Round this time final yr I criticised The Recreation Awards for frequently forcing racing video games to share a typical class with sports activities video games, to compete for recognition at what’s described (by The Recreation Awards) as “gaming’s largest evening.”
Up till this yr it was an award no conventional sports activities sport had ever truly received. The class had been completely dominated by racing video games, except 2015 (Rocket League, which nonetheless has vehicles in it) and 2020 (Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 1+2, which continues to be… on wheels).
This yr FC 25 obtained the gong. Only a single racing sport made the shortlist: F1 24. An incredible racing sport, little doubt, however one which’s onerous to argue was an instantly important improve for many who already owned F1 23, or F1 22, or so on. What else may’ve made it? Monster Jam Showdown? Good enjoyable (which shouldn’t be shocking given the developer’s current type with the Sizzling Wheels Unleashed sequence) however I wouldn’t fancy its possibilities at The Recreation Awards. Le Mans Final? Nicely, that’s nonetheless ostensibly in Steam Early Entry, regardless that they’re… already promoting in-game DLC earlier than the sport’s formally “completed.” Take a look at Drive Limitless Photo voltaic Crown? No likelihood.
The unhappy actuality is there merely weren’t sufficient racing video games launched in 2024, full cease. For the primary time I can bear in mind in my practically 14 years at IGN, we didn’t even hand out an award for the yr’s greatest racer. There simply weren’t sufficient of them to even pad out a listing of finalists.
Unhappy stuff.
Now, for readability, I’ve had quite a lot of contemporary causes to slip behind a steering wheel this yr, however the bulk of those alternatives have arrived as updates to current racing video games I already personal. Most months of 2024 have seen an injection of latest vehicles and content material for Gran Turismo 7. As is normally the case with GT, not all these vehicles have had a strong racing pedigree, however I received’t fake I’m not not less than mildly enthusiastic about seeing how briskly an eight-year-old Toyota Hiace can lap the Nordschleife.
A 2024 growth to EA Sports activities WRC added a number of new vehicles and two new nations: Latvia and Poland. The brand new nations characteristic some wonderful phases, and it makes much more sense for Codemasters to enhance WRC this manner than instantly put it on a yearly, F1-style cadence (if solely the asking value for the DLC wasn’t as uncomfortably near the price of a completely new sport anyway).
On the flip aspect, The Crew Motorfest actually turned 50% bigger without spending a dime, with all gamers gaining access to your complete island of Maui, added to Motorfest in November. Maui is just not a bespoke space; it’s been seamlessly injected into the sport’s current world (and developer Ivory Tower has even added a fantasy connecting bridge, which means you’ve got a option to both fly, boat, or drive to Maui from O’ahu with none loading screens. It admittedly hasn’t turned me right into a Motorfest common, however there are some satisfying stretches of highway and a few good areas on Maui – which is clearly so much quieter than the extra densely-populated O’ahu.
Take a look at Drive Limitless Photo voltaic Crown has grown in a similar way with its Ibiza growth (though don’t anticipate a bridge from Hong Kong to the Mediterranean). Photo voltaic Crown’s Ibiza map is a reasonably small part of the island which will come as a nostalgic bonus for these gamers who recall blasting across the Spanish social gathering paradise in 2011’s Take a look at Drive Limitless 2, however it’s onerous to say whether or not it’ll flip round Photo voltaic Crown’s gradual begin. The map, in any case, wasn’t Photo voltaic Crown’s fundamental downside.
Mount Panorama has lastly discovered its means again into Forza Motorsport in its most-recent replace, however I’ve to confess I’m extraordinarily disenchanted with all of the pretend sponsors used all through the monitor. It simply makes it seem completely inauthentic in comparison with Bathurst in Assetto Corsa Competizione, Gran Turismo 7, and even Forza Motorsport 7 – all of which characteristic actual sponsors. It looks like a weird step backwards for the sequence, however hopefully it may be redressed. The replace arrived together with a bunch of antipodean cars which have largely been seen within the sequence earlier than, however nonetheless attraction to me as a devoted Australian meathead. There’s just one new automobile, however it’s a nice one: a 1991 HSV Commodore VN Group A SV. If there’s one factor I like greater than Australian vehicles, it’s the Nineteen Nineties, so this fills each of these standards.
And talking of the ’90s, Want for Pace Unbound simply added a motorcycle, which is a shocking and spectacular first for a sequence that’s actually celebrating 30 years since its 1994 debut this month.
So, certain, there’s been loads of tinkering nonetheless happening beneath the bonnets of a lot of the largest racers within the enterprise, however little or no new blood within the style in 2024.
That’s worrisome, significantly as youthful generations proceed to exhibit an growing disinterest in vehicles usually, however I do suppose 2024 might be simply an aberration.
The Biggest Racing Video games Ever
I say this as a result of 2025 is trying extraordinarily thrilling within the racing house. Assetto Corsa Evo guarantees to be one of many largest racers of the yr and, with the 1,600-square kilometre open world map in growth for it, I do imply that actually. JDM: Japanese Drift Grasp from Polish studio Gaming Manufacturing facility has proven promise for a while, and you may already take a look at a free demo of this on Steam now. Tokyo Xtreme Racer is about to return after an almost 20-year absence. Undertaking CARS religious successor Undertaking Motor Racing is scheduled to reach in 2025. It’s obtained the Lister Storm in it.
Sure please.
And that’s simply a few of what we find out about already. Will Wreckfest 2 arrive in 2025? The deliberate launch date for that’s but to be confirmed, however that must be one thing particular. Is 2025 the yr we hear about the way forward for Forza Horizon? Subsequent yr will mark 4 years since Forza Horizon 5, in any case.
Both means, I’ll see you on the beginning line.
IGN’s 2024 Awards
Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN evaluations workforce. You possibly can monitor him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him issues about stuff.
