What Racing Games Are Better than GT5?

[Duman079]

I like Gran Train

Also liked Midnight Club LA a lot. I want a new street race game where free mode is allowed. There is no better simulator then GT5 if you ask me. Maybe Shift 2 will be interesting.

 

[Samus]

Yep, the PGR series were great racing games. Not amazing simulators, not amazing realistic physics, but great games that simulate RACING. Fun racing.

 

[Spagetti69]

Hmm nice thread.

Forza 3.
F1 2010.
Race pro.

Offer more competitive races IMHO.
Oh and feel some what complete.

 

[MegaD]

Project Gotham Racing!

Seriously. I sold my Xbox 360 to get a PS3 so I could play online with friends, but whenever I play GT5 I can't help but to think about PGR 4. It's way more arcade than GT5, you got credits for drifting and such, but it has a WAY better car list and the tracks never bored me. It also has motorbikes and it has variable weather conditions, including rain, fog and snow. And it has a career mode pretty similar to GT5, although I never completed it, but in GT5 I can't even be bothered to complete the career mode. Every car (and bike) was 'premium' as well, and the rain effects were very impressive. I loved the photo mode as well, the graphics looked great.

I'm not saying it really is better than GT5, but from what I can remember it's definitely not worse. If I had both, I really wouldn't be surprised if I'd like PGR better. It's is a bit old now, but take a look at it when you're into arcade-ish racing. GT5 has a better 'true' and realistic racing experience, but PGR4 was more fun. Just don't immediately compare it to NFS because it's an arcade racer.
Too bad Bizarre Creations went bankrupt and MS owns the right Guess we'll never see a PS3 version..

I liked TDU as well because of the car collecting, not because of the driving, it just felt like you were driving big pieces of high-speed concrete.

 

[CarreraGT]

all of the cars in the V8 supercar series

Not quite... They had a few but they didn't even sound like V8 Supercars, and there was no Bathurst. But still, it's better than not having them at all, and no doubt they will be improved for FM4 (and hopefully they include Bathurst 👍).

 

[t.o.]

Not quite... They had a few but they didn't even sound like V8 Supercars, and there was no Bathurst. But still, it's better than not having them at all, and no doubt they will be improved for FM4 (and hopefully they include Bathurst 👍).

Speaking of missing tracks where the hell is Twin Motegi? (sp). GT5 got all these Super GT cars, totally diss U.S. cars and tracks to clearly make it a Japan-centric game and you don't have Twin Motegi? WTF is that? I guess that means they would have to have the oval open for play too and god forbid the NASCAR races have more than 2 ovals.

 

[rileyra]

Shift 2 Unleashed will be out in March (towards the end). It promises FAR better physics and wheel FFB than Shift 1.

Were it not for those two features, Shift 1 would ALREADY be a MUCH better 'game' than GT5. It is WAY more immersive, it is WAY more fun, there's NO grind whatsoever, it has a better selection of real world tracks (and Shift2's puts GT5 to shame), it has a better balance of cars you WANT to drive (only two Skylines!), it's online includes Spec races (everyone in identical cars), its sounds are far more exciting than GT5, it has a REAL 'hood cam' (no disembodied tach and speedo 'invisible car' view), ALL cars have an interior view, its AI are fast and aggressive...

And all of that will be better in Shift 2.

Mine is pre-ordered, and unless Kaz gets out two patches that fix the #1 & 2 major gripes here (the grind and the AI), or Shift 2 turns out FAR worse than Shift 1, I'm outta here!

GT5 has physics and the 'Ring. But is a lousy game in most every other detail. GT4 players had six years to crow, and go that the NEXT GT game would blow every other console racer out of the water. I imagine the next six years will be FAR quieter!

PD know graphics, and they know physics, but they have forgotten how to make a GAME.

^What he said

 

[tigermilk]

Another game I forgot - NASCAR Heat 2002. Perhaps the best NASCAR racer I've played on the PS2/Xbox (had both versions). The physics were awesome, particularly playing with the Logitech wheel, but the AI and racing were sublime. Racing at Bristol was white knuckles fun. It could take you 5-10 laps just to pass a single AI driver due to the quality of the AI and the fact you couldn't muscle your way in line without consequence.

 

[CarreraGT]

Speaking of missing tracks where the hell is Twin Motegi? (sp). GT5 got all these Super GT cars, totally diss U.S. cars and tracks to clearly make it a Japan-centric game and you don't have Twin Motegi? WTF is that? I guess that means they would have to have the oval open for play too and god forbid the NASCAR races have more than 2 ovals.

Yeah I can't believe they left Motegi out, it was probably the second best track in GT4 behind the Nordschleife. What is the point of having all of these licensed series' if there are no licensed tracks to race on?

For god sake we got WRC and no actual point to point rally stages! What a waste of time

 

[TRC GeorgiaDawg]

Sadly, there is nothing better on the consoles than GT5 at the moment. Forza 3 sucks, F1 2010 sucks, Shift 2 is going to suck.

That's the problem with all console racing games these days, they all seem either to be in competition to cater to the most casual noobs on the market OR are just hyping up a bunch of lies and spin in order to grab as much short term cash as possible with NO thought to long term success.

 

[MowTin]

The thread should've been closed after this statement. It's clear you don't really understand the concept of a question.

To be honest I'm surprised it's not locked. It seems only the negative threads are left alone.

But I'm not sure what your point is. I think it's fair to challenge the answers.

For example, I love Dirt 2. That's a great game, love the damage it's very fun. But if I really compare it to GT5 it doesn't compare in scope and features or durability. So I can't genuinely say it's "better."

Some answers like GT4 or Toca 3 or RBR aren't really reasonable and should be challenged. If those games were published today as is nobody would buy them because the graphics are so outdated.

But I'll should really stay out of it and just let people express their views without challenging their opinions no matter how questionable some of these answers are.

 

[t.o.]

Yeah I can't believe they left Motegi out, it was probably the second best track in GT4 behind the Nordschleife. What is the point of having all of these licensed series' if there are no licensed tracks to race on?

For god sake we got WRC and no actual point to point rally stages! What a waste of time

Reminds me when EA bought ESPN rights from underneath 2K's feet and did NOTHING with it for YEARS. 2K had an actual "Sportscenter" in NFL 2K4, EA buys it and you don't even see the ESPN together anywhere in their games.

GT5's track list was also disappointing. No Bath, no Motegi, No Road America, No Road Atlanta, No Sebring, No Silverstone, No Spa and the list goes on.

 

[MowTin]

Sadly, there is nothing better on the consoles than GT5 at the moment. Forza 3 sucks, F1 2010 sucks, Shift 2 is going to suck.

That's the problem with all console racing games these days, they all seem either to be in competition to cater to the most casual noobs on the market OR are just hyping up a bunch of lies and spin in order to grab as much short term cash as possible with NO thought to long term success.

I totally agree! TDU 2 for example would be a fantastic game if their "hardcore mode" actually offered hardcore physics. But they are so focused on the casual market that they totally ignore those interested in realism.

I'm looking forward to Dirt 3 but I'm skeptical. I don't know how many times Codemasters has disappointed me by delivering something with arcade handling when they promised more.

Shift 2 looks promising. They say it's going to be hardcore sim but they said that last time and it wasn't.

 

[Saidur_Ali]

I totally agree! TDU 2 for example would be a fantastic game if their "hardcore mode" actually offered hardcore physics. But they are so focused on the casual market that they totally ignore those interested in realism.

I'm looking forward to Dirt 3 but I'm skeptical. I don't know how many times Codemasters has disappointed me by delivering something with arcade handling when they promised more.

Shift 2 looks promising. They say it's going to be hardcore sim but they said that last time and it wasn't.

I think Dirt 3 and Shift 2 are the multiple platform racing games to get this year. I tried TDU2 out which someone had got and thought it was very bad. The driving physics for an arcade game is the worst I've played. I have played the new Hot Pursuit game and thought it was quite good as it brings something new to the table while TDU2 driving resembles a bad iPhone driving game. I'm optimistic about Dirt 3 as I think it will combine all the good elements of Dirt 1 and Dirt 2 and exceed them in each department. Shift 1 was a fun game and Shift 2 by the looks of it will be even more so, hopefully this time with physics that don't feel like you are sliding around the whole track.

The game I am most looking forward to this year is rFactor 2. I hope it has better force feedback and wheel support as standard features.

I think it is clear to see GT5 is lacking in terms of AI racing but it is good to see PD are thinking long term and not short term like a lot of developers around them. If they are going to improve on something, they are either going to do it as right as possible or not bother much with it. I think next-generation is when GT will flourish and other games with short term goals will look much more out of depth compared to now.

 

[tigermilk]

Some answers like GT4 or Toca 3 or RBR aren't really reasonable and should be challenged. If those games were published today as is nobody would buy them because the graphics are so outdated.

From a racing mechanics perspective, as long as you can tell the difference between the car, your competition, and the track, graphics means squat. I can have just as much fun with a quality 8-bit racer as I can with a current generation racer. Fun transcends graphics.

 

[reaperman]

Some answers like GT4 or Toca 3 or RBR aren't really reasonable and should be challenged. If those games were published today as is nobody would buy them because the graphics are so outdated.

I haven't played RBR, but the rest are better than GT5. I don't see why hypothetical sales need to be involved.

GT5 is right about average in terms of 'racing game.' It's biggest weak spot (of many) is that it's just not terribly fun. That's where hundreds of games, going back decades, have it beat.

Right about the time I kept flipping the av-switch over to better racing games while bob was bashing around the track, it became obvious to me that racing 'fun' doesn't always come from modern graphics or realistic physics.

If it weren't for the pending update, it'd be a safe bet that I would boot up Enduro long before trying GT5 again. It's way better. Just look at how many cars it fits on that track--there's hundreds.

 

[CarreraGT]

Sadly, there is nothing better on the consoles than GT5 at the moment. Forza 3 sucks, F1 2010 sucks, Shift 2 is going to suck.

Those are some wild, unsupported claims there. Forza 3 and F1 2010 are both excellent games, have you actually played either of them? Forza 4 and F1 2011 are both coming out this year and no doubt they will be even better. As for Shift 2, I can't comment because it's not out yet. The hype looks good (although so did GT5) but Shift 1 was pretty ordinary as far as sims are concerned so I'll wait and see.

In my opinion, the more games like Gran Turismo try to cater for all types of racing, the worse they get. Also don't forget NASCAR The Game is also coming out this year and it already looks better than GT5's pathetic attempt at NASCAR racing...

 

[Spagetti69]

Oh he's played forza alright. The only thing wrong with his post is that he states it as fact. When really it's his honest opinion.
Maybe he forgot to put that.

 

[badger_mk2]

Im gonna be honest, NFS:U2, cannot be beat xD

If they sold Underground 3, a. theyd probably ruin it, b. it would sell like crazy

 

[DrSibo]

when you look past the hype, you realise most games are better racing games than gt5. I mean, where's the damage, racing regulations and entry limits etc. Plus gt5's rally physics are horrendous and I also think F1 2010 physics are also more realsitic, too much grip in gt5.

My favourites are WRC 2010 (great fun) with F12010 a close second, but you never know this upcoming patch could eventually fix all this and reclaim top spot.

Agreed, the one thing I'm disappointed about GT5 in particular is the horrible rally physics and the lack of proper point to point rallying events.

WRC 2010 is indeed a really fun game... when I need a break from pounding the circuit tarmac in GT5 I'll be getting my rally fix from this (as well as Dirt 3 when it come out).

Despite this disappointment about the rally section, I'm still enjoying GT5 as a whole.

 

[CarreraGT]

I haven't played RBR, but the rest are better than GT5.

And do yourself a favour and give RBR a try. It's very difficult, but once you master it you will never go back to Dirt or GT5's rally mode. As mentioned before, there is a lot of mod support for it too so you can update the sound, stages and liveries to help make up for the dating graphics.

That said, the graphics aren't that bad for a 7 year old game and the physics more than make up for it 👍

 

[CarreraGT]

Oh he's played forza alright. The only thing wrong with his post is that he states it as fact. When really it's his honest opinion.
Maybe he forgot to put that.

Seems to be a common thing around here...

 

[t.o.]

I think it is clear to see GT5 is lacking in terms of AI racing but it is good to see PD are thinking long term and not short term like a lot of developers around them. If they are going to improve on something, they are either going to do it as right as possible or not bother much with it. I think next-generation is when GT will flourish and other games with short term goals will look much more out of depth compared to now.

Isn't that what they were saying last gen? I'll believe it when I see it but as of now PD lost all their "hype-cred" so it's a "when it's in my PS3/4 then we'll see" mode now. Besides, I highly doubt everyone else is going to be standing still as the years go by.

 

[Zoom!Zoom!]

You do realize there's a huge difference between racing and driving, right? As a driving game GT is great. As a racing game it is terrible. The AI, albeit improved, is still poor. The difficulty of the AI, unless you severely handicap yourself, is pathetic. E.g., run the Ferrari F1 challenge and you can easily beat equally spec'ed cars. I have yet to lose on an arcade race. From the pure racing view, I can name dozens of games better than GT5 - FM3, FM2, Pro Race Driver, F1:CE, Ferrari Challenge, the Moto GP series, PGR, even Mario Kart for crying out loud.

Edit - other things which keep GT5 in the bottom rung of "racing" (not "driving") games - poor collision physics and lack of damage.

From your reasoning Iracing is the worst "racing" game because it's AI is non-existing.

 

[reaperman]

And do yourself a favour and give RBR a try. It's very difficult, but once you master it you will never go back to Dirt or GT5's rally mode. As mentioned before, there is a lot of mod support for it too so you can update the sound, stages and liveries to help make up for the dating graphics.

That said, the graphics aren't that bad for a 7 year old game and the physics more than make up for it 👍

I've heard nothing but good about it, and it's been in my list for a while, but I haven't picked it up yet. I'm a console-only gamer though, so I'll have to do without the mods.

I do have to confess that historically I haven't been any good at even slightly realistic rally games, and the whole lot of other ps2 rally titles royally hand me my rear.

 

[mika haka]

The real question is, despite these failings why do we still play it? For me i just love trying out new cars and seeing how they handle and trying to find a competive race to win with them.

 

[t.o.]

The real question is, despite these failings why do we still play it? For me i just love trying out new cars and seeing how they handle and trying to find a competive race to win with them.

I like trying out new cars and seeing how they handle, I have a racing series on Monday nights with my race group, I paid money for it and have yet to feel I got my "money's worth" out of it yet. Still about 5% of the "newness" smell on it. Trying to find some kind of format or whatever where I can turn the "fun factor" on with this game. These are the reasons I still play it.

 

[Destinkeys]

Real Circuit Locations:

Automotodrom Brno (GP)
Autodromo Di Pergusa (GP)
Autodromo Nazionale di Monza (GP)
Autopolis International Racing Course (GP+Lakeside)
Brands Hatch (GP+Indy)
Circuit de Catalunya (GP+National+School)
Circuit Spa-Francorchamps (GP)
Circuit Zolder (GP)
Donington Park (GP+National)
Dubai Autodrome (GP+International+National+Club)
Ebisu Circuit (West+South+Togue)
HockenheimRing (GP+Short+TBA)
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (GP)
Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (GP+B Course)
Mount Panorama Circuit Bathurst (GP)
Nürburgring (GP+Sprint+Nordschleife+TBA)
Road America (GP)
Silverstone Circuit (GP+National+International)
Suzuka Circuit (GP+East+West)
Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Speedway+TBA)
Willow Springs Raceway (GP+Horse Thief Mile)


Who WOULDN'T be impressed with that as a real track list in GT5?

Sadly, it's Shift2 (well, not sadly for me, got it pre-ordered, but sadly for those that think that GT5 is a RACING game).

Plus it doesn't include their fantasy tracks:

Alpental (Full)
Ambush Canyon (Full)
Dakota (GP+National+Club)
Glendale (Club+East+West)
Hazyview (Eight+Oval)
London Raceway (Club Drive+Embankment Loop+River+Royal Mile+Whitehall Drive)
Miami (Bayfront Park+Bayside Run+Bicentennial+Biscayne Boulevard+Drift)
Miyatomi (Oval)
Riviera (Casino+Monte Grande+Monument Loop+Porte Boucle)
Rustle Creek (Oval)
Shanghai (TBA)
Tokyo (Freeway+Freeway Reverse+Docks+Docks Reverse+Drift)

of which Miami, London, Shanghai, Tokyo and Riviera (Monaco, basically) are all based on real cities.

 

[CarreraGT]

I've heard nothing but good about it, and it's been in my list for a while, but I haven't picked it up yet. I'm a console-only gamer though, so I'll have to do without the mods.

I do have to confess that historically I haven't been any good at even slightly realistic rally games, and the whole lot of other ps2 rally titles royally hand me my rear.

In that case, if you don't have access to mods you might be a little disappointed. I had it on PC and had a heap of sound and livery mods to make it better, but then I bought the PS2 version and it was no where near as good.

I don't have a wheel so used to play with the keyboard (I know, I know) so it was quite brutal in terms of difficulty, but I think it would be a lot more fun with a wheel. As I said though, it is still by far the best rally game out there in terms of physics. WRC 2010 wasn't bad but the stages were rubbish, so I hope they do a lot of work on WRC 2011.

For such a good motorsport category, it's a shame we haven't had a descent rally game in so many years

 

[Aus_Azn]

I would say Forza Motorsport 2. FM2 was a brilliant game from start to finish. FM3 took everything that made FM2 good and flipped it upside down, ranging from the painting system to driving physics, online connectivity and car sales. Dedicated lobbies made the online far superior to FM3.

FM3 borked painting by placing awkward shadows on cars, preventing good alignment. Driving physics feel more jelly-like and vague, online hoppers rarely had connectivity in my experience, and the auction house was made useless by the storefront. The game also decided to spontaneously empty my garage of all DLC and Disc 2 cars on 2 occasions.

GT5 has exactly what I wanted: Time trials and driving physics.