PS4 Racing Games: Which Among This Top 10 List Is The Best?
There are so many video games in the racing genre that it can be difficult to choose the right one for you. In this article, we rate and review the top 10 best PS4 racing games available. We discuss each game’s features, fun factor, and pros and cons so you can be well-informed when making your purchase.
Comparison Table
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A Review of the Best PS4 Racing Games
The video game space keeps innovating, and the racing genre is no exception. It can be difficult to decide which game is right for you, so we’ve compiled a list of the coolest PS4 racing games available. We discuss pros and cons of each game.
How We Chose Our Ratings
Our ratings were decided by a number of factors. We scoured user testimonials on gaming websites and read through dozens of professional reviews to find the most enjoyable options for racing game enthusiasts and beginners. Factors such as graphics, diverse play modes, speed, and the length of time you can play while still being entertained were all taken into consideration. We only included games released by design companies with positive reputations in the gaming community.
The Top 10 Best PS4 Racing Games
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If you’re a racing game junkie, simply put, you must add Burnout Paradise Remastered to your collection. You are guaranteed hours of raucous fun; you’ll have a smile plastered across your face from the moment you pick up your controller to the moment you put it down. The premise is the same as the first Burnout Paradise, originally available for PS3. You cruise around Paradise City in your high-performance sports car, compete in different races and events, and unlock cooler vehicles as you progress.
The game’s description may make it sound routine, but where it stands out is in its feel. The speed you get in the open-world setting is incredible. The non-linear structure means you take whatever route you want to get to your destination. Explore alleys and shortcuts, weave around on winding roads, and barrel through oncoming traffic.
The fan favorite games within a game are back. Road Rage has you cathartically smashing up as many other racecars as you can in a set time period. Marked Man has you scrambling to reach a specific destination while enemies are hot on your tail, hoping to turn you into a smoking pile of metal.
Burnout Paradise Remastered guarantees an adrenaline rush. If you miss the thrill of old-school arcade racing games, you won’t be disappointed.
Pros
- guarantees an adrenaline rush
- guaranteed hours of raucous fun
- speed you get in the open-world setting is incredible
Cons
- We’ll let you know if we think of any.
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Return to the glory days of arcade racing games with Horizon Chase Turbo. If you miss awesome 80s and 90s games like Top Gear, Outrun, and Rush, this should fill the void. The cartoonish vibe of the visuals is perfectly retro. The upbeat soundtrack is flush with screechy guitars. Just like in those classic games of yesteryear, your car is locked to the bottom of the screen as you zip around corners and knock other drivers off the road. Each track is more difficult than the last, meaning you consistently feel challenged.
The four-player split-screen mode is a blast. Horizon Chase Turbo is best suited to competing with friends on the same couch. It brings you back to the game playing of your childhood.
Some of the old-school handling can feel a bit frustrating in 2019. Collisions seem to defy physics, slowing you down but causing the other cars to shoot way ahead. Casual gamers may find the higher levels too difficult to enjoy.
Pros
- great soundtrack
- features four-player split-screen mode
- best for competing games with friends on the same couch
Cons
- collisions seem to defy physics
- higher levels are too difficult to enjoy
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Sure, Cars 3: Driven To Win is a children’s game, but it’s a children’s game you’ll be happy to sit on the couch and play with your kid. First of all, it looks great. The cars impressively resemble the characters from the Pixar film. The cartoony graphics are fun to look at and even well-detailed; you’ll notice the great lighting, shadows, and movement of the cars.
In addition to great graphics and beloved characters, Cars 3: Driven To Win offers five different modes of play. In Battle Race, you collect objects to use against your opponents while racing on a long track. In Stunt Showcase, you practice completing the stunts you’ll have to perform in Battle Race to unlock rewards. Playground is great for little kids, letting them explore and drive around at their own pace. Takedown is a big, messy, chaotic competition – in the best way. Finally, there’s the self-explanatory Single-Player mode.
Pros
- great graphics and beloved characters
- playground is great for little kids
- kids/players can explore and drive around at their own pace
- comes with a self-explanatory single-player mode
Cons
- there’s not too many complex levels because it’s a children’s game
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TrackMania Turbo is a wild, arcade-style ride. A focus on beating track times makes it a great option for solo play. The tracks are insane; gravity-defying loops, gigantic jumps, and crazy obstacles pair with amazing speed for a heart-racing adventure. The game is adrenaline-pumping fun while also requiring acute concentration to master the bonkers courses. Just about everything in the game is unrealistic, but that’s a huge part of its appeal.
Four different environments are available. The stadium setting is the most traditional. Canyon and Valley roads offer tons of off-road action. The Lagoon rollercoaster has you twisting through corkscrews and cutting through grass. The game also offers several multi-player modes. The craziest is the double driver mode, which puts you and a friend in control of the same car. You need to copy each other’s maneuvers to successfully reach the finish line. It’s a hilarious diversion from regular play.
Players who thrive on direct competition may not enjoy the focus on time trials. The unrealistic feel that makes the game so fun also causes some frustrations; hit one tiny shrub and you crash spectacularly. The handling of some of the cars is less than ideal. The VW Bug in particular feels too light and ungrounded.
Pros
- heart-racing adventure
- game is adrenaline-pumping fun while also requiring acute concentration
- crazy double driver mode
- Four different environments are available
Cons
- focusing on time trials may not be enjoyable
- unrealistic feel can cause some frustrations
- some of the cars are not ideal to handle
- may feel too light and ungrounded
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If rally racing is your jam, you’re sure to get ton of thrills from DiRT 4. Endless racing, an impressive career mode, and realistic visuals are enough to make you a fan, but the real gem of this game is its custom stage creator. You program it for length, complexity, weather, and time-of-day. Five different countries offer five different types of terrain. Visit Australia and crunch over a gravel surface through tight, wild bush. Visit Spain and fly down foggy, majestic hillsides. Every time you power up DiRT 4, you’re treated to an entirely new rally track.
At the beginning of the game, you’re prompted to choose between a “realism” and a “fun” mode. The dichotomy is all too stark. Realism mode is devoid of massive jumps, splashy puddles, and any arcade feel that makes racing games so popular. In fun mode, you get the over-the-top action, but the graphics lack finesse.
Pros
- endless racing and an impressive career mode
- features custom stage creator
- Five different countries offer five different types of terrain
Cons
- the dichotomy is all too stark
- realism mode lacks massive jumps, splashy puddles and arcade feel
- graphics lack finesse in fun mode
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Fans of pure Formula One racing will be pleased with F1 2017. Compared to previous iterations of the game, the cars are faster and more responsive, making for a peak driving experience. Your opponents on the track are impressive artificial intelligence characters who respond to your every move. The graphics are bright and realistic, with glowing skyscrapers, shiny wet asphalt, and vibrant blue skies. Strategy is key, as your fuel intake, parts purchases, and management of rival teammates all add to – or distract from – your success on race day.
If you have the 2016 version of the game, there may not be enough innovation in the 2017 release to merit a purchase. Because it’s true to the real sport, it’s limited in what it can do to add to the franchise’s other existing offerings.
Pros
- cars are faster and more responsive
- opponents on the track are impressive artificial intelligence characters
- graphics are bright and realistic
Cons
- not much innovation in the 2017 release
- it has limitations in what it can do because it’s true to the real sport
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Madness and chaos are the rules of the road in FlatOut4: Total Insanity. The demolition derby-style game presents tons of big, smashing fun. Unpredictable obstacles, weaponized races, and aggressive opponents offer plenty of heart-stopping challenges. The game’s Flatout mode is the most enjoyable. You compete in races, stunts, time trials, and survivor events, racking up points to upgrade your ride. Online multiplayer mode lets you explore every car and track in the game. If you like a healthy dose of destruction in your racing games, FlatOut4 should satisfy your craving.
The AI opponents can seem unfairly indestructible. They can bring down an entire building in a crash and then rejoin the other drivers on the road without a scratch. The car handling is frustratingly inconsistent. An obstacle you easily drive.
Pros
- demolition derby-style game presents tons of big, smashing fun
- unpredictable obstacles
- game’s Flatout mode is the most enjoyable
Cons
- AI opponents can seem unfairly indestructible
- obstacles are easy to drive into
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If you’re already a fan of the Gran Turismo franchise, Gran Turismo Sport will be right up your alley. You’ll find the great driving and superior car handling you’ve come to expect. Add a blast of adrenaline to that trustworthiness and you’ve got Gran Turismo Sport. Different player modes stave off boredom and keep you entertained for hours. You’ll participate in traditional races, quick fixes, endurance races, and technical challenges where you need to pay attention to details such as wheel balance and fuel usage.
Gran Turismo Sport is surprisingly lacking in content. While fun to play, it feels like a scaled-back version of the franchise’s other offerings. There are few car and track choices, which is half the fun of a racing game. It’s much more suited to online rather than single-player play.
Pros
- great driving and superior car handling
- unpredictable obstacles
- keeps you entertained for hours
Cons
- surprisingly lacks content
- feels like a scaled-back version of the franchise’s other offerings
- much more suited to online rather than single-player play
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Assetto Corsa is one of the most realistic race simulation games on the market. Its driving physics are incredibly life-like and its superior handling is incredible. It’s the next best thing to getting onto a real racetrack. A recent update by the manufacturer has increased the number of cars you can choose from, as well as adding a new track and fine-tuning the already great handling. The car interiors are super-detailed and full of cool functionality. Technical-minded players will love the realistic nature of Assetto Corsa. When you need a break from the competition, you can play in Special Events mode, tackling one-off challenges, like time trials and quick races.
The AI opponents in Assetto Corsa can seem baffling. They make confusing decisions and are seemingly immune to any negative consequences when you make contact. The menu interface is also poorly designed. Possibly the biggest disappointment is the lack of fanfare when you finish an event; it’s anti-climactic at a point when your adrenaline is at its highest.
Pros
- one of the most realistic race simulation games in the market
- the next best thing to getting onto a real racetrack
- car interiors are super-detailed and full of cool functionality
Cons
- AI opponents in Assetto Corsa can seem baffling
- opponents are confusing and seem immune to any negative consequences during contact
- poorly designed menu interface
- anti-climactic
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If you like your video games to have a strong narrative, then Need for Speed Payback may be a good fit for you. Its cinema-like story line has you driving through the fictional underworld of Fortune Valley, partaking in a quest for vengeance against a nasty cartel bent on taking over the city. You control three different characters, all with different skills and cars, who have teamed up to defeat the cartel.
There are plenty of non-linear distractions, like drift challenges and drag racing. The missions would be right at home in a blockbuster movie, with big screen explosions and plot-driven intrigue. Need for Speed Playback is an action-packed game that blends an open-world full of events and police chases with traditional street racing.
Some users report that the action driving looks great but is actually too easy. The game does most of the heavy lifting for you, making some levels unsuitable for replay. The police chases can feel uneventful. You race in a linear fashion, passing checkpoints under a time constraint; there are no exciting off-roading diversions or hairpin turns down alleys.
Pros
- cinema-like story line has you driving through the fictional underworld of Fortune Valley
- you control three different characters
- action-packed game
Cons
- action driving looks great but too easy
- some levels are unsuitable for replay
- police chases can feel uneventful
- not really that exciting
Buyer’s Guide
We’ve done our best to “steer” you in the right direction, but only you can decide which racing experience is ideal for your playing habits. If you prefer realism, then consider F1 2017 or Assetto Corsa. If you like smashing things up, FlatOut 4 or Burnout Paradise Remastered may work best. If you have kids, try Cars 3 – you may find yourself still playing after the little ones have gone to bed. Cost may also come into consideration for you; the games listed in this review have a range of price tags. However, we’re confident our list includes your dream racing game. Happy speeding!
Last update on 2024-05-03 at 10:42 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API