Whether you’re after super realistic sim-racing, pick-up-and-play arcade action, or brilliantly intuitive mobile games, 2020 is set to deliver everything you need for your racing game fix. Here, we’ve picked (in no particular order) 10 of the best racing titles you can play this year. It’s time to buckle up!
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1. Dirt Bike Unchained
What happens when you take the addictive story mode and progression of the hit Bike Unchained series, strap on an engine and drive off a cliff? Why, you get the adrenaline-pumping action of Dirt Bike Unchained, which recreates the thrill of offroad using nothing more than a touchscreen. Can you make it through the series of increasingly challenging courses, unlock all the gear and earn your very own RedBull helmet? Released just a few weeks ago, Dirt Bike Unchained has already stormed up the charts, and is one of the most exciting free to play mobile games around – get it now on iOS and Android.
2. GRID (Season 3)
GRID roared back onto screens in 2019 and came with a boot-load of incredible features, a cheerfully adaptable experience suited to both realism-obsessed sim-racers and speed junkie arcade fans and with enough depth to keep you returning for months on end. And while the package delivered by Codemasters was already generous, GRID has only grown bigger with this year’s Season 2 and Season 3 updates, wrapping up new cars, iconic tracks (including Season 2’s introduction of the RedBull Ring), and brand new features for you to sink your teeth into. A brilliant game made better in 2020, GRID deserves its place on this list.
3. F1 2020
Arriving on July 10, the next instalment of Codemasters’ long running, much-loved racing series will no doubt deliver what it always does – a brutal, brilliantly realistic sim-racing experience. With F1 2019 representing a new high watermark for the series, 2020 will have to make some serious tweaks under the hood if it’s to better its predecessor. Thankfully, it looks like Codemasters have done just that – including the typical additions of new cars, tracks and visual upgrades, while also offering incredible-looking new modes to offer an even deeper experience.
My Team is the headline act, giving players the chance to enter their team into the Formula 1 World Championship, managing the running of the team and producing the results out on the track. The game also pays tribute to one of the sport’s luminaries, Michael Schumacher, with the upcoming Deluxe Schumacher Edition bringing some of the legend’s most iconic cars, suits and more to what is already sure to be one of the most comprehensive sim-racers around. If you want brilliance and bang for your buck in equal measure, keep an eye out for F1 2020.
4. DiRT 5
The superb rally series DiRT is getting its fifth instalment, hitting current and, in exciting news, next-gen consoles this year. For anyone who’s played a DiRT game before, expectations will be high that DiRT 5 continues the series’ brilliant marriage of detail-focussed realism and arcade-y racing. For anyone who hasn’t played a DiRT game before – well, you’re in for a treat.
With stunning visuals set to be even more eye-popping on next-gen, an emphasis on building what’s being referred to as an ‘amplified off-road world’, and a career mode that promises great depth as well as the appearance of voice acting legends Troy Baker and Nolan North, it seems everything is in place to ensure DiRT 5 claims its place at the top of the podium of rally titles.
5. WRC 9
Get hyped: rally racing is about to get even more realistic with the announcement of one of the first racing games for the next generation of consoles. WRC 9 will bring not only better graphics, but several all-new courses, including Kenya, New Zealand and Japan from the official 2020 WRC calendar. It’s set to launch on September 3, 2020 for existing platforms and is confirmed for release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at a later date.
6. Dirt Rally 2.0 (Colin McRae: FLAT OUT Pack)
Released last year, DiRT Rally 2.0 was immediately hailed as one of the best rally and indeed racing games around. The stunning sim is unapologetically difficult, but rewards players who learn the skills required to master its array of brutal tracks with a superbly rich experience that makes the occasional tantrum worth it. Now, Codemasters has brought the incredible new Colin McRae: FLAT OUT Pack to DiRT Rally 2.0, delivering a DLC to mark the 25-year anniversary of the legendary Scot’s championship.
Giving fans an opportunity to relive 40 of McRae's most memorable racing moments, an entirely new location and two of his iconic cars, the pack is a fitting tribute to one of the sport’s greatest, and has made an already fantastic game even better.
7. Overpass
We’re a sucker for a racing game that rips up convention and Overpass is anything but conventional. This ATV off-road racer is as much puzzle as sports sim and you’ll need to use your wits to get across the challenging terrain as fast as possible. Often, the key is precision handling, not flooring it, which provides hours of depth and gameplay – as does the fact that there are no demarcated tracks. Charting a path is entirely up to you, so relish it.
8. Mario Kart Tour
Nintendo’s eponymous kart racer hardly needs any introduction, but if you’ve only ever blasted your friends with green shells at home on a Nintendo console, we’ve got news for you: you can now play Mario Kart on your Android device or iPhone at any time, wherever you are. The touchscreen controls and Nintendo’s superb polish combine to make one addictive time sink, one that’s only improving over time, with the addition of features like online multiplayer and new characters appearing in the roster every month. What are you still waiting for?
9. MotoGP™ 20
Italian developers Milestone have seemingly got the bike racing sim down to a fine art. Each entry in the long-running series seems to better the last for detail, realism and features, so it should come as no surprise that the latest iteration is no exception. Absolutely a title for petrolheads, MotoGP™ 20 throws players in the deep end with reams of stats, riders, customisation options and more – and while this can seem overwhelming to start, it’s clear that Milestone is intent on delivering as authentic an experience as possible.
On the track, this authenticity comes to life and the high-octane action will thrill the sport’s fans and non-fans alike, even if the difficulty can sometimes be uncompromising. Meanwhile, a glut of modes, including the excellent Historic Mode – throwing you into famous racing scenarios that change every day – ensures you’ll be busy until MotoGP™ 21. If you want a quick pick-up-and-play arcade experience, this may not be the game for you. If you want to feel every inch of the tarmac slide beneath you, with your wits and nerves tested at every corner, then rev up with MotoGP™ 20.
10. TT Isle of Man: Ride On The Edge 2
The legendary Manx course has been recreated in all its glory in Kylotonn’s latest two-wheeled outing, letting you tear it up on country roads with spectacular views of the Irish Sea providing the backdrop. We don’t see too many home console motorbike games away from the MotoGP circuit these days, so a new addition is always welcome, especially one with a massive free roam option and a baked-in career mode. Better still, it’s available on Nintendo Switch as well as PS4, Xbox One and PC, so you can play it anywhere.
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