Take your time to ask any racing gamer what they think about racing games, and they’ll likely say they’re “fun.” Others will also say it’s fun “and repetitive.” Admittedly, those are two concepts we don’t exactly always expect to hear in a sentence, but somehow the two words make racing games appealing to gamers. And if you’re looking for a racing game you’d like to play, yourself, you might be lost as to what kind of racing games you should look for. Yes, great racing games do have their own set of qualities, and you should always look for these when looking for a car game or a motorcycle game to play by yourself or with friends. Here are those racing game traits:
While it’s fun to play racing games with friends, it’s very likely you’ll play this game alone first. This means it’s very important for your racing game to be capable of providing an interesting single-player component for you. Don’t just look for a single-player campaign, but rather look at other non-multiplayer offerings such as different game modes and challenges you can try to accomplish to help train you as a racer and develop your skills in a more comprehensive and complete way. Racing games that have immersive single-player modes often become the most fun.
What’s the point of having a single-player story, when a racing game is all about winning against others, right? Can’t they just go straight to challenges and multiplayer? Not necessarily, and there might be a scientific reason for it. According to scientists, racing games are attractive because they help us players look more awesome in-game. And this is actually something devs take into consideration when making games. This explains how most in-game tracks are 30-per cent larger than real-world counterparts, and why single-player campaigns often motivate players to rise up against various challenges.
When it comes to racing games, controls can be a big deal-breaker. It’s important to understand that there’s an intricate balance between controls that are too technical and gameplay that makes cars difficult to drive. If your racing game has too steep a learning curve can be discouraging to play. Meanwhile, games that are too easy can be very boring. As such, there are games that have very easy controls but complex tracks, or games with straightforward levels but with difficult controls. Try to gauge as to what kind of racing game where you are with regards to this, and find a game you think works for you best when it comes to game controls.
Here we are with the entire single-player versus multiplayer argument, but hear us out. Playing a single-player car game can be fun, but finishing the campaign mode and a couple of the challenge modes and a racing game can be boring. However, if you get yourself a racing game with an interesting multiplayer component and you may end up playing for months. Look for racing games that allow you to play multiplayer both locally and over the internet. If you can find matches online, all the better as this makes races more exciting.
Let’s not deny the reality that gaming today will be littered with microtransactions. The key here is to make sure that microtransactions and other small releases these games offer actually add value to the game. As such, don’t disregard microtransactions while looking for racing games. Consider as to whether or not the game’s upcoming offerings can actually entice you to play more thanks to customization options or other modifications. Otherwise, quit on the game as it might be designed with money in mind instead of enjoyment.
If there’s anything the above would share, it’s that you should look for racing games capable of giving you the thrill and the challenge of competing in races. Matches will grow boring and repetitive for you there’s no challenge to overcome, and there won’t be anything to look forward to if there’s no thrill on your end. These might seem a bit demanding for racing game qualities, but they can be extremely helpful in making sure you get your hands on a title that will definitely try to grab your attention for hours. This is especially if these games have excellent multiplayer components, an immersive world, and a lot of customization.
What other traits do you think racing games should have? Let us know in the comments!
