In recent years, the Xbox One has cemented itself as arguably the best console to play racing games on. It has been a good few years for the genre in general, as the scale of amazing racing games has paved the way for the genre to be back in the spotlight. Now, with several exciting releases on the way and the highly anticipated return of the Need for Speed series, it’s time to take a closer look at a backlog of great racing titles for the Xbox One, which are also must-haves if you’re new to the console. Some of these games are exclusive to the platform and PC, while some can be enjoyed on other consoles as well, so be sure to check out the ones you’re interested in.
Criterion Games’ masterful cacophony of violent crashes and spectacular wipeouts returns in remastered form, and what better way to experience it than on your Xbox One. Burnout Paradise Remastered hails the return of one of the greatest arcade racers ever with a faithful remastering of the classic, which was released over a decade ago now. Burnout Paradise Remastered’s open world racing paved the way for the genre to flourish, and its online races continued to be enjoyed until the servers finally shut down about a month ago.
Burnout Paradise Remastered is set in the fictional Paradise City. Here, you can compete in several types of races, but all involve thrashing your opponents’ cars in chaos-filled and high-octane races. Burnout Paradise Remastered is also available on PC and the PlayStation 4.
Ubisoft’s second iteration of their successful open world racing game was hailed as an improvement over the former, giving its players a lot of freedom in a persistent open world featuring a scaled-down recreation of the contiguous United States. The Crew 2’s detailed environments and high-speed races across a number of disciplines makes it amazing to play, both with other players through a competitive or cooperative multiplayer mode or by yourself against AI opponents.
The Crew 2 features a nonlinear storyline that follows your own character through a journey to become the most renowned racing icon in the United States. To do this, you must compete and win in four disciplines: Street Racing, Off Road, Freestyle and Pro Racing. In addition to driving and racing in the fastest cars, players can also control other land, air, and sea vehicles such as motorcycles, planes, and powerboats, with The Crew 2 allowing for seamless transitions between all vehicles at any point in time. The Crew 2 is also available on the PlayStation 4 and PC, with a Google Stadia version in the works.
Turn 10 Studios and Microsoft’s latest iteration for their famed Forza Motorsport series has garnered a very positive reception across the board thanks to its 4K and 60fps support on the Xbox One X. The simulation racing title also makes use of HDR to provide a true immersive experience that’s fit for the best high-resolution TVs out there. Forza Motorsport 7 also introduced a thriving esports league, various spectator modes, and amazing split-screen play for competitive racing on a couch.
Forza Motorsport 7 features more than a whopping 700 cars, including brand-new Forza Edition cars coming from Forza Horizon 3. It also boasts more than 200 different racing configurations across 32 racing locations, which includes all of the tracks from Forza Motorsport 6. New tracks come from the introduced Dubai circuit, as well as several tracks returning from Forza Motorsport 4, like Maple Valley Raceway, Mugello Circuit, and Suzuka Circuit. Forza Motorsport 7 is also available to play on the PC.
Over on the arcade racing side of things, Playground Games and Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 4 continues to be one of the best arcade racers for the Xbox One. The game’s continued release of content updates has made Forza Horizon 4 a really meaty title, with tons of racing modes set in a realized open world environment that is based on a fictional representation of the United Kingdom. It was also noted for its introduction of a fully functional changing seasons mechanic.
Forza Horizon 4 covers several regions in the UK in its open world, including condensed representations of Edinburgh, the Lake District (including Derwentwater), the Cotswolds (including Broadway), and many more. The game also features over 450 licensed cars to race with. When you tire of the game’s expansive map for your races, you can also turn to a specialized route creator, which enables players to create their own races. Forza Horizon 4 is also available to play on PC.
With the recent acquisition of Kylotonn by Bigben Interactive, it’s worth taking a look at one of their most celebrated racing titles. WRC 7 is the latest iteration of the long-running racing game series focused on the World Rally Championships, and should provide players on the Xbox One a different kind of racing experience through the technical and challenging courses of rallying. The title is the official game for the 45th season of the actual WRC held in 2017, and it’s also recognized by the official governing body of rallying, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile).
WRC 7 features actual official cars from the 2017 World Rally Championship, including some famous offerings from behemoths like Citroen, Ford, Hyundai, and Toyota. In addition, players can pick from a total of 55 different crews, each offering you a number of different ways to win the elusive championship. The vehicle physics were also revamped in conjunction with actual drivers and engineers from the WRC, along with an overhauled level design for a much more realistic driving experience. WRC 7 is also available on the PlayStation 4 and PC.
So, what do you think? Which of these amazing racing games for the Xbox One will you be picking up? Let us know and stay tuned for more recommendations from us for the best deals on the best things in gaming, from peripherals and hardware, to toys and various accessories.
