Racing Video Games

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
07/19/2014 at 15:25 • Filed to: Video games

After playing Forza Horizon, Gran Turismo 5, and NFS Shift 1 back-to-back, I've decided to rank them.

1. Forza Horizon

I can't flaw this game in any way for the driving experience. The cars sound good, drive well, and look amazingly realistic. The only thing I could fault it for is the lack of cars, which I could fix with buying DLCs, and how the map seems pretty small.

2. NFS Shift 1 (PS3)

Somewhat old, but still a really good game. Dramatic in typical NFS fashion. Good selection of cars with lots of customization options. The driving dynamics are good, not Forza good, but up there. The cars sound as they should.

3. Gran Turismo 5

Is this considered a low point in this series? It's my first Gran Turismo game and really, if they're all like this, I'll never buy another. The graphics are sub-par. The driving dynamics are just... bad honestly. All the cars sound like vacuum cleaners. Everything about it is just not great. I'll give it to them, the car selection is pretty good.

I'd throw NFS Shift 2 into this list, but that game is so bad. It should've never seen production without serious alterations to the driving engine.

DISCUSSION (31)

thebigbossyboss > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 15:32

4) Eurotruck simulator 2. I was doing pretty good until I accidentally went down an offramp at 80 MPH in a bobtail.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > thebigbossyboss
07/19/2014 at 15:35

I've never played ETS. I think my brother is buying it on Steam, so I'll have to try it.

I have played 18 Wheels of Steel though. That was my favorite game as a kid.

thebigbossyboss > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 15:38

I remember that game.

daender > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 15:42

I love Horizon, they took all the popular road-legal cars from Forza 3/4 and let people open them up on actual roads. The DLCs are sorta "Ugh" since they should have came with the game, ESPECIALLY THE RALLY DLC BULLSHIT. However, the free DLC AMX is good enough for me, I was able to break into the top 1% in some of the A class time records with it.

Rainbow > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 15:52

I bought ETS because of 18WoS. It's pretty awesome, but I have no idea how it compares to be honest. It's been way too long to remember WoS at all.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 16:03

I'll share this over to Digital Burnouts, a driving game blog.

dogisbadob > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 16:15

Out of those three, NFS is the winner by default because it's the only one available on PC.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > dogisbadob
07/19/2014 at 16:17

Can't into PC gaming.

I'm just a console person myself. My brother is big on PC gaming though.

4age20vsilvertop > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 16:18

Just had a probably brilliant Idea: If Gran Turismo was a Car manufacturer, which one would it be?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > 4age20vsilvertop
07/19/2014 at 16:19

Sounds like Toyota to me.

djmt1 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 16:21

That is an interesting selection of games there. How did you end up with them? Also this:

And yet the Horizon map does feel small doesn't it. Maybe it is the invisible walls but I never went off road in either TDU 1 or 2, doesn't matter though still a great game and Horizon 2 is shaping up to be the best racing game ever.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > djmt1
07/19/2014 at 16:25

I've always been big into racing games. Hell, across my 4 consoles and computer, I have probably 15 racing games, maybe more.

I always hated driving from one point to another in TDU2. The maps were almost TOO big. It's nice for when you just wanted to get your hoon on for hours and hours though.

I'm so excited for Horizon 2. I'm trying to convince my brother we need to get an XBox One instead of a PS4 just for that game.

4age20vsilvertop > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 16:29

Explanation?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > 4age20vsilvertop
07/19/2014 at 16:32

Toyota's cars aren't exactly attractive IMO. If they all drive like a Camry, it's the automotive equivalent of NyQuil. Buzzy 4-cylinders, generic sounding V6s. Nothing about them says "good." They have quite the selection of cars though.

djmt1 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 16:38

The thing about the TDU games is they felt more like driving games than racing games. I would happily get in my SLR and cruise around the islands for hours at a time but the racing was just not up to scratch. It is what I call a pivot racer where the cars feel like they are turning on a pivot when racing, giving the cars a really heavy feel, the polar opposite to the tail happy goodness of games like Horizon or PGR.

There are a bunch of exclusive games coming out for the Xbox One this year so there must be something that tickles your brother's fancy and if there isn't blackmail or guilt trip him, I have a feeling Horizon 2 will be that good since a friend of mine who got his hands on a preview build answered yes to all my questions.

Big Map: Yes, 3x bigger than H1.

Lots of Cars: Yes, over 220.

Dynamic Weather: Yes.

Day/Night Cycle: Yes.

Tuning: Yes.

Customisation: Yes.

Modifications: Yes.

TDU Style Multiplayer: Yes.

Playground Games Mode: Yes.

Car Clubs: Yes, 1000 members.

Good Graphics: Yes.

Good Sounds: Yes.

Lots of Content: Yes, over 100 hours.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > djmt1
07/19/2014 at 16:44

When you say tuning, do you mean the finite tuning available in Forza 5 that lets you adjust spring rates, camber, toe, etc or just that you can buy upgraded parts that change the handling of you car?

If it's as robust as Forza 5 then I'm sold. If it's like FH1 where you could only buy parts and not adjust settings then I'm out. I want to tweak settings to suit my driving style and the car.

I will also need to see how "arcade" the handling is. I despise the D1-GP nature of FH. I want the full Forza 5 physics but in the Horizon map.

djmt1 > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
07/19/2014 at 16:48

Tuning: Exactly the same as Forza 5's system.

Customisation: The livery editor.

Modifications: Engine, Tires etc.

It is definitely a Simcade but it looks more realistic than H1 from what I have seen that said I don't want the exact Forza 5 physics on Horizon 2, personally I want to be able to drift around corners at my leisure but Braking to give me an advantage.

4age20vsilvertop > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 16:52

Fair point, but I think Toyotas are somewhat good at what they are doing, which GT isn't. GT usually has a few good Ideas (well GT5 had, GT6 not so), but these Ideas end up being only half-assed and unfinished. Pair that with lots of stuff that nobody has ever wanted (subpar car models, miserable sounds, duplicate cars etc.) and we end up with the late Plymouth. Why? Plymouth had a few good ideas like the Prowler, but that ended up with a mediocre V6 and a 4-speed slushbox. And since the rest of the lineup entirely consisted of rebadged Dodges, IMO GT is the exact same as the late Plymouth, slowly dying due to lots of bad decisions...

dogisbadob > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 16:56

Can't into console gaming.

I just can't afford it, and I'm definitely not spending $300 for a console for only one game.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > dogisbadob
07/19/2014 at 17:10

At this point, my game cost has far surpassed my console cost, so it works for me.

ly2v8-Brian > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 17:23

It's on 360 too which is awesome.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > ly2v8-Brian
07/19/2014 at 17:24

We've been wanting to upgrade to a next-gen, this is just an excuse to.

StingrayJake > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 20:22

I've been playing the heck out of Gran Turismo 6 over the last few months. Despite its flaws, I still obsess over it. I grind and grind to get the cash for high-level cars that aren't even that good compared to cheaper, more modern race cars in the game (IMO the race cars are the game's bread and butter... the road cars just aren't that fun to drive).

Shitty sounds seem to be a hallmark of the series, but I play on mute anyway because I usually play in the mornings before the soon-to-be wife gets up so that isn't so much an issue for me.

My problem is I can get burned out on it. Once you finish up the career mode, there's not a lot of variety and online is filled with drag races. The Super Class of races (the highest level) are pretty easy with the right cars, meaning the only real challenge is to take lesser cars against LMPs, the McLaren F1 GTR that dominates the GT races, and the Ferrari FXX that dominates the road car races for some reason. The endurance races are 24-minute versions of the real deal and as such fuel and tire consumption is greatly exagerated. Going to the pit every other lap on a 24-minute race at Le Mans feels so stupid.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 20:29

Of those I've only played GT. I've played all of them but 6. I was/am very disappointed with 5. I feel like the series peaked with 2 and 3. When I still had a PS2 I would go back and play all of the old ones. The best things about 5 are car and track selection, and those aren't exactly amazing. For a game billing itself as "the real driving simulator", it sure is unrealistic.

ly2v8-Brian > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/19/2014 at 23:35

Good reason if you ask me. I was just throwing that out there for others as well.

wiffleballtony > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/20/2014 at 16:46

I gotta say, Horizon is a completely different style of racing. Shift and GT attempt to be realistic.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > wiffleballtony
07/20/2014 at 16:47

Which means they should be even better than Forza, which they aren't.

wiffleballtony > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/20/2014 at 16:51

Its apples and oranges. Might as well compare Call of Duty to Arma.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > wiffleballtony
07/20/2014 at 16:55

Kinja'd!!!

Whatever floats your boat.

feather-throttle-not-hair > StingrayJake
07/21/2014 at 18:42

The last couple of GT games essentially boiled down to me racing for long enough to amass a considerable amount of money and then drifting.

The drifting engine in GT is pretty damn good. However, I only played GT6 for like a month as opposed to like 6 months with GT5, simply because the track editor in GT5 gave nearly infinite replayability. It's all about that track editor man. Flawed though it was, it still gave infinite numbers of corners in infinitely different configurations.

2222222222212 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
07/22/2014 at 09:40

GT5 was a sharp decent in the Gt series. GT6 is actually the low point for me because it didn't improve on Gt5 enough. It actually went backwards. Its like a thin veneer of excellent car models over an absolute shit game.

I've been an ardent supporter of GT since 1 in 1997. But, I've been forced to turn my back because it just fell off, and no one can deny that other titles are getting better. I actually hope Polyphony Digital goes into crisis mode from dwindling support because the dearly need a wake up call.