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There are several kinds of racing games in the world, but some of them like to give players freedom by allowing them to ride in a truly open world. While these games aren’t in any order, they still fit that mold. So, allow us to show you the most addictive open world racing games for PC gamers!
#16 Assetto Corsa
Are you after something that’s a little more on the real side? Sure, the fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled arcade racers are great, but sometimes you want something more fixated on being realistic. That’s where Assetto Corsa comes into play. The development team opted to bring out a game that is close to what racing some of these incredible vehicles might feel like.
But to top it off, I think most might find the mod support rather interesting to explore. A big community keeps this game filled with different content to add to the mix. If you give it a chance, you’ll easily find yourself spending quite a bit of time going through this game.
#15 Grand Theft Auto V
Of course, we had to include Grand Theft Auto V in this list. Even the name of the game is all about busting into cars and racing off with them. Of course, this game franchise is far more than just racing around the world and there are only a few real races in the game. But with this installment, you have a massive map and a ton of different cars to roam around Los Santos. It’s a game that fans still heavily play today, years after it launched into the marketplace.
Then there’s the online component. Grand Theft Auto Online adds even more content for players to game through. This includes races, so if you’re looking to try some high-octane competitive racing matches when you’re not exploring Los Santos in whatever customized whip you have on hand, you’ll find plenty here to partake in.
#14 The Crew Motorfest
The Crew Motorfest launched in 2023, and this time around, we were thrown into a more tropical location to race around in. Ubisoft set the game up on two scaled-down Hawaiian islands. You can race and explore the tropical locations of O’ahu and Maui. If you played the franchise’s previous games, you know what to expect here.
You’ll get to race around at your leisure, taking in the breathtaking sights. However, beyond that, there are various multiplayer modes you can take part in if you’re looking to enjoy the game with friends. Additionally, the developers provide some different themes monthly to give you something new and fresh to partake in or rewards to unlock.
#13 BeamNG
When it comes to racing games that try to be more realistic than others, they want you to not just drive in a realistic-looking world but give you the true sensations of driving the vehicles you’re in. BeamNG does that by having the game rely on a “soft-body physics engine.” What does that do? It lets the cars react in real time to what is happening to them, ensuring that the gamer can feel all the highs and lows as they drive along.
With twelve different environments within the game, you’ll get to see all the layers of that engine as you go high and low for your racing pleasure.
#12 Need For Speed Payback
Payback is always something that can unite people. In Need For Speed Payback, you were part of a racing team that broke up after they couldn’t trust one another anymore. However, when a cartel enters their turf and starts ruining the places they love, they realize that the only way to get rid of “The House” is by uniting to take them down hard.
To do this, you’ll not only need to race across the city but battle in intense feuds with cops and other corrupt individuals. With three different main characters to be, the story will be what you make it. Just remember, revenge is the ultimate goal.
#11 The Crew 2
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have an entire country as your playground? In The Crew 2, you’ll have a taste of that experience. The game puts you in a motorsports club that has you traveling the United States to partake in just about anything you want.
You can choose to go on the racecar circuit and see how you stack up against other drivers, or you can just roam around various locations to feel how it feels to drive on them. With easy access to a plethora of rides, races, game modes, and co-op features, you’ll have a hard time being bored!
#10 Test Drive Unlimited 2
While this is an older game, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is still one worthy of your time because of the locations you’ll get to drive around. Specifically, you’ll play someone partaking in the Solar Crown competition, which is being done in Oahu, Hawaii.
You’ll start off as a valet, then get lucked into the competition and have to earn your place by driving around the island, completing challenges and competitions, and more. You’ll have numerous vehicles at your beck and call, and you’ll have the chance to take these out on luxurious drives through Hawaii, which we’re sure many of you wish you could do for real.
#9 Need For Speed Heat
Yes, we have another entry from this franchise to show you, mainly because this series has a lot to offer. In the case of Need For Speed Heat, you’ll be working your way through a different city to try and become the best racer around.
The catch is that you need to dominate two kinds of competitions to get the glory and money you want. In the daytime, you’ll do the “sanctioned” races, where you can earn money to upgrade your ride.
Then, at night, the races get more intense, as you face not only stiffer competition but the cops themselves!
#8 Lego 2K Drive
What, you didn’t think the Lego brand would get involved in the racing circuit of the gaming world? It’s Lego! They do whatever they want! In Lego 2K Drive, you’ll get to ride all across Bricklandia for prizes and fun.
The key is that you’ll literally build your dream vehicle brick by brick. That means you can build the ultimate speed machine or something that can transform into other machines to handle difficult terrain!
The game is truly about options and giving you the creative freedom to make what you want and take on your rivals however you want.
#6 Driver: San Francisco
While this series hasn’t had a new entry for a while, Driver: San Francisco was a unique entry in the franchise that helped solidify why it stayed around for so long.
You play a detective who was attempting to catch a criminal when an accident puts them in a coma. The twist is that you play throughout the game in the dream world, allowing you to get all sorts of rides and switch between them on the fly. Through these dream world experiences, you’ll get to piece together a puzzle as to what is going on in the real world so you can stop your nemesis.
It might sound complicated, but it’s still a fun title.
#5 Burnout Paradise Remastered
Welcome to Paradise City, a place where racers of all types are welcome, even if they just want to go around and crash their rides all over the place to see the slow-motion carnage. Seriously, that’s fine here.
Burnout Paradise Remastered is the upgrade version of the racing classic. So, if you never had the chance to play it before, here’s your chance to fix that! The remaster not only improves the visuals, but gives you new locations to enjoy, like Big Surf Island.
No matter where you go, the fun will follow, and there are numerous modes to ensure that you and your friends have the time of your lives no matter where you are in the city.
#4 SnowRunner
Not all driving games are about racing, some of them actually have work for you to do! For example, SnowRunner is a game that puts you behind the wheel of some massive trucks, which must deliver all sorts of cargo across some of the sketches terrains and areas in the world.
The more jobs you do, the better you’ll be able to upgrade your ride and fill it with things that’ll make each job a bit easier the next time around. Each job needs to be taken seriously, as these environments are no joke.
But, if you do it right, you can build up your name and your business well.
#3 Forza Horizon 5
Prepare for a trinity of “horizon-style” adventures, starting with Forza Horizon 5. This was the series that decided to take things away from the race tracks and venues like other entries in the franchise had done and put players instead in a vast open world that they could drive in to their hearts content.
Specifically, each game is all about a certain country that you blast through with friends or by yourself. In the fifth entry, that means you’ll get to wander around Mexico to your heart’s content. Given the numerous areas and biomes within the nation, that means you can go on and off-road to craft a memorable experience.
Plus, with your friends by your side, the adventures will continue.
#2 Forza Horizon 4
If that last location wasn’t “to your liking” for one reason or another, perhaps Forza Horizon 4 will give you a better racing destination. This time, you find yourself within Britian, which has not only plenty of environments to have fun in, but a vastly different element system, due to the seasons changing rather dynamically.
Oh, and you’ll get the chance to participate in a festival that will allow all sorts of automotive greatness. So, whether you decide to go on the dedicated racing path to see how far you go or just grab some friends and see what trouble you can cause in the environments, the options are open!
#1 Forza Horizon 3
Oh, that last location STILL wasn’t to your liking? Fine! Then Forza Horizon 3 is easily the best we can offer. Why? Because we’re taking you to Australia to have fun with friends!
That’s not all, though. Unlike in the other games, you’re going to be in charge of the literal Horizon Festival! That means you can craft the experience in ways that are truly special to highlight your creativity. Oh, and you can use that to your advantage to screw with your friends! Whatever works for you!
Then, jump into over 350 cars to see which ones suit you and what ones you can drive the best in!
