Racing / Driving games

Hey!

Well, if you haven't figured it out by watching me on the "Tricky" map, my other gaming passion is driving games. So I thought I'd toss a few out there and see what suggestions others have!

Need for Speed : Most Wanted
This is one of the most fun games I've played in a very very long time! I'm not sure what number it is in the series but these people are fine tuning the arcade-style racing experience. (If you're looking for pure simulation, this isn't for you) The story of the game is incredibly lame, however the graphics, game-play, and range of customizations and vehicles more than make up for it! The only thing missing in this one is body damage, but they brought that in for the latest version, NFS : Pro Street.
Anyway, this game has cops (from patrol cars all the way up to Z06 vettes and helicopters!) and the chases are a total riot. You get points for breaking certain laws, length of chase, number of units disabled, etc... and the AI is very very smart! It also has a bunch of race types to compete in and a massive free-explore world on top of that. Finally, the soundtrack (nearly as key to a racing game as visual tastiness, imho) is amazing! Rise Against, Foo Fighters, Kill Switch Engage, and many other great bands and electronica groups! So yeah, give it a go!

DiRT
Just barely put this one on, have a few more hours to log before I feel good on it. It is from Codemasters and is the latest in the Colin McRae series of rally racing games. The visuals and physics are amazing and very real-life. Seems like it'll be a really addictive game once I get the hang of it! Though it's kickin my butt on easy right now so yeah

very much a simulation racing game, has a co-pilot calling the road ahead and everything!

Nitro Stunt Racing
Hadn't seen/heard any hype on this one, just browsing demos on gamespy. Anyway, just played the demo for this last night. Anyone who likes big-air and loops needs to give this a go!. You're in a tricked out indy-style car with one minor upgrade...2 rocket engines.

/

Needless to say, it is ridiculously fun! The tracks are all about stunts and crazy stuff so there are huge ramps and loops and fire... yeah, good times! You also have full areal control of your car so you can adjust nose pitch and all that. Anyway, seems like it'd be a riot in multiplayer! You can snag the demo here, ~240Mb

Non-PC----------------------------

Burnout : Revenge (Xbox)
Finally, game makers figured me out! A series of games dedicated to the art of destruction!!

I'm only about 20% of the way through this game but yeah, what a total blast! Various game types, all designed for the aggressive racer with takedown awards, crash cost-counts, aftershock damage, etc.... Extreme arcade-style physics and no licensed cars so, body-damage galore! Excellent graphics and control, and a wicked soundtrack!

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough
- Mario Andretti

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled programs!

cheers.
t.

I heard 'Dirt' is a good one. I wanted to get this for the PS3, but no moola. It got really good reviews for game play and graphics. GT5 is coming out in March for the PS3 also.

Ooooh, a new one I was just pointed at by Senor Taco, TrackMania United. Massive online races with build-your-own tracks and customizable cars...this sounds like a must buy! I'll follow up once I get it!

Preview vid & purchase here

cheers.
t.

Ok, so I got TrackMania United and it is insanely fun! If you've ever wanted to take a 400mph car on a giant half-pipe, this game has your name all over it! It's very common in most race types get your car 100+ feet in the air!

They also incorporated an editor so you can design your own tracks & car skins and upload/download them!

There are 3 game types; Puzzle, Platform, and Race. Puzzle is an interesting idea. They give you a fixed start and finish on a map with obstacles and then a certain number of track pieces to build a complete track with. In Platform, you're give so many resets and then a track where you have to figure out how to get from one platform to the next. It's not time based but your award is based on the number of resets you use. Race is obvious, details below.

With Race, there are 7 different types of races, each with a different style of car. I've only done single player so far and its tough! The main difference here is, on single player, it's all time based. You don't race against a difficult car, you race against the gold time. They show you the gold car and how it won the race but you cant drive offensively.

Its tough! You make even the tiniest mistake and you're done!

Stadium - car is like a mix of an indy car and a rally car. Not super fast but very good suspension and dirt tires. The track is like a supercross track with jumps and ramps and even water hazards...not puddles...lakes.

Desert - Car looks like an old beemer with big gnarly dirt tires and squishy suspension. You spend about 80% of the race on 2 wheels. Tracks are crazy, generally on platforms, with lots of super sharp turns and such.

Street - Enter the Lamborghini Diablo's older brother. They have about a centimeter of ground clearance and a top speed of 600 mph! The handling is more like a slot car than an actual car, but you can still break it loose. Tracks are wide with tight turns and long straightaways. Extreme hangtime here!

Rally - Standard small car, breaks free well, great slide control once you get used to it. Tracks are rally inspired but you'll find yourself jumping onto castle walls quite often and racing up there

Bay - Car looks like a beemer X series (SUVish) and has fairly squishy suspension. Tracks are metro themed. Cities, boardwalks, etc... HUGE jumps.

Coast - Unplayed (haven't unlocked yet). Car looks like a rice rocket.

Snow - Unplayed (haven't unlocked yet). Car looks like a Suzuki Sidekick (CJ knockoff)

Anyway, yeah, lotts 'o fun! And I haven't cracked the multiplayer yet, and it's really they cornerstone of this game so yeah, we'll see!

Apologies for the massive review!

t.

I'm not huge on racing games, but I've played a few.

I highly recommend Burnout 3... it's a fantastic racing game that you can crash your opponent to give you nitro boosts or just to make it easier to win. The games AI is really well done, it looks amazing, online is a blast, and you never feel too far out of the race if you crash... it's always neck and neck to the end. So if you like driving wreckless through traffic and wrecking others this is your game. They just came out with Burnout Paradise, but I've yet to play it. Try Burnout 3 first to see how you like it, plus it will be about 20 dollars now since the new one came out which is a very good deal.

I really can't think of any others, I'm still waiting for Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 3 if they ever make it.

edit: I just realized that Wombat posted about Burnout Revenge... soooo I guess this is just an add on

Wombat:

Looks like a lot of fun - it reminds me of an old Mattel Hot Wheels game (old = basic graphics) but it was incredibly fun.

Q: do you use anything other than mouse/keyboard?

Spike wrote:

Wombat:

Looks like a lot of fun - it reminds me of an old Mattel Hot Wheels game (old = basic graphics) but it was incredibly fun.

Q: do you use anything other than mouse/keyboard?

That reminds me of an old PC game called 'Revolt'. You raced radio controlled toy cars on 'tracks' that went through places like a grocery store, house, neighborhood, museum, toy store, etc. It was really fun!

Spike wrote:

...Q: do you use anything other than mouse/keyboard?

I've been debating getting a wheel and pedals but haven't yet. Still just usin my trusty keyboard! I wonder how it would effect my ability, smooth cornering rather than twitch cornering

.

How bout others? Anyone have any hardware suggestions? Brand/Model would be preferred!

t.

I used to have a Mad Katz for my PS2. worked pretty good for Gran Turismo. I don't have it anymore, I traded the game and wheel/pedals to a kid down the street for 3 other games.

Typically the only racers I play include weapons. I am an old car wars buff and it reminds me of some of the best tournaments we had in high school.

I finished full auto for the PS3 a few weeks ago. It is not one of these great racers, but one of the best drive and gun games I have played yet.

Back in the day I tried a wheel/pedals combo with Midtown Madness at a LAN party and it was a lot of fun - never bought one myself though (it did seem to help with the controls)

Just a heads up, TrackMania (see above) has released a new trimmed down free version of their United game. It is called TrackMania Nations Forever and you can download it here:

http://www.trackmania.com/en/index.php?lang=en&rub=nations

It only has one mode (Stadium) but includes full massive multiplay support as well as track and skin building! Anyway, jump in! My player name is titanium.wombat (*GaSp*)

cheers.
t.

One driving game I remember from the N64 days is Destruction Derby. The graphics in the game were corny and awful, even for the N64, but the gameplay was great when you wanted to relieve stress by smashing something... whether it be the computer or a family member