15 Most Realistic Driving Games
Arcade racers are great fun, but racing sims have their place too. What are some of the most realistic driving games and simulators out there?
Racing and driving video games have been around for almost as long as the industry itself. They have been a staple food since the nostalgic 80s and only evolved with the passage of time. With the introduction of new and better hardware, racing video games have also evolved and the demand for realistic driving games has also increased.
While there are many fantastic challenging reality driving games, such as the quirky Burnout Paradise, there are also plenty of great realistic driving games. These titles are aimed at all fans of car and driving games who are looking for a safer alternative to driving at high speed with few consequences. These games are definitely worth a look.
Updated September 13, 2021, by Joseph Metz Jr.: With video games striving for a more realistic look over time, so has the demand for realistic elements in games. One of those demands is very much centered on the driving game. While there are tons of arcade racing games out there, there's also a market for realistic driving games as well to really recreate the feeling of real car driving. With more and more driving games being introduced, there are many fish in the sea vying to become the most realistic driving simulator on the market. Each of these games certainly makes it the most realistic racing game on the market.
15 Richard Burns Rally
For a game that came out in 2004, when many realistic car games weren't as popular as they are today, Richard Burns Rally was something different because it all used realism. This game is not for the faint of heart as it is very difficult for how much of an ultra-realistic driving simulator it is.
This makes the game difficult to play for beginners due to its complexity as the cars basically handle how they actually do in real life and the tracks themselves mimic their real life counterparts to the tee. While the visuals aren't as good as the driving, for those looking for a truly realistic car game, it's worth checking out.
14 iRacing
First released in 2008 as a subscription-based game, iRacing has survived to this day. iRacing is truly at the forefront of its approach to realistic driving games, aiming to emulate auto racing as close to reality as possible.
Players can only race in first-person cockpit view, unless otherwise permitted, and have realistic feedback on steering, pedals and gearshifts. It does lose some points for not implementing realistic damage physics or dynamic weather patterns, but iRacing is still worth a try for all racing sim fans.
13 Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed
While the Need For Speed series may not be as realistic as some of its competitors, the developers opted for a more down-to-earth racing game with Need For Speed: Shift. This formula was refined in the second game in the sub-series.
The game still looks good even by today's standards. Shift 2 Unleashed features realistic crash physics and a variety of different motorsports to follow, which in many ways continue to influence the series to some extent to this day.
12 Forza Motorsport 7
While the Forza series got off to a rocky start on Xbox One with Motorsport 5, Motorsport 7 manages to completely fix the ship for the mainstream Forza series as opposed to the equally good but unrealistic spinoff Horizon.
Apart from smooth and realistic car handling, the game also includes dynamic weather patterns. Rain, for example, will make the roads wet and affect how your car handles, while the adjustable driver allows you to feel as if you are driving your own car.
11 Assetto Corsa Kompetisi Competitions
The newest entry in this little-known sports racing sim allows players to love competitive racing online or against AI drivers in offline mode.
Assetto Corsa Competizione uses Unreal Engine 4 to create dynamic tires and aerodynamic physics models that mimic reality as closely as possible. It also accurately renders real-world tracks to provide as close to a proper recreation of the event as possible.
10 Up 3
Instead of focusing on realistic car play, Ride 3 focuses on realistic motorcycles and is often referred to as "Forza Motorsport on bikes". Ride 3 offers players the opportunity to ride motorbikes from the 1960s to the present.
Customization is off the charts as almost every component of the bike is customizable like mechanics and design. While the game offers realistically remade roads, it nails the aspect of making players' bikes truly feel like their own as they recreate riding across the world's most amazing roads.
9 Euro Truck Simulator 2
Instead of racing and competing with other drivers, Euro Truck Simulator 2 instead chooses to control a truck driver who delivers cargo across a smaller picture of Europe.
Players are free to explore but have to keep a few things in mind, especially the cost of fuel, maintenance and tolls. Luckily, the game offers a variety of different jobs to take on in building your own European truck empire.
8 City Car Driving
According to its Steam page, City Car Driving chose to try and create a realistic driving simulator "to help you master basic car driving skills". Whatever the goal, the game does a great job of what it advertises.
City Car Driving has dynamic weather that usually affects how you drive, but the defining feature is what it calls "smart" traffic. Pedestrians are unpredictable and car traffic is pretty much the same, highlighting the need to always keep an eye on the road, be it in the digital world or the real world.
7 Injection RACE
The last game in the RACE 07 series, Injection ends the series with a bang when it all comes down to making a realistic car game. The game offers 38 car models across 13 classes to provide a little something for everyone.
What's unique about this game is how it has various real-life championships that each follow their own rules. This not only forces the player to focus on the actual driving, but also remembers the rules of each championship or else easy risk of disqualification, like a real race car driver.
6 Sports Gran Turismo
The newest entry in one of the longest-running and most successful PlayStation franchises, Gran Turismo Sport may not offer as many tracks and cars when compared to its predecessors. However, it does offer a game with great visuals and realistic driving.
Along with stunning visuals, the cars in the game have a realistic feel to handling them. Gran Turismo Sport also features great online games that have kept it relevant for many years.
5 Dirt Rally 2.0
Instead of focusing on the concrete roads that people usually use to drive, Dirt Rally 2.0, a spin-off of the main Dirt series, creates realistic off-road rally car racing. A variety of different surfaces are presented, from ice to snow and of course dirt.
The game features dynamic seasons on top of the weather to prepare players for the right type of terrain to ride. Damage to the car will affect its performance and the terrain you are driving will degrade over time due to constant driving. This always keeps players on their toes and forces them to perform every action carefully.
4 F1 2021
The newest entry to the F1 game is probably the most realistic car game in the series. Players not only have to worry about finishing on the podium consistently but also taking care of their car, as this game requires you to focus on all the functions of the car at high speed.
R&D is in the game to track your vehicle stats like engine, chassis, durability and aerodynamics of the car. But at the same time, other drivers on the F1 circuit will do the same, bringing a dynamic feeling to the game as other drivers also improve, something that other realistic driving games don't have.
3 Project Cars 2
The second game in the Project Cars series remains the best. It features both road and off-road racing but the best aspect is its approach to creating realistic racing. The developer takes it to the next level with its LiveTrack 3.0 system.
It changes the track physics with each lap. This includes weather changes that change in the middle of a race to affect how the car handles on the track and even temperature changes to affect driving. It makes driving on the same track, again and again, even more unique as these aspects will change it a bit.
2 Race Hall
At first, the fact that it's free to play might make this game look like it's not a realistic driving game at all - but it's actually quite the opposite. This PC exclusive features cars that not only sound like their real-world counterparts but also handle like them.
Handling your car properly is key because the slightest hiccup will not only cost you the race, but also damage the car in a realistic way. Plus, unlike the other games on this list, it's compatible with VR headsets to further immerse the player as a race car driver.
1 rFactor 2
A racing game so realistic that despite its age it is used to train professional NASCAR and Formula One drivers as well as car engineers and simulation centers.
While the game takes some getting used to, some games are enough to capture vehicle dynamics such as worn tires that can be witnessed firsthand which necessitates the need to check for durability. It's just one of the many things the game realistically does because every part of the car is important in one way or another. Every die-hard racing sim fan should check out this game, as it is probably the most realistic driving simulator on the market today.
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