Over the past few years, we have received a lot of titles that have revitalized a genre much loved by fans, and that has historically had outstanding proposals. We all remember the demanding carnets of high Tourism, our first participation in the Horizon festival, those amazing persecutions of Need for Speed, or Colin McRae Rally’s tight time frames.
These titles built the bases of a genre that has been much favored by the higher power of the modern consoles and by the appearance of virtual reality, achieving with it more realistic models and light effects, vast open worlds, very polished physics, fantastic sensations of speed and much more immersive experiences.
Simulators arcade
We start with this subgenre because lately, it has been the most prolific and the one that has offered higher quality titles. Here we find the ideal balance between the demand for simulation and the fun of the arcade. Within this aspect, there is no exact formula, so we can discover experiences more oriented to the simulation with the steering wheel like Project Cars 2 or DiRT Rally, or others something more casual and ideal to play with control like Forza Horizon 3 or DiRT 4.
- Project Cars 2
Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
The emergence of Project Cars was a revolution in the genre, thanks to its demanding and realistic playable approach. With the second installment, we received the expected jump that raised the saga as one of the current references thanks to an outstanding video game in terms of content, gameplay, and technical finishing. The most surprising thing about Project Cars 2 is that it does not have an impeccable steering wheel control and a balanced control adaptation, it also has nine different categories of cars (with more than 200 vehicles), and its power manages to transmit everything that happens on the track entirely. As far as tracing is concerned, we have 60 circuits with more than 200 variants, as well as the incredible Live Track 3.0 system that allows you to modify many meteorological parameters with an enormous visual and playable realism.
In terms of content, the title is a real wonder because, not only does it include an extensive and in-depth Carrera mode, but it also has a multitude of online options organized through a driver’s license that guarantees an experience adapted to our driving style. As far as the graphic section is concerned, we find a video game stable at 60 frames per second and with an excellent visual finish, also having compatibility for virtual reality on PC, offering here one of the most immersive experiences we have tried. Project Cars 2 has undoubtedly become the best representative of this subgenre on its own merits.
- Forza Horizon 4
Available on Xbox One and Windows 10.
The Horizon saga has reached its roundest delivery with Forza Horizon 4, a unique game full of content and an indispensable one for driving lovers. This spin-off of Playground Games makes it a reference of the genre offering us a fun, varied, customizable title, overbearing on a graphic level, with excellent control and fresh content that will delight all lovers of arcade driving.
- Forza Motorsport 7
Available on Xbox One and Windows 10.
Speaking of the great representatives, we appoint Forza Motorsport 7. Turn ten managed to maintain the competitive essence and to demand gameplay that had always characterized the saga, but they were also able to create a more organized campaign mode, more competitive races, Polish artificial intelligence, and slightly improve the profound control to offer fantastic piloting with command.
One of the strong points was its spectacular visual finish, thanks to the arrival of Xbox One X raised the resolution to 4K and at all times, maintaining the 60 frames per second. At the content level, Forza Motorsport 7 Not only included 700 vehicles and 32 tracks but also had an online multiplayer full of events that have been adding tests. Therefore, although in the races it moved slightly away from the classic competitive franchise, we still stand before one of the excellent references of the genre.
- DiRT Rally
Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
The rally competitions have always been a very beloved subgenre by the players, and with The Return Of DiRT Rally, we get an enormous joy. The title of Codemasters not only managed to offer a qualitative leap in control but was also able to design a balanced and fun title. The video game had numerous official cars of all ages, a fantastic steering wheel, a tasty variety of sections and surfaces, and an outstanding graphic finish, which was enhanced by its compatibility on PC with virtual reality. Without a doubt, DiRT Rally marked the path of this kind of sports discipline and managed to reach the heart of the most purist with a demanding and very realistic control.
- Gran Turismo Sport
Available in PlayStation 4.
The Gran Turismo saga is one of the most mythical and loved by the players. In this new delivery, they fully bet on the online competitions and created a remarkable title that maintained the playable essence of the franchise. The video game featured a polished control with steering wheel and power, an excellent visual finish, and had plenty of extras for engine lovers. However, its playable approach relegated it to being a product intended only for those who want a competitive online experience, as offline modes were scarce and shallow. To this, we must add an alarming lack of cars and chart, and the absence of climate change, fundamental aspects that have not allowed Gran Turismo Sport to be the benchmark that we all hoped for.
- DiRT 4
Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
After the success of The DiRT Rally, Codemasters decided to launch a new delivery with a more relaxed approach aimed at both the most demanding riders and the lovers of the arcades. DiRT 4 achieved a great balance, including numerous stretches of the rally and a wide variety of enjoyable tests. Control remained very similar, but various adjustments were made to make it more accessible, which did not harm the purists. Finally, the online modalities grew remarkably with a robust system of leagues and challenges, although the campaign mode was somewhat marred by its lack of depth. Despite everything, DiRT 4 managed to offer a fun and demanding experience in equal parts and became a must for all engine lovers.