The 10 Worst Racing Games You Have Ever Played
1. Need for Speed
No, we don’t mean the whole franchise. There have been some pretty sweet NFS games. We mean the 2015 release of that name, which featured frequently in the comments of the original community post.
Here’s what Raregliscor1 had to say about it:
“Oh, NFS 2015 by far. Lacklustre customisation at the beginning, with some cars getting such minimal cosmetic upgrades. Also, it had the absolute worst driving physics ever. Grip builds equal immense understeer, drift builds equals you going into the wall every five minutes when you try drifting because the game doesn’t like you drifting. And a middle build just has both but slightly less. The map was extremely boring in comparison to previous NFS games like Most Wanted 2012 and Hot Pursuit.”
2. Asphalt 8: Airborne
Sure, Asphalt 8 is a mobile game for iOS and Android, so we can’t expect console-like quality. But other racing games prove you can still get it right for these kind of devices.
Here’s Александр Ригов explaining the suggestion:
“I can’t name any bad simulator racing games, but Asphalt 8 is probably the worst so-called ‘racing game’ ever created, because it’s basically just a stupid runner.”
3. Forza Horizon 2
Perhaps a controversial choice for some, but Forza Horizon 2 can’t be everyone’s cup of tea despite getting quite high reviews at the time of its release. But, cutting some of the cars and map areas wasn’t well received by quite a few gamers.
Let’s hear why Johan Karlsson chose FH2, specifically the Xbox 360 version:
“I understand that they can’t make the graphics look as good as on the Xbox One, but they also decided to cut several cars and areas of the map. You also got much smaller rewards for completing races or levelling up.”
4. Need for Speed: The Run
Recent Need for Speed games aren’t having the best of times on this list, are they? But, they’re here for a reason. 2011’s The Run proved to be pretty disappointing, as CTzen Harambe (you’re alive?) explains:
“Seriously, the main campaign (race from LA to New York City) can be finished in two hours and there is no content after that.”
5. Forza Motorsport 5
FM5 was seen as a disappointment to some when it was released for Xbox One, especially when compared to previous games from the franchise. Timmy Tam talks us through his suggestion:
“It lost so much compared to previous Motorsport games, especially FM4. FM4 had 500 cars at launch while FM5 only had 200, the track list is also small with the fan’s favourite Fujimi and Maple Valley gone, and the physics is by far the worst in any Forza game ever.
“It’s twitchy, unpredictable for almost any cars, and when you oversteer, it is impossible to correct it, hence making it extremely hard to drift. FM5 was not something you would expect out of one of the best racing game franchise, it gives me the sense that the game is incomplete.
“Maybe Turn 10 didn’t have enough time as this is the first Forza on Xbox One, but I still think that they could have done it better. And for that, I think FM5 is the worst racing game I’ve ever played because it was such a huge disappointment.”
6. Need for Speed: No Limits
Yep, another NFS title. They really disappointed some people, didn’t they? No Limits was released in 2015, but not for consoles. It’s for iOS and Android devices and people weren’t happy with how it was presented in the app stores and how it actually was in reality.
Let The Stig’s Indian Cousin tell us why:
“They put pictures in the app store like the console version but in reality, it looks the worst. Plus, the races are so short.”
7. Project Cars
I really like Project Cars. Sure, there are a few things that annoy me about it, but isn’t that the case with all games? Anyway, a few of you really aren’t fans and that’s fair enough. Here’s Fahim Kazi’s reasoning for suggesting it:
“Picked it up and thought it can’t be as bad as everyone is saying. It sucks, it feels like it’s still in beta.”
8. Test Drive Unlimited
The ninth game in the Test Drive franchise but it wasn’t well received by a fair few people. It finds its way to this list through a number of suggestions, here’s Kevin Ferraine explaining why he picked it:
“It’s good for the buying house thing, but the worst at driving experience. The physics are awful, going 100mph on a bend with a Maserati MC12 is just like cornering with a Dodge Hellcat. Lose control in a Enzo at 30mph and you will end up with a huge crash. Even Paganis feel so bad. Try the mountain race and you will lose easily. The game is great for fulfilling dreams, but worst at gaming experience and people’s sanity And the other thing is, no BMWs were available in the game.”
9. The Crew
The Crew was released in 2014 for PC, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It received mixed reviews on release and it appears some of you weren’t fans of the game. Sam Payne kept his reasoning short and simple:
“The Crew is awful. Terrible driving makes you feel like cars are on water.”
10. Big Rigs: Over The Road Racing
Having been panned by critics and gaming reviews, it’s no surprise someone suggested Big Rigs for this list. The PC game was released in 2003. You basically have to race a big rig to safely deliver illegal cargo. It was not good. Citi Rat explains:
“Big Rigs: Over The Road Racing. I honestly have no words for this game. It’s horrid, utterly horrid.”
User suggestions have been edited for clarity. Check out the original community post here and let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Comments
The Crew is terrible in terms of car physics and stuff but I got the game last September, when they basically released a free version, so I don’t complain much. But the physics are awful, cars only roll over if you total them and the gear shifting is slow as hell. Took me a week to get used to it. After that, it was alright. The only good thing I can say is the GIANT map. Like seriously, it’s a 1/2 scale USA, crazy. Shame the physics suck
Jack Leslie 🏁 - Project Cars is hated by people that don’t understand it’s a simulator rather than an arcade game.
In terms of actually driving it’s the best game out there. In terms of wanting to be rewarded with fake money and loads of cars that look different but handle the same… it’s not so good.
In terms of gamepad support it’s one of the worst, comparing all recent sims and simcades.
Need For Speed 2015…
Fistbump Simulator, Monster Energy eye candy, and very mediocre customization.
And don’t get me started on the Icon Cars. Lack of customization plus meh performance equals throwing your controller out the window.
project cars is slightly better now. but the drift physics are non - existant. Still, good simulator.
I’m not quite sure if this list was a joke or not. A single person not liking a game shouldn’t be enough to put it on the “Worst Racing Games” list. I expected something line Need for Speed Nitro, or maybe Drift King: Survival. But instead I got some of the better modern NFS games, two good Forza games, some of the best mobile racers, and otherwise good racing games.
Oh, and Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing. Hah! That one’s so terrible, and no one’s ever seen it before.
(Yeah, I know I’m being overly salty)
Comptely agree with Project Cars, the game still feels like its in beta. Also agree with The Crew, it had so much potential but failed miserably.
The Crew made a very very awful mistake with the default handling setup. It has a very wide range of options for controller and wheel and they chose a non responsive one as the default . With some minor tweaks, cars feel more responsive and steering is sharper than most racing games to date. But the majority of players dont tweak control options and they also put a stamp on whatever they get out of the box .
One of the worst racing games for me would be forza motorsport 3
Of course assetto isn’t here. Why? Because it’s one of the best Sims on the market! If you haven’t played it (with a wheel and pedals) you’re missing out
I didn’t think NFS: The Run was all that bad. Sure, the game is very short and the story is far from great, but the game has way better mechanics than any recent NFS. Also, it had a decent multiplayer system.