A multi-billion dollar industry, the video games market is one of the massive industries. Among the countless genres of video games available, car racing games are one of the most popular genres of video games. The car racing video games date back more than half a century ago and there have been many epic car racing games over time that have garnered millions of downloads.
Each year, car racing game enthusiasts await the release of the new games and this year won’t be any different. Check out this list of 2022 racing video games alongside their release dates and gameplay features.
In this guide, we will take a look at some of the most popular racing games alongside their release date and gameplay features.
Need for Speed
Here’s everything you need to know about Need for Speed (NFS):
- Initial Release Date: December 1994
- Publisher and Developer: This car racing game is published by Electronic Arts and developed by Criterion Games
- Gameplay: Initially, the games were set in international racing circuits. However, the game developers switched to fictitious settings starting from NFS Underground with Palmont City, Ventura Bay, Fortune Valley and Palm City to name a few.
There are different races and you control the car to win the race. There is also a tournament/career mode whereby you have to win a series of races. Prior to the race, you can select a car and opt whether you need a car equipped with manual or automatic transmission.
Exotic cars, muscle cars, tuners, and special vehicles are the four types of cars available. Exotic vehicles like Lamborghini Murciélago, Chevrolet Corvette and Ford GT. Muscle cars include cars like Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Tuner cars include Nissan Skyline and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Moreover, the special vehicles in the NFS series include civilian and police cars.
Gran Turismo
Here’s everything you need to know about Gran Turismo:
- Initial Release Date: December 1994
- Publisher and Developer: This car racing game is published by Sony Interactive Entertainment and developed by Polyphony Digital Publisher(s)
Gameplay: There are two game modes in Gran Turismo: Sports Mode and Arcade Mode. The game also includes online racing. Some versions of the game include a dynamic weather system, a day-night cycle, and the ability to change the time of day before joining the race. It has over 200 cars and 15 race tracks to choose from.
You begin with some credits (usually 10,000) which are used to acquire cars from the available manufacturers or dealers. For maximum performance, you also are given the option to tune your car. Note that some of the events in Gran Turismo are only available to certain types of cars. The prize cash earned from winning the competitions can be used to enhance the performance of the car you already have or buy a new car.
Forza Horizon
Here’s everything you need to know about Forza Horizon:
- Initial Release Date: December 1994
- Publisher and Developer: This car racing game is published by Electronic Arts and developed by Criterion Games
- Gameplay: Set in the Horizon Festival (a music and racing festival), your mission is to overcome Darius Flynt (antagonist of the game) and then claim the Horizon Champion title.
The more races you win, the more points you will earn which would help you in progressing to higher stages of the competition. To advance in the game, you must finish as many Festival Events and Showcase races as you can as it would help boost your popularity level. In order to access new events, you must get a wristband after winning a set number of races. These wristbands are given out after collecting enough points to advance to the higher rank.
A high ranking allows you to compete at the Star Showdown event, and winning that event would allow you to get the opponent’s car in addition to the extra cash award.
Colin McRae Rally and Dirt
Here’s everything you need to know about Colin McRae Rally and Dirt:
- Initial Release Date: July 1998
- Publisher and Developer: This car racing game is published by Codemasters Electronic Arts and developed by Codemasters
- Gameplay: As the name suggests, Colin McRae Rally and Dirt is a rally-racing game. You can add new cars to your garage and tune them by earning money from winning races. The amount of prize money a player gains is determined by the difficulty level of the race they compete in. Some of the events need a specific number of points to activate so you have to accumulate the winning points to access those events.
You can play the competition again even if you have completed it once but the amount of prize money from winning will reduce as you repeat that level. If you have damaged your car whilst competing at the race, you will have 60 minutes to get it repaired and get it ready to go on the racing circuit.
If you want to get behind the wheels and unleash your racing skills in real life, browse through this diverse collection of used cars for sale in the UAE at reasonable rates.
This brings us to the end of our guide about most popular car racing games. To learn more about automobiles, automotive parts and the world’s automotive industry, stay tuned to UAE’s leading auto blog.
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