Team Sonic Racing
Team Sonic Racing is Sumo Digital’s polarizing successor to Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, one of the greatest kart racers of all time. Rather than expand on the formula of that game, the 2019 release pursued a different goal by focusing on teamwork. While the core gameplay sticks close to its predecessor’s fundamentals, Team Sonic Racing splits the racers into teams, and the group to get the most collective points is the winner. This significantly changes the flow of races since players have to make sure their partners perform well rather than just focusing on their own runs.
Dirt Rally 2.0
Now for something completely different, Dirt Rally 2.0 is a challenging racing sim that, as its name suggests, devotes all its energy to rallying. Players travel the world to compete in off-road races where the slightest error can result in catastrophe (or a time penalty). Dirt Rally 2.0 can be intimidating for people who are not accustomed to rallycross sims or the real-life sport, and even fans will have to make do with a relatively steep learning curve and a lack of hand-holding.
If none of that sounds off-putting, then Codemasters’ release should hit the spot. Mastering the terrain or a car’s controls is rewarding, and the game can even become relaxing after a certain point. Dirt 5 is also available on Luna+ and is a good option for anyone looking for a more casual, arcade-style experience.
Riptide GP: Renegade
A relatively lesser-known racing game, Riptide GP: Renegade is essentially a kart racer that happens to revolve around jet skis. The water-based tracks come with a variety of ramps and nature-themed challenges that require quick reflexes to circumvent. Along with standard single-race and multiplayer options, Riptide GP: Renegade has a surprisingly in-depth career mode, albeit one that avoids overstaying its welcome.
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Hot Wheels Unleashed pays homage to a childhood staple through its massive selection of cars, charming courses, and track editor. The latter feature sets the game apart from its competitors, granting players the opportunity to tweak and edit courses as they see fit. Vehicle customization is also a big part of the experience, which is fitting considering the license.
Trials Rising: Gold Edition
Combining well-designed tracks and a wide range of course types, Trials Rising is a deep game that should satisfy people looking for either a solo or multiplayer experience. While the controls take some getting used to, the game comes with a detailed tutorial that is comfortably the best in the franchise’s history.
Ride 4
Along with MotoGP, Ride has established itself as the main license for motorbike fans, even if the series has a pretty uneven track record. While still not without its issues, Ride 4 is comfortably the best in the franchise, offering beautiful visuals, customizable gameplay, and a large roster of bikes to try out. For the most part, the bikes control well, and there is a decent amount of variety when it comes to race types and tracks.
Putting aside some annoying elements like tedious time trials and an unforgiving tutorial, Ride 4 is generally a blast to play, and the career mode comes with a good sense of progression and quite a bit of content. The overall package has a couple of rough edges, but they do not detract too greatly from the stuff that works.
Monster Truck Championship Rebel Hunter Edition
Variety is the spice of life, and that might be Monster Truck Championship’s greatest strength. There are simply not all that many projects out there that allow players to step behind the wheels of these majestic mechanical beasts, and Teyon deserves credit for doing a reasonable job of translating the spectacle of these events into video game form.
Monster Truck Championship lets its vehicles sell themselves as the game is otherwise lacking in content; that said, the career mode should keep someone engaged for a couple of hours as they come to grips with the different event types and controls. That’s not to say the latter are bad, just that they take some getting used to. The Rebel Hunter Edition includes a few DLC, including a new racing arena.
Horizon Chase Turbo
Horizon Chase Turbo scratches an inch that has been left largely unattended for approximately two decades. Taking inspiration from ’80s and ’90s titles such as Out Run and Top Gear, the arcade racer does a brilliant job of modernizing these classics. Boasting gorgeous visuals and a great soundtrack, Horizon Chase Turbo delivers quality and quantity, the latter represented by a lengthy World Tour campaign along with a tournament mode.
Riders Republic Ultimate Edition
Extreme sports games do not come out too often, so the subgenre needs to make every release count. Riders Republic is an intriguing new Ubisoft IP that covers a variety of activities, including skiing and mountain biking.
As this is Ubisoft, Riders Republic is naturally set in an open-world based on real-life locations. Whether playing solo or online, players can look forward to freely traversing beautiful landscapes while engaging in races and other challenges.
