Most Anticipated 2014 Racing Games - Our List

2013 has been a great year for racing games, with the release of some highly anticipated titles like Gran Turismo 6 on PlayStation 3 and Forza Motorsport 5 on Xbox One, among others.

 

Not many racing games are currently scheduled to release this year. The ones that are, however, look incredibly promising with some of them trying to offer some features that never before have been included in the genre.

 

Let’s take a quick look at our list of most anticipated 2014 racing games.

 

Driveclub

Among the upcoming titles, PlayStation 4 exclusive Driveclub is definitely one of the most anticipated, thanks to the unique social features included in the game. These features, which will allow gamers to manage racing teams (clubs), will be critical to distinguish Driveclub from its competitors, even though the game already looked good according to our fellow editors who played it at Gamescom. It should be released “between Infamous: Second Son and The Order: 1886″ according to Sony, so perhaps in Q2 or early Q3.

 

Driveclub is being developed by Evolution Studios, the team behind the MotorStorm franchise. Unlike this series, Driveclub is going to be focused on a hybrid model between arcade and simulation. From what we have seen so far the game will look really great, with a great use of dynamic lightning that easily makes the game stand out from the competition from a graphical point of view.

 

Project CARS

Project CARS (Community Assisted Racing Simulator) has been originally revealed as a current generation only project before Slightly Mad Studios decided to can the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, focusing on the PC, Wii U and next gen versions. The decision has probably been for the best, considering the scope of the game.

 

As the name suggests, this title is unique in that it is getting developed with the help of the community, which raised funds and gives valuable feedback on the game itself. This fact alone makes Project CARS one of the most interesting racing games launching this year, as no publisher is going to influence the team’s vision for the game.

 

Project CARS is going to appeal to Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport fans, with its use of driver aids and input filtering methods. Helping in creating a sense of realism in the game are two professional drivers, Ben Collins and Nicolas Hamilton, younger brother of Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton. The superior power of modern consoles and PCs has allowed the team to introduce even more realistic features like the new dynamic tyre model called SETA. Among the features that will make Project CARS even more unique, we can include support for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset.

 

Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart 8 is definitely the game that sticks out more among the upcoming racing games; its main focus is obviously not to offer a realistic racing experience, but just the fun and engaging gameplay experience that has always been a trademark for the Nintendo series since its beginnings.

 

Some of Mario Kart 8′s features have been picked from previous entries, like the inclusion of Motorbikes and 12-player action from Mario Kart Wii and underwater racing from Mario Kart 7. This doesn’t mean that all the features of the game are taken from older games, as Mario Kart 8 will include all new anti-gravity sections, allowing racers to drive even on walls and ceilings.

 

Mario Kart 8 will also be using the Wii U unique features in some interesting ways. The new Mario Kart TV feature will allow gamers to share with other Miiverse users clips from their races. The game is obviously going to be compatible with the Wii U Gamepad as well as with Wii Remote and Nunchuk combo, Wii U Pro Controller and the Wii Wheel, offering several control options. Last, but not least, the game will look gorgeous, with HD graphics and 60 FPS even in two players mode.

 

Mario Kart 8 will launch exclusively on Wii U during May.

 

The Crew

The Crew is another unique racing game launching later this year on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The game, developed by Ivory Tower and Ubisoft Reflections, is going to feature a really interesting gameplay experience set in an open world.

 

Gamers will be able to drive through a virtual rendition of the United States of America. The game’s world is so big that it will take around 90 minutes to drive from coast to coast inside the game.

 

The whole gameplay experience will really be different from other racing games on the market, as the game is almost a racing role playing game with large scale multiplayer elements. For obvious reasons, the multiplayer elements will not be separate from the single player experience, with the game’s world being persistent. This is also the main reason why the game is being developed for next generation consoles, with their advanced social features, as well as on PC.

 

The Crew will launch during the third quarter of the year on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

 

Carmageddon: Reincarnation

Just like Mario Kart 8, Carmageddon: Reincarnation, the fourth entry of the series, will provide a unique and fun gameplay experience without trying to be realistic. Something quite hard to do for a game that’s focused on taking people down with vehicles.

 

The game, developed by Stainless Games, the team behind the first two games, has managed to fund the game’s through a successful Kickstarter campaign. Things actually grew from there, with the team receiving an additional investment of $3.5 million from Bulldog founder Les Edgar for the development of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One releases.

 

Actual details on the game are still scarce at the moment, with the team only providing some short videos. The game is supposed to be released on Steam Early Access during the first quarter of the year, so more details on the game should be revealed very soon.

 

Next Car Game

Next Car Game is the working title for Bugbear‘s next racing title. The team has also developed the FlatOut series as well as the Destruction Derby franchise.

 

The development of Next Car Game has been quite troubled, with a failed Kickstarter campaign that might have prevented the game from ever being released. Luckily, the game has been quite successful on Steam Early Access, pulling around $1 million in only a week. Thanks to this success, the game’s experience will remain as Bugbear intended.

 

From the Early Access footage floating around, it’s pretty clear how Next Car Game retains a lot of features from FlatOut. The demolition elements is as prominent and ever still quite prominent, the game is still a racing game so coming out first is still the only way to win the race.

 

Next Car Game will be launched on PC on a yet to be revealed date; PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are being considered at the moment, but nothing is finalized.