There are many driving and racing games out there. However, most of them have an arcade feel. It’s fast-paced, forgiving, and uses only minimal physics. These games are made to be fun and they deliver. But on the other end of the spectrum are simulators.
These are games built from the ground up to provide a realistic depiction of driving. Whether you’re zipping through the hills in a Subaru or cruising the European countryside in a big truck, these driving sims are perfect examples of games that try to be as realistic as possible. is a challenge in itself.
Updated by Sam Hallahan on April 14, 2023. Many people love to race in games like Forza Horizon and Burnout, but these games have taken driving to the next level. These games that try to simulate driving in a realistic yet fun way are excellent choices. use.
15 Driver: San Francisco
If you enjoy driving around Grand Theft Auto’s massive fictional maps, you should consider checking out Driver: San Francisco, the fifth game in the series. You can play story mode as a comatose detective trying to track down his nemesis.
You can also play with over 140 real-life, licensable vehicles. Not only that, but the game also allows you to teleport and swap cars during gameplay and is available across multiple platforms.
14 TrackMania 2: Canyon
If you want to get creative by performing stunts and building your own tracks, consider getting TrackMania 2: Canyon, which allows players a level of customization not found in many other games. increase.
There are many gamers sharing their tracks on YouTube and online gaming forums. This, like Sims shares from his community, has a desire to personalize their racing experience and raise the stakes significantly. You can even edit your video footage and create your own highlight reel to showcase your talent.
13 autobahn police simulator
Autobahn Police Simulator and its sequel are different from some of the games on this list because they offer real objectives and missions. If you like driving simulators but tired of driving trucks all day, you can choose something like this. It seeks to give you a true experience of what it’s like to be a police officer on the German Autobahn.
There’s also a freeplay mode, but there are also over 30 missions that send you to accident sites and car chases.
12 Race: Injection
This game is the last title in the Race 07 series that won several awards during its run. Along with his 9 tracks set in regions around the world, over 20 different car models are offered.
You can also compete in five different classes and complete real-life championship tournaments. Additionally, the game offers up to 25 slots for multiplayer. You can even race against AI opponents if you want. For those who like to customize their cars, the game offers over 400 different car skins of his.
11 Shift 2: Unleashed
Shift 2: Unleashed is the direct sequel to Need for Speed: Shift and the 17th installment in the Need for Speed ​​series. The game aims to redefine the realism of driving and racing simulators by creating dynamic crash scenarios to make the overall experience more immersive.
Choose from 140+ cars, 30+ trucks and 37 different manufacturers. The level of choice and customization allows players to choose from many options to make the game more personalized to the player’s own desires.
Ten euro truck simulator 2
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is the exact opposite of the other games on this list in terms of difficulty. The driving simulation is gentle and slow-paced, a great way to spend a lazy afternoon.
In the game, you drive a number of large trucks tasked with carrying a variety of cargo, from propane tanks to small cars. You can drive most of Europe, from the UK to Scandinavia, in varying weather conditions. There are traffic rules and speed limits to follow, but they can all be ignored. As a result, the track usually crashes into the ditch.
9 dirt rally 2.0
This is one of the best rally games ever made. It incorporates the incredible difficulty of real-life rallies where fast, powerful cars sprint over rough terrain at breakneck speed. You must follow your co-driver’s pace notes. Pace notes determine whether you stay on the road or miss a hairpin turn and jump off a cliff.
Even if you follow your pace notes, sometimes your car is too powerful and unwieldy to avoid hitting a tree. It also crashes multiple times in-game, especially if you choose anything more powerful than the classic Mini.
8 project cars 2
Some track-based racing sims mistake authenticity for difficulty. They make the car impossible to control and the track feels like it’s covered in ice. The handling takes some getting used to, and although there’s a little more understeer than oversteer, the car feels pretty close to the real thing.
The game also has different weather conditions, the effect of which is just sublime, and the weather often changes in the middle of the race. However, this is more than meets the eye as you have to adapt to new conditions before it spirals out of control.
7 lace trim
The game doesn’t have the best AI or game modes, but it more than makes up for it when it comes to the sheer feeling of driving a race car. Assetto Corsa has the best physics of any racing sim, offering unrivaled immersion and realism. But that’s not all.
The game is highly customizable, so you can tweak the settings to your liking until you feel comfortable driving a previously uncontrollable car. The game also has an active modding community adding tons of features, from supercars to custom his trucks.
6 iRacing
If there’s one racing sim that every serious gamer knows, it’s iRacing. It’s also the most controversial because if you’re not a beginner you’ll have to pay iRacing just for a subscription and it will cost him over $10 to get all the cars and trucks not included in the base model. . Yes, it costs more to enter, but what no one can deny is its authenticity.
All cars are modeled with impeccable attention to detail and the rules of the race are as serious as those found in real track events. Its physics engine is also his one of the most accurate.
Five mad runner
If you’ve ever wanted to know what extreme off-road driving feels like without actually getting into an SUV and going into a muddy area, this is the closest thing you can get. Spintires: MudRunner is a game that drops players into large areas of unforgiving terrain. There are tons of mud, bumpy roads and tracks, deep rivers, jutting rocks, deformed terrain and steep hills.
A variety of off-road vehicles are available to navigate this terrain, from SUVs to large trucks. If the tire clogs quickly, it is easy to get stuck in the mud. MudRunner requires patience and calculation. Anything less and it can quickly become frustrating.
Four r-factor 2
Launched in 2013, rFactor 2 is quite old. However, with the relatively new DLC and modding community still spawning tons of mods, it’s aged like fine wine. It’s also incredibly complicated. In fact, too many newbies have their backs turned.
There are features like rubber lines that form on the track over time and affect the car’s grip whether it’s dry or wet. , even the slightest adjustment affects the car’s speed and fuel consumption.
3 BeamNG drive
Making driving simulation fun from the start isn’t easy, but BeamNG.drive makes it easy. The cars feel just as real as the other sims on this list, so it’s still difficult, but racing isn’t a priority in this game, but it does have that option.
What makes BeamNG.drive special is the damage model. You can destroy a car just by driving over a bump at 60 mph. This is thanks to the game’s soft body physics implemented in all available car parts. The modding scene is also quite active.
2 Richard Burns Larry
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This is the game that all other rally sims are compared to. It sets the standard for ultra-realistic racing, constant difficulty, and fear that even the slightest mistake could cost you the race. Some die-hard fans claim that Dirt Rally his game still falls short of Richard He Burns’ Larry.
Since its release in 2004, the game has received many mods from die-hard fans. These mods tweaked everything from tire interaction to different surface types to suspension improvements. All of this has resulted in a game that has traded blows with the dirt series and come out on top most of the time.
1 Forza Motorsport 7
This is one of the most forgiving racing sims available. Don’t let a small mistake ruin your race. It’s not difficult to master. That said, it’s still tougher than your average racer and requires a little patience to learn the machine. especially fast ones. Its main attraction, however, is the vastness of the game.
There are over 700 cars, from classic cars to muscle cars, simple vans and even trailer trucks.It also features dozens of tracks and locations, custom liveries and active multiplayer. For players new to sim games, Forza Motorsport 7 is a welcome entry point for him.