MetaCritic. The cultural battleground of Terminally Online, the unshakable arbiter by which all visual media is judged. (Although you may prefer Rotten Tomatoes for TV and movies…)
When it comes to video games, MetaCritic (MC) is the go-to for a quick decision on which game to buy next. So, to help you decide on racing games, we’ve scored the entire archive of the entire site, calculated the average, and now present it to you. Top Ten Car Racing Video Game Series of All Time
But, first, we had to establish some parameters to keep the whole project from becoming impossibly chaotic.
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We decided there had to be at least three episodes to be considered a franchise (sorry, Rallysport Challenge fans), and that we will limit it to franchises where Car racing Focus was on, so no F Zero or driver, Or what have you?
All titles in the franchise that have an overall MC score will be included, as will all platform ports of each installment. Has any series seen too many poor handheld spinoffs or terrible DLC expansions? They are calculated and will affect ratings.
Of course as MetaCritic has only been around since 1999, nothing from the glory days of offline gaming and print magazines will be included.
With these points in mind, let’s get to it!
10. Motor storm
Six entries with a combined MC average of 78.6667
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Racing Games’ Mountain Dew Baja Blast, by Sony Motor Storm The series has seen five episodes between 2006 and 2012 to consistently not-so-good reviews.
Fourth in the series, MotorStorm Apocalypsewas the final installment for the home console and suffered an 11th-hour delay in launch in response to sensitivity concerns related to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that occurred during the same month.
of the Apocalypse A weak critical and commercial reception spelled the end of the series as a AAA title, with a smaller scale Motorstorm RC Closing out the series a year later.
9. GRID
18 entries with a combined MC average of 79.3333
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Since his debut in 2008 with Race Driver: GRIDthe GRID The franchise has been a quiet success for racing game Titans Codemasters in its five installments.
Latest Enrollment, 2022 GRID LEGENDSsaw the series’ story mode presentation lean towards Netflix’s live-action video style. Formula 1: Drive to survive. Documentary series.
Legends Publisher Electronic Arts made the dubious decision to release the game a week early in years Gran Turismo 7 – a move that we hope will not affect the series or its developer.
8. Midnight Club
13 entries with a combined MC average of 79.6923
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Rockstar’s street racing franchise was a mainstay of the sixth and seventh generation of consoles but went dormant after its release in 2009. Midnight Club: Los Angeles Complete Edition.
It’s hard to imagine we’ll see a recovery now that the company is so focused on counting its total bananas. GTA Online Profit, and considering how crappy their recent ‘final editions’ have been. Grand Theft Auto game from Midnight Club That was the era, maybe it’s for the best that we don’t even see a re-release.
7. Gran Turismo
11 entries with an MC average of 80
Somehow not a top-ranked series?!
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Probably the most popular driving title since games consoles made the jump to 3D, Gran Turismo will celebrate its 25th year this December.
Despite forcing fans to toil long periods between installments (seven core titles in 25 years!), developers Polyphony Digital always managed to push the technical limits of PlayStation hardware above and beyond. There are those that one might think might have a tendency to wait. Be worth it
You’d also be forgiven for looking at screenshots of PlayStation 3 episodes and thinking they were real-world images.
With more than 420 cars available on Brand Central* and used car dealerships* from day one, Gran Turismo 7 recreates the look and feel of classic motors and bleeding-edge supercars in unprecedented detail. Each car handles differently and feels unique as you navigate over 90 track routes in dynamic weather conditions, including classic courses from GT history.
*Internet connection required to download.
6. Burning
24 entries with an average combined MC of 80.7917
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I miss crash mode. I miss him so much.
Burnout Heaven Almost 15 years later it’s still a great game, and I’m so glad it’s been continuously ported and updated to modern consoles, including just 18 months ago. Nintendo Switch. Hot curse do i miss Burnout 3: Takedown Crash mode though. IYKYK 💥
Completely remastered and meticulously recreated for the ultimate Burnout Paradise experience, Burnout Paradise Remastered delivers the complete original game and all additional main DLC packs ever released, including the Cops and Robbers Pack, Legendary Cars, Burnout Bikes, and Big Surf, Island, New location challenges, and vehicles to explore
5. Colin McRae Riley / Dirt
34 entries with a combined MC average of 80.9
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Codemasters’ venerable rally simulator has been a cornerstone of the racing game genre for five console generations. The UK developers were acquired by publisher EA in 2021, who are rebranding the franchise as EA Sports Rally, based on changes to the game’s official social media accounts. Let’s just hope the financial demands of their new American parents don’t turn Codemasters’ baby into an annual slush.
4. TOCA Race Driver
5 entries with a combined MC average of 82.8
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Another one from Codemasters! It’s almost like they are the…masters…of standard racing games. 🥁
The series ran for 6 episodes between 1997 and 2006, but shed its touring car racing focus with the fourth entry, TOCA Race Driver. In Australia the series also dropped its entire name at this point and was completely rebranded. V8 supercars.
3. Forza Motorsport/Forza Horizon
26 entries with a combined MC average of 83.6154
(Xbox fans cheer, crowd goes wild, etc.)
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Xbox’s flagship racer since 2005, the Forza series has managed to stay fairly fresh for more than 15 years through the wise decision to alternate releases between simulation-focused games. Forza Motorsport And more arcadey Forza Horizon.
Impressively, every installment released on either side of the brand has managed to be critical darlings and commercial powerhouses, and we absolutely can’t wait for the eighth. Motorsport To land next year.
Lead thrilling expeditions across Mexico’s dynamic and ever-evolving open world landscape with unlimited, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.
2. Real racing
4 entries with a combined MC average of 85.75
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An icon of Melbourne game development, Fire Monkeys Real racing The series set a standard for smartphone gaming at a time when ‘smartphone gaming’ was barely a thing.
Real Racing 3 Initiated a controversial pivot for the series, completely redesigning it as a ‘freemium’ experience after its predecessors were praised for being ‘complete’, feature-rich experiences for relatively small one-time purchases. Available at cost.
Amid massive layoffs by parent company EA, Real Racing 4 It was canceled in 2019 before it was even announced. A new episode titled Real racing next A year ago its further push towards heavy microtransactions and season pass monetization was heavily criticized. It is yet to be released.
1. Metropolis Street Racer / Project Gotham Racing
5 entries with a combined MC average of 87
Did you see it coming?
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Xbox and Xbox 360’s flagship racer, Back in the Day, Strange Creations’ Project Gotham Racing During the early 2000s, it was a major commercial powerhouse.
Its in-series Dreamcast predecessor Metropolis Street Racer Also met with a great reception, but suffered under an exclusive deal for Sega’s dying console.
The PGR was admired in its day for its ‘Kudos’ system, which rewarded and promoted players not only for finishing first, but for driving with as much flair and skill as they could throughout the race. could do
The franchise could have continued beyond that. PGR4, Wasn’t Bezier bought by Activision in 2007 and shut down in 2011?
What do you think of this rating? Let us know your top 10 in the comments below.