To see the full list, visit our ranking of the best Xbox One racing games ever released.
10. Redout: Lightspeed Edition
For racing games, speed and sights are the name of the game. Thankfully, you'll get both in this fast-paced and futuristic racer from developer 34BigThings.
What veteran racing fans might notice is the game's obvious inspiration from classics WipeOut and F-Zero. And, that's mainly where Redout succeeds: not just bringing back the thrills of gravity-defying racing but split-screen multiplayer too. Getting mostly 7's and 8s though, Redout clearly isn't perfect. The game received its lowest score of 6.50 from french game review site JeuxActu. They described it as a success in terms of content and controls.
However, it stopped short of becoming a worthy wipeout successor because of its not-so challenging AI, lackluster graphics, and frame-rate issues, among others. These frame-rate issues were echoed by ZTGD. But, despite that, and not being too innovative, Redout for them remained a slick and beautiful racer.
It has a playscore of 7.73.
9. DiRT Rally 2.0
Codemasters is back with the second installment of their critically acclaimed rally racer. Their first game was quite a hurdle to surpass, but it looks like they did the job.
Being the official FIA World Championship game, Dirt Rally 2.0 lets you ride across official tracks in six different, real-like locations. As usual, it was a hit among critics who appreciated the brutal difficulty that it offers.
AusGamers called it a hardcore rally simulator. Although it might not appeal to all racing fans, its car handling, physics and visuals contribute to an overall positive experience. Game Grin, on the other hand, considered it the Dirt 4 successor we never had, giving a score of 9/10 despite having to pay for "new" old tracks.
Maybe this is the reason why Dirt Rally 2.0 got significantly lower user ratings--something that’s emerging as a pattern in the Dirt Rally series. All in all, it receives a more than decent playscore of 7.76.
8. Wreckfest
THQ Nordic's demolition derby game is a total feast for your combo cravings of racing and destruction. This isn't the first of its kind by any standards.
There's been Twisted Metal, and the more recent FlatOut series which is Wreckfest's proud spiritual predecessor. Powered by sophisticated driving dynamics and realistic physics, it’s the ultimate vehicular carnage experience. But, in a market saturated with racing simulations, Wreckfest's dedication to the absurd also stands out.
That's exactly what GameSpew points out in their recent review. It's an oddity that sticks out like a sore thumb and delivers an aggressively fun racing experience too.
There aren't any licenses here because you won't need them in an arena with absolutely zero rules. The only thing to do is to make it to the finish line, no matter what it takes. Let's listen to IGN and toss out our rulebooks and get down to some actual action with a playscore of 7.77.
7. DiRT 4
Sure, Dirt Rally 2.0 might be the sequel we never had to some people, but now that the jury is out, it looks like Dirt 4 remains as Codemaster's leading rally racer on the consoles.
It was also released after the Dirt Rally, and is considered the 12th entry in the Colin McCrae series. While it left out Rally in their title, Dirt 4 is considered by many as this generation's quintessential rally racer.
According to IGN, Codemaster's Dirt 4 is "Accessible yet tough and grimy yet gorgeous." Aside from hitting the racing simulation sweet spot of tough but enjoyable, Dirt 4's game modes have also been praised. Perhaps a little too detailed for some like ZTGD's Ken Mckown, Dirt 4's career mode, in particular, earned cheers from critics and gamers for the freedom it provides.
Just like Codemasters' other games though, it has also earned mostly decent scores from users despite being critically acclaimed.
It has a playscore of 7.85
6. Skylanders: SuperChargers
To real-life cars turned digital, we take a detour towards real-life toys. Famous for breathing new life into their plastic toys, Skylanders explores the joys of vehicular action in their fifth installment. Make your return to the ever endangered Skylands and protect it once again from the perils of Kaos' evil plans.
As far as critic reviews are concerned, Superchargers seems to have the most polarized, with some as low as 6s to as high as 8.90.
For COGConnected, the franchise takes a giant leap with Superchargers. Its showered with innovations in terms of new characters, vehicles, and a massive 52-chapter campaign. On the other end of the spectrum, there's Pure Xbox with this gem. At least it had some success on the user's side, garnering a 9.20 from users on the Amazon website.
Whatever your take on the toy-to-life phenomenon, Vicarious Visions' Skylanders Superchargers has earned its place on the list with a total playscore of 7.91.
5. Cars 3: Driven to Win
What began as a simple tie-in to the Cars third movie title, has taken on a life of its own and earned the respect of gamers on the Xbox One. It's set immediately after the events of the film and expands on the rivalry between Lightning McQueen and his smooth-talking rival, Cruz Ramirez. For this title in our list, the divide between critic and gamer ratings is made even clearer.
With a total critic rating of 7.08, the consensus seems to be that Avalanche Software's Cars 3 is "not a bad game."
That it offers decent family-friendly entertainment, thanks to its decidedly quirky source material and its co-op multiplayer.
Some like COGconnected wished it would've stuck to the atmosphere of the film, while Game Reactor hoped it stretched the scope to whole franchise.
On the other hand, with user ratings of 8s and 9s, the audience definitely wasn't complaining and it gets a total playscore of 7.93.
4. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Well if you guys wanted a cross between quirky yet complex, you can't go wrong with this remake of Crash Bandicoot's racing spinoff.
Obviously inspired by Nintendo's Mario Kart series, Crash Team racing definitely carved its own name in the genre, to the point of becoming second to, if not THE king of Kart racing.
It first appeared on the PlayStation 1 in the hands of Naughty Dog Studios. With this remake, Beenox proves they're the right fit for the makeover.
ZTGD weighs in again, praising the game's technical flourishes that make it feel like a brand new title. Game Skinny also gave the game a score of 8, pointing out how it builds upon the features of the classic. However, it also passes on some of its kinks to the newer gen which may mean a steeper learning curve.
On the user side, Crash Team Racing received an outstandingly low score from GameFaqs which contributed to its less than stellar performance. It has a playscore of 7.98.
3. F1 2016
In a list packed with the latest racing titles, F1 2016 is the sole outlier. Released in the wake of a seemingly rushed F1 2015, Codemaster's next installment turned out to be their return to form.
It's filled with landmark new features, important updates on online lobbies, and the awaited return of their single-player career mode.
It was perhaps this impression of newness that allowed it to surpass the series' later titles that only built upon what 2016 provided. Looking at the critic reviews of later titles, F1 2016 received the lower end of the stick with most ratings ranging from 8s to 8.5s. But, it won by a landslide with its users, receiving a whopping 9 from Microsoft from reviewers.
In its time, it was a treasure trove of formula one immersion. 2016 may have been a long time ago, but this game remains close to racers hearts with a playscore of 8.36.
2. Forza Motorsport 7
When it comes to racing games on the Microsoft console, you can't forget the Forza series. With every new installment, Turn 10 Studios offers a jaw-dropping racing experience.
Motorsport 7 combines their talents with the breathtaking sights that only 4K and HDR support can give. But other than the surface level excitement that is their graphical ingenuity, this latest installment in the subseries is as much a technical marvel. Polygon says the same.
Surely enough for Motorsport 7, content is key. Its palette of different cars, numbers to up 700, each seemingly more drool-worthy when driven along with its generous selection of over 30 tracks.
Even judged before the arrival of features like events, leagues, and auction houses, the game was already packed to the brim with the delicious essentials of online matches, campaign modes and all the tools to customize your growing collection. If Games Radar is to be believed, it's THE serious racing game on the current-gen, and it has a playscore of 9.06.
1. Forza Horizon 4
Sure, we've had Motorsport 7, but Microsoft still tops this racing list with their finest Forza title yet. Between the two subseries, Horizons is Forza at its most versatile. It provides racing enthusiasts with a haven for arcade enjoyment and the simple joys of driving in its vast open-world environment of a fictionalized Great Britain.
It might not be a massive leap from the beauty that was Forza Horizon 3, what sets this game is the freedom that lies at the heart of it.
That was definitely true for Game Revolution who gave the game a 9 out of 10. He also added that with Horizon 4's broad appeal and variety is what won over the general audience.
Game Informer agrees. "Depending on your focus of play, you can turn it into a difficult game of precision that requires proper vehicle tuning, or a light arcade experience of tearing across Great Britain with no cares in the world." A general yet genuine racing experience, it has a playscore of 9.24.