anything resembling "serious" driving sims/games since its inception than any other game/sim or series. Its probably been the "gateway" sim/game to anything deeper, though I suppose Project Cars 1 and 2 in recent years sold in big numbers as well (also Forza Motorsport in the XBox ecosystem).

Best multiplayer - I supposed has to be iRacing due to to its structure and wide range of genres. I had only limited time in iRacing and it was both the worst and best sim racing experiences I've ever had. My current work/life situation doesn't really fit with the time and money commitment iRacing requires to be worthwhile at the moment. That may change at some point.

The sim that I WANT to be the best but just can't seem to get there: RFactor 2. To me it has the best physics/FFB of any sim I've ever driven - usually. It covers every genre of racing I have any interest in. S397 have done a good job adding content, their current track models are outstanding, lots of good work has been done and more is on the way. BUT there's been so much fixing one thing and something else breaks along the way, and the balance of car/track/AI is so inconsistent I fear it will never be fully smoothed out. I've spent far more hours testing and keeping spreadsheets of what has been good and not so good for me than just racing and enjoying it, it's like a second job sometimes.

 

[Caleb Lee]

Based purely on the foundation that "best" could mean closest to life, as that is the point of sims, after all, it is undeniably iRacing. The career ladder, the FFB, the accountability all make it into the closest to life. I drove a Radical SR8 a while ago, and iRacing gives you a very similar feel (and rF2's SR3 is quite close to the feel). However, Assetto's modding cannot be ignored, and it is probably the most legendary sim of all time. But I stand by the fact that iRacing provides the closest to life presentation.

 

[dussard]

Since the containment and explosion of virtual races it is clear that iracing is carving out the big part of the cake ... I don't play iracing because I don't like the monthly economic subscription model and rental game... but rather at ACC RF2 RACEROOM less and less and dirt 2 but the vast majority of virtual races in competitions take place on iracing ... super cup porsche ... indycar nascar VLN ... Rallycross.... Endurance