Police chases are a big draw in gaming. There’s something about the risk/reward factor that translates excellently to an interactive medium. Probably because it’s much better than taking part in the real thing. So here’s a list of 10 of the best police car chasing games on Xbox Series X/S.
#10 Crew 2
- Release: 2018
- Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
- Genre: Racing
The Crew 2 was released in 2018, however, it didn’t get police chases until 2020. Police chases were an oft-requested feature for the game and Ubisoft delivered the content that fans wanted as part of the year 3 content. The year 3 content added police cars, sirens, and light bars along with events featuring police chases. Although the chase events started as a live event in 2020, they can still be played to this day. Players just need to find the events under the in-game activities menu.
#9 Driver San Francisco
- Release: 2011
- Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC
- Genre: Racing
Driver: San Francisco is one of the best driving games of the PS3/360 era. It’s so good that it still holds up today, hence its inclusion on this list. Driver: San Francisco picks up six months after the events of Driv3r. Players take on the role of FBI agent John Tanner as he tries to piece together a dream-like world. Driver: San Francisco is perhaps best known for its “shift” ability. The ability allows players to “shift” from the car they’re driving to any other car they see. Players can shift between cars during missions or free roam which really sets the game apart from typical open world games. Driver: San Francisco is available on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC/Mac. Note that the Wii version of the game is actually a different game entirely. For Xbox One and Series X/S gamers Driver: San Francisco is fully backwards compatible with higher resolutions.
#8 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition
- Release: 2021
- Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre: Action-adventure
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy may have launched to a rocky start last year but the games have been improved via updates since then. The fact also remains that even with issues, this collection is still the best way for most gamers to check out the three games that built the GTA franchise. Games released in 2022 are still taking notes from GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas. With the three different locales, each game has something unique to offer. Most importantly, each game offers thrilling police chases and shootouts. From police, FBI, and the army coming after players in GTA III to the Air Force trying to shoot down those who have stolen planes and helicopters in San Andreas.
#7 Watch Dogs Legion
- Release: 2020
- Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC
- Genre: Action-adventure
Watch Dogs games are open-world games similar to the GTA series with the twist being that players can hack pretty much anything they can see. Hack locks, computers, cell phones of NPCs, traffic lights, virtually anything. If it runs on electricity it can probably be hacked in the world of Watch Dogs. Naturally, going around hacking everything is bound to draw some unwanted attention from the police. That brings us to the excellent and fun police chases in Watch Dogs: Legion. Like GTA games there’s a 5-star wanted system. Unlike GTA players can hack everything they see to aid their escape from the police. It adds an incredibly fun dynamic to something that players will have done hundreds of times before in other games.
#6 Grand Theft Auto IV
- Release: 2008
- Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
- Genre: Action-adventure
Grand Theft Auto IV is arguably the first open-world game to feature a breathing city. A city where NPCs have their own lives and the city feels truly alive. The intensely realistic Liberty City in GTA IV set the standard for what open-world games should be doing when recreating a real place (in this case New York and New Jersey). The realism doesn’t end there either. GTA IV featured vastly improved shooting and driving mechanics which make the police chases some of the best in the series. Although GTA V is the more popular game these days, GTA IV is perfect for anyone who wants the thrill of pursuits through a metropolis like Liberty City.
#5 Forza Horizon 5
- Release: 2021
- Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre: Racing
It might seem odd to have Forza Horizon 5 on a list of police chase games. The game doesn’t have police chases after all. However, while Forza Horizon 5 doesn’t have police chases built into the game, that hasn’t stopped players from creating their own police cars and pursuing rulebreakers. There’s an active community of players who spend their time online hunting down fellow gamers in their custom police cars. Think police Bugatti Veyrons, Lamborghinis and Ferraris. To join this ragtag group of law bringers, simply deck your car out with a police livery/lights and get to chasing.
#4 Burnout Paradise Remastered
- Release: 2008/2018
- Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre: Racing
Burnout Paradise was probably the best arcade racing game of all time when it was released back in 2008. The game was such a resounding success that EA handed developer Criterion Games the keys to the Need for Speed franchise. The success continued with the excellent DLC packs for the game, one of which was Cops and Robbers. The Cops and Robbers DLC introduced police chases to the game between real players. One team as the cops and the other as the robbers. It’s truly one of the best online modes in the game. Thankfully, all of the DLC for the original game was included in the recent remaster so players can continue to enjoy it to this day.
#3 Grand Theft Auto V
- Release: 2013/2014/2022
- Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Genre: Action-adventure
Grand Theft Auto V, the game so popular they made it thrice. No list about games with police chases would be complete without it. In Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online, the possibilities are almost limitless. Players can steal supercars, tanks, intercontinental planes, military jets, and more. It really is the GTA that has everything. Hence why a new version was just released for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S nearly 10 years after the game was originally released. Grand Theft Auto is the most popular franchise for escaping the law and as the most recent game, Grand Theft Auto V is the pinnacle, at least until GTA VI finally releases anyway.
#2 Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered
- Release: 2010/2020
- Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre: Racing
The Hot Pursuit sub-series of Need for Speed are what many gamers will immediately think of when asked to name a police chase game. However, while the Need for Speed series has incorporated many of the ideas that made the Hot Pursuit games special, there has been a sore lack of actual Hot Pursuit games. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit was released all the way back in 2010 and itself was a reboot of 1998’s Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit. In 2020, EA released a remaster of the reboot in the form of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered.
#1 L.A. Noire
- Release: 2011/2017
- Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre: Action-adventure
L.A. Noire is one of the truly standout games from the PS3/Xbox 360 generation. The game was in a class of its own when it came to the graphical detail of characters. It set a standard that arguably wasn’t matched until the next generation of consoles. The level of detail in characters’ faces was necessary for players to tell if they were lying or not in the course of their investigations. Of course, when investigations went wrong police chases would inevitably ensue with players having to catch criminals and solve the crime. L.A. Noire is one of the most rewarding police chase games because players get to follow the investigations all the way through.
