The gaming scene currently revolves around a few main genres – Shooters, Racers and Battle Royale. And whilst the latter is a relative newbie to the gaming landscape, only really having appeared over the last couple of years, the racing scene is one that has been around since the dawn of time. 2019 has already provided the opportunity for gamers to embark on a ton of racing careers, with the likes of F1 2019, MXGP 2019, DiRT Rally 2.0 and even the under-the-radar The Grand Tour Game providing plenty of options. But as 2019 begins to settle down into its latter years, there are still a number of delightful looking racers gearing up to release in the next few months. The question is, will they make it big and provide enough style and detail to push right up to some of the best racing games ever created? Join us as we take a look.Â
GRID
Codemasters are quite possibly the kings of racing – at least of the 4-wheeled variety – and even though they’ve already done the business with the brilliant DiRT Rally 2.0 early this year, it is the upcoming reboot of GRID which is the most intriguing.
Promising to be an all-new racing experience that is unlike any other, the new GRID from Codemasters will aim to deliver the same brilliant racing experience that was found in the series before – just this time all updated to come into line with the more modern, 4K, super seamless gaming world.
But what will it bring? Well, the GRID World Series will be the main draw and it is here where you’ll find the biggest and best racing opportunities, taking you through a variety of car classes and some of the most iconic locations across the world.
Whether you are a fan of the series due to what was created before, or are just making your way to the racing grid for the first time, GRID looks to be the game which will deliver.
If you wish to know more about GRID, check out our exclusive interview with the Game Director.
Overpass
Overpass is due to hit Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC in the early months of 2020, and if you would prefer to move away from the staid track racer and take in a bit of offroading, this looks to be the very best bet.
Overpass is a joint collaboration between Bigben and Zordix Racing as it takes you up and down the steepest of slopes, across the dirtiest of wilderness routes and over all manner of both natural and man-made obstacles.
It’s all about the simulation side of things with Overpass and a hugely realistic physics engine will ensure you’ll need your A-game brought to the table if you wish to find any form of success – especially in the deep career mode that will see you utilising the likes of quads and buggies from real-world manufacturers.
A bit of multiplayer madness will also be included and so if you are up for getting down and dirty, Overpass should be considered.
Need For Speed Heat
We’ve had Undercover, Most Wanted, Rivals and even The Run, but it’s been a while since we saw the Need For Speed franchise really hit the highest of highs. With NFS Heat though, EA could well be back onto a winner.
The latest in the longest line of racers, Need For Speed Heat will see you given the chance to finally risk everything, racing by day and competing at night, avoiding the cops and ensuring that you still manage to make a name for yourself in the most intense of street racing communities.
With the usual EA swagger dropped in to everything that Heat holds, expect to find a street racer which plays on the dark racing scene, with events aplenty and a huge array of customisation options in place.
Let us just hope EA nail it with Heat and manage to provide a Need For Speed game that the masses love.
NASCAR Heat 4
It could well be said that the NASCAR series of games has always struggled to relive the real-world scenes that the sport delivers. But with NASCAR Heat 4, hopes are high that fans of NASCAR will be well catered for.
The official game of NASCAR, Heat 4 promises to not just come with a higher level of visuals, but an audio system that has built on everything before it, with a complete and utter overhaul of both aspects. Throw in the chance to enjoy a career mode which is deeper than the games past, new and improved driving control options, a UI that will dynamically change, and the standard NASCAR fare of new paint schemes, and we could finally see a game that will appeal to even non-fans of the motorsport series.
What’s more, the digital game comes complete with a voucher that will see you given $50 off the price of a real-world ticket to the events taking place at tons of speedway tracks throughout the year. What’s not to like about that cross-over!?
Race With Ryan
Okay, I get it – there are many out there who will have absolutely no interest in what Race With Ryan brings. But when you’ve got a YouTube sensation dropping his own fun racing game, it just has to be mentioned.
And if you liked either the excellent Crash Team Racing: Nitro Refueled or the nearly as great Team Sonic Racing, this is another to add to the karting list.
27 million odd YouTube subscribers means there is a massive draw from Ryan, and in Race With Ryan you’ll be able to race with Ryan and all the Ryan’s World friends.
Fast, fun, colourful and ensuring that Ryan’s World really comes to life, this kart racer will no doubt appeal to the younger gamers more than the hardcore veterans. But with a career mode, 2-4 player split-screen options, and a ton of favourites from Ryan’s YouTube community added in, for something a little different to the normal racers, it may well just about suffice.
So, there we have it – some of the most interesting racers that are due to drop onto console in the next few months, most of which will be later on in 2019. Which of these games are you looking forward to playing? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the little section down below.
