10. Riptide GP: Renegade (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, PC)
Riptide GP: Renegade Split-Screen Gameplay
Enter an aquatic, illegal race series in a futuristic world of “hydro-jets” where players take their armored riders across enterprising circuits whilst performing even more daring stunts as they evade the authorities and compete for the top position.
What Makes Riptide GP: Renegade Awesome
- Visual theatre that knows no bounds; racers are greeted with “water-spattering” as they hit the water from being airborne and vision-blur increases as their speed piles on.
- Your “boost” is replenished by succeeding in performing stunts and makes for a thrilling experience with a risk/reward factor.
- Many tracks have animated environments with falling trees, explosions, and sinking obstacles that have players taking different lines every lap.
Blast through public waterways alongside a number of opponents, that may include the authorities!
"Airtime" is "daretime" with a large repertoire of stunts at your disposal meant to top-off your boost.
9. Forza Motorsport 7 (Xbox One)
Forza Motorsport 7 Split-Screen Gameplay
Turn 10 Studios’ latest sequel of their racing game for auto-addicts brings in dynamic weather and active time-progression as well new game modes such as “limo-bowling”. With a car-roster exceeding a count of 700, there’s always a bespoke car collection waiting for everyone.
What Makes Forza 7 Awesome
- Improved driving physics and visual details enthrall drivers as day turns to night, turning courses that became familiar a new mystery to re-conquer.
- The plethora of cars is entirely available to players outside of the games career mode.
- With a surfeit of circuits to thrash, players also get new race modes like a dedicated “drift” and “drag” mode to add a new spectrum of competition.
Dynamic weather can mean it may be pouring in one part of the track, and drying up in another.
After you're done customizing your car(s), you can focus on the appearance of your drivatar.
8. WRC 8 (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC)
WRC 8 Split-Screen Gameplay
The latest version of the officially licensed game by the real-life competition boasts meticulously designed international rally stages and dynamic weather takes all players through a true simulation of what it means to be a real-life World Rally driver.
What Makes WRC 8 Awesome
- Drivers can compete in true WRC fashion; navigating the courses solo with opposition represented as a “ghost” so as to leave them with all the (limited) space they need.
- Realistic damage and physics will have all racers tailoring their driving actions as their tires and brakes deteriorate through the duration of each stage.
- Top-notch sounds rendered by rocks and flooded areas thrashing the undercarriage while listening to crowd’s cheer on your flying over crests is a sheer treat to experience.
Claustrophobics beware: the routes and roads you take will have you perpetually pondering at your speedometer.
The game tests a drivers ability to keep the throttle jammed open whilst keeping themselves out of a "jam".
7. GT Sport (PS4)
GT Sport Split-Screen Gameplay
This is Polyphony Digital’s latest segment of the GT series after 11 official releases spanned over all Sony gaming consoles since 1997. Now featuring some of the best realistic graphics and physics, it brings some of the worlds fastest automotive creations to your fingertips.
What Makes GT Sport Awesome
- Wide range of vehicles to choose from, ranging from “N” groups street car vehicles up to multiple classes of racecars and even an “X” group that boasts original manufacturer concept cars.
- Game is sponsored and has events that actively follow the curriculum of the racing seasons organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
- Gameplay sets itself aside from its competitors with an advanced lighting model which has colors bouncing off on other objects both directly, indirectly and even can have headlights that can “glare” into your eyes.
The sun can blind you, a true testament to the series' realism.
With updates occuring almost every couple of weeks, the tracklist has grown in excess of 50.
6. Trackmania Turbo (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
A fantastically chaotic arcade series returns with up to 200 different tracks that increase in noted difficulty as you progress in the Campaign Mode and happily invites all as much as it challenges them.
What Makes Trackmania Turbo Awesome
- An easily approachable track editor where players can edit their own tracks on nearly an endless scale, and there’s even a random track generator to boot.
- Multiple track landscapes change the driving style needed to have the edge against your opponent(s).
- Other game modes such as “double driver” have two players needing to time their inputs correctly to cover the same ground in the same car (both players need to steer left in order to turn sharply to the left).
The “rollercoaster” landscape has racers navigating tracks that undulate and loop much like the name suggests.
The starting line is usually in the skies; where you’re released from a hovering helicopter and dropped onto the venue.
5. Horizon Chase Turbo (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac)
Horizon Chase Turbo Split-Screen Gameplay
A hot-blooded arcade racer that takes its notes from multiple old-school games played on Atari systems and SNES of old, then distills them into an extremely high-octane gaming experience with smooth gameplay physics as well as exciting sounds.
What Makes Horizon Chase Turbo Awesome
- A track editor with nearly endless customizability and can be playable with up to 3 local players.
- “World Tour” mode that can be played “co-op” and each individual achievement is counted as a “joint effort”; one player can place 1st while the other can collect all track tokens so as a team they can unlock all achievements.
- An amazing sense of speed, a depletable fuel tank, and a few laps to overtake more than 10 cars makes for an addicting challenge to come out on top.
Carefully slip through any gap you’re given as the roads widen and narrow down throughout each course.
Over 30 customizable cars to choose from with each being the best weapon for certain tracks and driving styles.
4. Team Sonic Racing (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC)
Team Sonic Racing Split-Screen Gameplay
Where most arcade racers have players competing against all odds for the gold all on their own, this game employs a “team effort” to make the experience more strategic to have all your members combine their strengths to place well.
What Makes Team Sonic Racing Awesome
- Everything from the scenery of each track to the soundtrack will engage all who come to play, be it faithful fans of the Sonic series or just casual newbies.
- Each vehicles performance can be modified to suit a specific driving style; upgrades can add strength to a “speed” type or improve handling on “power” type.
- Any items picked up in-race can be “passed along” to fellow team-members and can even improve their items if they are the same but nonetheless can give your team the upper hand.
Drift and stunt your way around each track to boost ahead of the pack and leave a “skim-boost” for your teammates to speed up with.
Visually tailor, equip different parts, and make every car for each character unique.
3. Rocket League (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac)
Rocket League Split-Screen Gameplay
Truly one of its kind, a vehicular soccer game that can be played one-on-one or with up to four players on each team. Each game usually gets played in rapid five-minute sessions with longer plays as exception in the form of “deathmatches” to settle the final score.
What Makes Rocket League Awesome
- Online gameplay servers invite players from all gaming platforms allowing competitors to never be shorted on their thirst for gaming.
- “Mutators” can modify the fields gravity and physics of the game-ball, as well as “snow day” which inserts players on an ice-rink with a hockey puck!
- The game soundtrack has been updated with content from the famous EDM music label, Monstercat.
Boost into others and incapacitate their vehicles while dodging others, using your momentum to manipulate the ball strategically.
“Mutators” can also alter the game with the rules and physics inclined towards a game of basketball!
2. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)
Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled Split-Screen Gameplay
Crash’s kart racing makes a comeback that combines all the great things from previous sequels and gives all players the nostalgia of the original tracks with plentiful characters both old and new. The games “party piece” is the self-proclaimed boosts that can make or break your victory.
What Makes Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Awesome
- Multiple different game modes such as “crystal grab”, capture the flag, and “deathmatch modes”.
- Karts and driving characters are customizable with different skins and liveries from older iterations of the series.
- The story mode is as zany and eclectic as most would come to believe and as you defeat bosses, you can unlock them as new drivers to race with.
Gameplay can be played in “classic” or “nitro-fueled”, the latter allowing players to switch karts and characters between races.
Playable characters can be customized to hark back to older titles and even chosen from other storylines including “Spyro”.
1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Split-Screen Gameplay
Not simply to be labeled as a “port” from its Wii counterpart, this iteration has over 40 tracks and characters (which are adaptable) that are almost entirely made available to play from the start so every racer can commandeer their favorite character from the beloved Mario Bros.
What Makes Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Awesome
- Now you can hold up to two items; races are now even more unpredictable and chaotic.
- “Smart-steering” is a new option that can be toggled to keep your kart from going out-of-bounds to help racers stay in the race or learn a tracks layout better.
- “Battle-modes” make a return with more than a few different kinds like “bomb-omb blast” and a series-first cops and robbers-style game called “renegade round-up”.
The “Boo” item makes a return and rightfully so being you can now hold more than one item at a time.
“Balloon Battle” also makes a comeback along with the “feather” item so you can snag balloons from other opponents to stay in the game and eliminate others.
Not quite up to speed yet? You may also be interested in:
- The 15 Best Free Racing Games to Play in 2017
- The 15 Best Racing Games Ever Made
- 11 Best Driving Games to Play in 2016
Other Content I cover can be found here:
