Five Racing Titles to Revisit Over the Holidays

It’s that time of year again for race fans. The time when NASCAR teams shut down operations and embrace the few months they have off. The time when F1 has crowned a new champion and put the bow on another season. For racing fans, we know this time of year well, yet it never gets easier to handle. Thankfully for video game racing fans, the wait is a bit easier. While we struggle with the same loss of real-world racing leagues over the winter, we can at least go back and revisit current licensed and associated racing titles that dropped during the previous season.

I often enjoy doing just that during the winter, especially with officially licensed titles since we now know how the real season played out and can see how the game simulates that. With that said, there are five titles that I plan on revisiting and getting some real seat-time with during the long cold winter here in Chicago.

Five Racing Titles To Revisit Over The Holidays

F1 22

F1 22 was my favorite racing title of the year. It simply packs so much into the game that capturing it all in the first go-round is challenging. For starters, the game offers stunning visual fidelity on both PC and console and a deep and immersive career mode. Add an online suite of options that will keep you busy all winter, and it is a racing juggernaut that will force you to find new ways to keep it in the rotation.

New liveries and tracks have also been added since the initial release, and drivers’ stats and attributes have also been updated. Whether this is the first time getting your hands on F1 22 or you’re firing it up again, this game delivers on so many fronts. Even better, F1 22 offers an excellent level of customization that allows veterans to enjoy an authentic F1 experience while keeping the door open for those new to the sport, both in real life and in video games.

Grid Legends

After Grid (2019), my expectations for Legends were muted at best. However, if you read my review for Legends, you know my feelings changed and did so quickly. Legends offers a chaotic and immersive story mode that grabbed me and didn’t let go — so much so that I played through the story twice, which I never do.

Graphically the game is beautiful, and while the physics are arcade-based the racing is fueled by adrenaline, and the damage model is so well done that you don’t mind crashing on occasion. Grid Legends has also continued to offer post-release support with patches and DLC that includes game fixes, new tracks, cars, liveries, and more.

Gran Turismo 7

The Gran Turismo series has always been one that has captured my attention and held it for months, if not years. In my review, I loved what was there initially, but after spending more time with it after writing the review, it wore thin rather quickly due to a lack of online options and the inability to set up private rooms to race with a combination of friends and AI.

Although the process has been slow, Polyphony has done a commendable job releasing new updates and content. You have a healthy number of tracks to race on, a relatively deep story mode that is unique, and the ability to buy new cars, tune cars, and join in on special events that can help fill your garage with some coveted vehicles.

If you haven’t picked up GT7, now is the perfect time during the holiday season to explore all it has to offer, which is a lot at the moment. Plus, Polyphony said they would continue to support the title into the near future. The latest release saw the addition of a few new cars and one of my favorite tracks in Road Atlanta. Now is a great time to revisit GT7 or take it for your first lap around the track.

NASCAR Ignition

NASCAR Ignition stumbled out of the blocks and continued to do so with limited communication and updates early on. I had a lot of problems with the game at launch. I also spoke of the reasons behind this and how it hopefully will be a smoother launch window moving forward with each new iteration.

It makes the list because Motorsport Games has offered some quality DLC, including some solid retro-style paint schemes and current alternate schemes. They have also released the 2022 seasonal update, including new drivers, schedules, and tracks. I am hoping for more out of the sequel to Ignition in the upcoming year, but the updates and new additions warrant another look, especially while NASCAR is on hiatus.

World Of Outlaws: Dirt Racing

World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing is probably the most under-appreciated title on this list, and one of the few games I reviewed that I continued to play well after the review was finished. The game is not only the officially licensed title of the World of Outlaws, but Monster Games also partnered with iRacing to bring a high level of authenticity to the console.

World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing offers a well-designed career mode that sees you trying to rise up the ranks as a driver, team owner, or both. Outside of career mode, it gives you a chance to climb behind the wheel of multiple car types and multiple tracks, many of which are authentic and licensed. It also has a solid online suite of options to keep you busy.

Bottom Line

Obviously, there are so many quality racing titles that I could have mentioned in this list, from Assetto Corsa Competizione to iRacing to MotoGP 22 and more. That said, I felt these five titles offered something unique, were improved upon, or never got the attention they deserved. From deep season modes, career modes, and robust online offerings to unique and beautiful graphics, all five of these racing titles deliver excitement and depth in different ways. The best part is for those who never had the opportunity to try any of the racing titles listed above, many can be found well below the initial retail price or are now included in gaming subscriptions.