Want a "different" racing game, recommendations, anyone? (1 Viewer)

[Chris Rock]

I don't really get into games like GT3 and Sega GT. I have NFS HP2 on my PS2 and I love it. I've previously enjoyed games like Jet Moto and Jet Moto 2 on the PS. Wipeout was pretty cool, too. I also like Rally Racing games, but sometimes find them to be really difficult, with too much locked away at the beginning, preventing me from having fun with friends in 2P mode. Too bad there aren't "unlock" codes in every game.

Can anyone recommend racing some racing games that are "different" in some way, like you're not racing cars necessarily, or you're racing in space or something like that? Above all, the game needs to be fun. I don't want to be required to be a professional driver or mechanic to have fun with it. I also don't want to have to do "tricks" to get to the next level. Enough of that already.

How's Quantum Redshift? I noticed IGN scored it rather Mediocre-ly, but I watched a video review of it on G4TV a couple days ago and it looked like it would be pretty cool.

I have PS2, XBox, PC, GameCube, and DC (though I rarely play DC anymore).

 

[MancusoB]

I liked Wipeout Fusion for the PS2 a lot.

If you like more arcade style racing, Midnight Club and Smugglers Run are a lot of fun, especially with 2 players playing Capture The Flag. I think they're both Greatest Hits, now, so they can be had for cheap.

 

[Mark Evans]

I haven't played WaveRace on the Cube, though I've heard it's quite fun and I intend to get it myself at some point in the future, so I'll let you know then :p).

I personally would recommend SSX Tricky. Don't let the Tricky part fool you . Seriously, I don't even like snowboarding, but I just love this game. It's fast, frenetic, and fun! My second favorite EA Sports title after four-player NHL.

The only thing completing the trick books is used for in SSX is to unlock optional outfit changes. But it is entirely possible to get sucked into that whole thing. And on the course you use tricks to build up your boost meter to race faster, but the races are almost all about speed and the trick part only compliments that.

I'd give it a rent. It takes a bit to get used to the controls, but if you can get the hang of it it's a real blast.

 

[Scott L]

I like these:

Extreme-G 1 & 3
Cruis'n Series
San Francisco Rush 2049
SSX

More of an arcade-type racer here, although I do consider GT3 the best racer yet.

 

[Dan B]

The Rainbow Studios developed games are a nice fun change of pace from the traditional car racer. They do somewhat involve tricks, though...and you said you didn't like that. Their games include Splashdown (sequel coming) and the recent ATV Offroad Fury 2.

EA Sports Big has a rally racing game for the PS2 also...Shox. From what I've heard/read it's not on par with the SSX series, but maybe someone here who has played it can offer their opinions. Not sure if it's even out yet...I saw a preview on Extended Play. And the Freakstyle motorcycle game as well...

There are also some fans here of Burnout 2 for the PS2.

Maybe the Smuggler's Run offroad racing games?

I'm sure I'm forgetting many "different" driving games, esp. on the PS2. (which I don't own)

 

[David Rogers]

Wipeout Fusion was okay, but definitely *not* anywhere near the classics Wipeout or Wipeout XL were.

Extreme G Racing (grav cycles) plays very similarily to the first two Wipeouts. Circuit racing with non varying tracks, each circuit increasing the number of laps and average speed of the field (and your bike). Still the best racer OTM ATM IMOFO.

 

[Chris Rock]

Ah, yes, SSX Tricky. I actually owned that for my XBox and subsequently traded it in after being unable to complete the Alaska Level at a Gold level after 5,648,443,173,902 tries (give or take a few). In hindsight, I should have kept it, because I've wanted to give it a try again.

 

[Dan B]

Oh, I forgot to mention the World of Outlaws Sprint Car game for the PS2. I'm a big fan of the developer, Ratbag...I wish they'd do a next-gen sequel for Powerslide. That game was damn fun online.

 

[JoshF]

Rumble Racing for PS2 is pretty fun. Lots of powerups, weapons, and great arcade racing controls. This one is a diamond in the rough, may be hard to find.

You might also want to check out the newer Star Wars Pod Racing game for PS2. Pretty fun.

 

[Masood Ali]

I actually liked Quantum Redshift a lot, save for one point: the sound effects and music. I was very fond of the Wipeout series on the PS1, and those games always had great music and the sound effects really conveyed a sense of speed (the engine sounds and the sound of stuff flying by).

Quantum Redshift is fundamentally an excellent racer, with great graphics, a good powerup system, and good (if not different) track design. But I'd definitely rip some Wipeout music onto my Xbox HD and turn up the bass to compensate for the lack of LFE effects in Quantum Redshift.

 

[EdR]

Oh, I forgot to mention the World of Outlaws Sprint Car game for the PS2.

Absolutely! Really good game. Really damn hard though, IMO. It's one of those games that I get so involved in, it makes me tense up so much that I'm sore after playing it...but it's hard to stop because it's so fun!

 

[David Broome]

I loved Quantum Redshift. Pick it up, especially if you can find it on sale. FYI, I also liked Pod Racer on my PC, to give you a reference point...

 

[Chris Rock]

I may pick up Quantum Redshift tonight, I see it's ~$17.99 for a used copy. Oh, and I can get a whopping $1.79 off using my Gamespot card. Not bad at all.

I'll also look for Rumble Racing - that sounds good, too.

 

[BrianB]

Splashdown on the PS2/Xbox is good fun. Jetski racing, but different in feel to WaveRace. Track design is nice, graphics are nice, feel of the jetskis is nice. It has a trick system that is largely irrelevant - it's nothing close to SSX Tricky or Tony Hawk.

It should be pretty cheap to pick up. I've had a lot of fun with it.

 

[Allen_Appel]

The Dreamcast had a lot of more "arcade-y" car and other vehicle racing games: Crazy Taxi, Demolition Racer, Hydro Thunder, Space Race, Wacky Races, Speed Devils, Metropolis Street Racer, POD Speedzone, Re-Volt, Vanishing Point. Plus, they're cheap.

 

[Daren Welsh]

If you're into motorcycles, give MotoGP a shot. I've got the online demo and the retail copy for Xbox and it's just plain _great_.

I'll also throw out the idea of Burnout. While it's not a very detailed racing game, the blurring effect and driving into oncoming traffic makes it a real heart-stopper.

 

[Tony-B]

Try out Kinetica on PS2. The demo was pretty dang neat.

 

[Joseph Young]

The Dreamcast had a lot of more "arcade-y" car and other vehicle racing games: Crazy Taxi, Demolition Racer, Hydro Thunder, Space Race, Wacky Races, Speed Devils, Metropolis Street Racer, POD Speedzone, Re-Volt, Vanishing Point.

All excellent recommendations. The Thunder series (Hydro, 4 Wheel) is really fun despite being unbelievably difficult. Space Race is another fun one, kind of like Mario Kart with Looney Tunes (it's $12 at my local Gamestop).

But Metropolis Street Racer is a phenomenal racer. Just phenomenal.

Chris, when it comes to racers, I am in the same boat as you. These long 'car simulation management' behemoths just aren't interesting to me. I've only sold a handful of video games in my life, and Gran Turismo 3 was one of them.

However, MSR (Dreamcast) or Project Gotham (Xbox) are excellent games. True, you have to do 'tricks' to advance, but it basically involves learning how to powerslide around corners (or in straightaways, as I did). The Kudos system, on paper, sounds really cumbersome and frustrating. And it can be. But if you can get past it and start learning the intricacies of the driving control, this game is rewarding as all hell and very much worth the $$. Probably the best racing game I've ever played in my life.

~j

 

[Kenneth Cummings]

Strange, nobody suggested F-Zero to this man. It is a different kind of racer that takes place in space. There games of it from the SNES, GBA, and N64. Coming soon to the acrade and GameCube is the next F-Zero which looks VERY good.

 

[JamesH]

I'm a huge fan of Project Gotham and could spend several posts expounding on its virtues, but it doesn't seem like something the OP would be interested in.

Instead, I give my personal recommendation to Rush 2049 on the Dreamcast, or the earlier Rush games on N64. They are truly the cream of the crop when it comes to arcade racing. Hopefully it won't be too long before we see a next gen Rush game on a high powered system like the Xbox.

I can also recommend Burnout 2, which is a blast to play with a force feedback wheel.

However, I must DE-recommend Wave Race Blue Storm. Not only is it one of the worst racing games I've played, I'd also consider it to be probably the worst next-gen game I've owned(speaking from 40PS2 games, 20 Xbox games, and 12 GC games). The graphics are BARELY better than the N64 waverace, even on a HDTV, and they've somehow managed to take a game that used to play well and ruin it, both in handling and game balance.