8 Features We’d Like To See More In Racing Games
1. Split screen
OK, so split screen is still featured on a lot of racing games, but, it’s weird that this basic but enjoyable offline game mode is not available on all console releases. For example, Forza Horizon 3 doesn’t feature split screen, nor does the latest F1 game – F1 2016 by Codemasters.
Racing games are focusing more on online multiplayer but offline competitions from the same console are still pretty popular. It doesn’t seem like too much of a task to fit it into games either, but then again, we aren’t racing game developers.
2. Open world
Having an open-world element in a racing game may seem a little pointless, but adding a walk-around feature would bring added fun and depth to something like Forza Horizon 3 and a fascinating ‘live the life’ component to motorsport titles like Project CARS.
Imagine jumping out of your F1 or GT car and being able to walk around race track paddocks, interacting with people and influencing your career. It’s something that Grand Theft Auto V has done well.
Some racing games like (to bring it up again) Forza Horizon have large maps but aren’t fully open world. The newest F1 game features a motorhome environment but building on that aspect would be really good fun.
3. Junior categories
The thing I really love about Project CARS’ career mode is the fact you work your way up through the ranks. It’s something GRID Autosport had going for it too. You create your own motorsport path and move through the championships, just like in real life.
It’s a shame other motorsport games don’t follow this, especially the official F1 games. Imagine having the option of racing in GP3 and GP2 before F1, having to fight your way to the top – almost like in Motorsport Manager, but you’re the driver.
4. Flashback
Maybe this proves what a rubbish racing gamer I am, but having the chance to rewind in a replay and go back to a time before your car was destroyed by a barrier or wall is a life-saver.
Flashbacks save a lot of time and make games more accessible for new and not-so-talented players. Most of the games that include something like this give the option to turn it off too, for more experienced/gifted players.
5. More historic content
Racing games often focus on the exotic and exciting cars of modern times, but few really include a wide range of historic automotive machines.
Whether it’s an F1 game where we can drive classic cars from the 50s, or a street racing title that would be fun with added 60s performance metal, it’d add a nice, new element to these sort of games.
6. Random mini challenges
I don’t know about you, but I miss weird and wonderful in-game challenges. Not enough games feature these kind of things, where you stray off the storyline but at the benefit of your career or progress.
Something like Top Gear Car Football in Forza Motorsport 4 is a good example, or the ‘Bucket List’ challenges in Forza Horizon 3. These kind of non-racing features can be fun and mix things up, making things less boring.
For example, in F1 game career mode, it’d be interesting if a press conference sprung up where you could improve or worsen your reputation depending on your answers.
7. Damage (in general)
By this, I mean not only more realistic car damage (if it’s on realistic damage, that means a hit with the wall will cause some kind of issue with the car) but also on the maps and tracks.
Racing games need to realise that hitting a street light pole, bush or tyre stack will move, destroy or bring down those things. It won’t completely stop the car.
8. More interaction
For games with an open-world or map element, it’d be nice to have more interaction with the real-world elements like houses, people, buildings and businesses. Maybe this is a pretty niche request, but it’d add something fresh to games like Need for Speed.
What other features do you want to see more often in racing games? Let us know in the comments below!
Comments
Especially like in open-world, make it more like TDU2. That game was fun to play, have your own house and cars. If they had that feature in the game with better handling than TDU2 it would be great. Also I agree with the getting out of the car feature.
Yeah I really like open world games, so I’m always for non-open world games having those kind of elements. For example, in the F1 games I’d love to walk around the paddock in career mode and interact with people, etc
Plus, if you had the means, you could point your Range Rover at a sodding mountain and climb it if you chose to.
you can do a car meet in TDU2, you don’t have to be in the car, you just walk around staring at others cars.
You know theres a game called “My summer car” where you live life while making a car from the bottom up.
How about qualifying rounds before the race like gran turismo 1
Can be done in multiplayer (on Forza at least)
We desperately NEED more split screen, when games like FIFA offer same-screen multiplayer
Need For Speed Underground 2 had the open world coupled with detailed tuning capabilities. Sure the rice was strong in it but those were the early days of outlaw racing. It would be nice to have in depth tuning feature in an open world racing. :D
Oh definitely, I loved that aspect of NFSU2
I perfer a brand new Autosculpt 2.0, y’know, revolutionize the way of building cars. Fully from scratch, I wonder how much insane designs we can made from it.
The thing is, when people say they want to race classic cars in racing games, they don’t want to race classic cars. They want modern cars that look like classic cars. If the game is anywhere near realistic, classic sports cars will handle terribly and will be surprisingly slow. No mechanical grip, an ancient suspension and no downforce. Not to mention the actual performance. Any modern hot hatch is quicker than a Ferrari 250. The reason we don’t have classic cars in racing games isn’t because they’re hard to make. It’s because they are incredibly hard to drive and not very fast by modern standards.
That being said, I would love to see them in an arcade-ish game with a more humane handling.
I’m sorry but I play GT4 a lot and the classics are just lovely. They are very unstable but that makes them more challenging. I like it.
Remember how FH1 had all those classic cars in it, like the 300sl and F-type?
Amazingly, Midnight Club 3 had split-screen with open world and even a lot of interaction, you could drive through buildings and stuff. And it came out in 2005! Oh I miss that game
SPLIT-SCREEN IS A “MUST-HAVE”!!!
ENGINE SWAPPING !!!
I just want a game with a lot of Tuning options and open world. And touge and Wangan.
I’m not sure whether or not I agree with the idea for GP2 and GP3 for F1. There’s a a reason it’s called F1 after all. However, having some classic tracks that are no longer in the calendar, or old layouts and older cars would be awesome.
Topics
Sponsored Posts