Greatest racing sims of all-time

Tattoo Stan · 02-07-2009 12:34PM #1

Interesting reading in the arcade and retro section about Empire's Top 100 games.

Racing-sim wise, what would you put up there? My top five, in order, are:

1. Grand Prix Legends (PC)
2. Live For Speed (PC)
3. F1GP (Amiga)
4. Gran Turismo 4 (PS3)
5. Grand Prix 3 (PC)

1 - What can you say? Took me about two months before I could drive 3 laps in a row, but absolutely immersive. Massive online community still growing strong, incredible cars, incredible tracks, incredible online racing. The King of Racing Sims, no doubt.

2 - The best online experience. Hop in and enjoy. Physics are instinctive, racing is close and smooth as a baby's bum. Simpicity at it's best.

3 - The one that started it all. Took my breath away and made me become a lifelong motorsport fan. Of course, it's ancient now, but those 2 hour races I regularly had, still hold great memories.

4 - Console racing at it's best. Fantastic array of cars and the Le Mans and Nurburgring circuits are the best recreations in gaming history.

5 - The best of Crammond's sims. GP3 was in my PC for about two years non-stop.

dubtom · 11-07-2009 12:48PM

I still play and am still crap at GPL*,F1GP is still on my shelf somewhere. RFactor is a great sim,especially for the extent of modding,unfortunatly that has it's drawbacks too,when I played it regularly I was forever having to move or change something ,which was a pain.I don't think I've played Gran tourismo since no 2 on PS1 or 2.

*I'm crap at all racing sims.

Leprekaun · 21-07-2009 10:59PM

No NR2003 or iRacing? :O I haven't played iRacing but its apparently the best. Both games' physics are evolutions of GPL.

RFactor is also a great sim which is probably the best simulator with an ISI physics engine.

GT5P is certainly excellent but I think the most realistic sim I've played has to be Forza 2 but I can't wait to play iRacing which is meant to be incredible.

ButcherOfNog · 22-07-2009 01:17PM

Grand Prix Legends would be my top 5

Niall09 · 27-07-2009 01:29AM

I love Live For Speed. I've been hooked for nearly 3 years now. iRacing is good too, but it's too expensive in my book.

I'm looking forward to GT5

Scotty # · 27-07-2009 08:07PM

Trackmania!!! Best racing game ever!!

...and there is an excellent free version. www.trackmania.com

Quint · 25-08-2009 03:51PM

Toca Race Driver 3

Plug · 24-09-2009 08:21PM

Gran turismo 4 easliy

ButcherOfNog · 24-09-2009 11:35PM

Finally signed up on iRacing last weekend, loving it, they've really put together a sim that "could" match up to GPL. Just needs them to add the 1967 F1 cars