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What are the best offroad racing games on PS4?

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Jul 19, 2018

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4 Games Considered

Best offroad racing games on PS4	Price	Steam Rating	Platforms
-- Trackmania Turbo	$39.99	Mixed	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
-- DiRT 4	$59.99	Mixed	Mixed
-- WRC 7	$49.99	–	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
-- The Crew 2	$59.99	Mixed	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows

Trackmania Turbo

Top Pro

Simple in nature but focused in design

The looks, as well as the gameplay, may be seen as a bit simple, but this all plays into the core of the game. Trackmania is designed to do one thing, and one thing well, race time trials. So while it does not feature over-complex customizations or graphical effects, its track design and overly fun gameplay are what makes the whole thing stand out. This all means that the game is easy to grasp so that anyone can understand how to play. Of course this does not mean the game is easy, the difficulty is quite challenging, which just adds to the charm and overall appeal. See More

Top Con

Can be excruciatingly difficult

This is a time trial game and it shows, players will need to reset after reset each course in order to learn the track to get the best times. One mistake and that record is gone. Only pure perfection succeeds here. Some may enjoy this type of challenge, other though will most likely get frustrated. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

Co-Op:2 Player Local

Top Pro

Over the top track design keeps the gameplay exciting

Cars dropped from a helicopter to begin a race, tracks with numerous loops, jumps, twist and turns, this all lends itself towards how over the top the gameplay is. It is not based in reality at all, but the game offers a bunch of arcade-crazy action that is just superbly fun. See More

Top Con

Music is a bit "samey", which can get old

The music in the game is basically techno with thumping beats. The majority sounds pretty similar and it may become grating for those that spend a ton of time in the game. While not overly bad, it definitely gets old after a while. See More

Top Pro

Local and online multiplayer allows the game to be accessible no matter the preferred way to play

There is split screen local multiplayer as well as online multiplayer. Both of these allow players to play with their friends whether they are in the same room or online somewhere else. This makes for convenience, which is always nice to see. See More

Top Con

Basic looking cars are boring

There is not much to differentiate between cars, while not really the focus of the game, having a few more unique looking cars could not hurt. See More

Top Pro

Crisp and clean visuals make for a very arcade-like feel

The graphics have a very arcade-like feel to them that stands out as something that has been designed with this in mind. The colors are bright and the tracks each have their own look, thanks to the locales they are placed in. The whole of the game will run easily at 60fps no matter the platform, which helps to keep the arcade-like feel while also looking sharp, thanks to no dips in the framerate. Overall this is a slick looking racer that performs solidly. See More

Top Pro

Robust track creator extends the gameplay

The track creator in the game allows for creation of just about anything one can imagine. What is even better is that players can share these tracks online, which means unlimited replayability due to always having a plethora of new tracks to race on. See More

Top Pro

Cars can be easily customized to your liking

While not necessary for the game and a bit limited, there are some painting customization for the available cars, which allow for a more individualistic look, though this only goes so far as most cars do look the same no matter the color. See More

DiRT 4

Top Pro

You can share custom tracks

If you create a custom track that you enjoy, or rather, if the game generates a custom track that you particularly enjoy, you can save it and even share it with friends who own the game. See More

Top Con

Visuals lack a little sharpness

Some of the visuals lack a bit of sharpness found in other racing games. Especially shadows which appear a bit blocky. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

Top Pro

Great visuals

Even though they could stand to be a little sharper, the visuals are very detailed. You can easily see and make out in detail the leaves as they rise above the ground once you pass on them, or the mud caked on the car you are driving. The water visual effects are phenomenal as well. Especially the splash effects. See More

Top Con

Some car categories are not that well-covered

While certain car categories and eras are well-covered with lots of different models, some eras are left behind. The 2000s for example are represented by only a handful of car models. See More

Top Pro

Brilliant sound effects

The sound effects are brilliant as well. From the buzzing sounds coming from the cars to the nature sounds coming from the track you are currently racing. See More

Top Pro

Great variety of terrains available

Races take part in five different countries around the world: USA, Australia, Spain, Sweden and Wales. Each of them with unique features and demands. Australia for example is gravel-based with tight zones and twists. Spain is mountainous with little margin for error. See More

Top Pro

Lets you micromanage your career and facilities

In career mode you can spend earned credits on improving your facilities and as a result the effectiveness of your engineers. You also get to micromanage your career, especially when it comes to sponsorship deals where you will constantly try to find better and better deals to increase your earnings. See More

Top Pro

Virtually endless replayability

Stages are procedurally generated as you go. This means that Dirt 4 has virtually endless replayability. The custom stage creator called 'Your Stage' is fairly simple to use. You choose only the length and the complexity of the stage and on which country your race will take place. There are five countries to choose from: Australia, USA, Spain, Sweden and Wales. See More

WRC 7

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Top Pro

Responsive controls on a wheel or game pad

Since this is a racing game that requires precision, it's great that the controls are reliable. You'll feel the feedback best from a peripheral wheel as you slow down to make a tough turn, as well as your wheels crackling against the gravel on the road. The rumble options with controllers are also great at simulating the same effects, and you can switch between the analog or directional buttons depending on whatever's most efficient for you. See More

Top Con

Career mode only has a few cars to choose from

Car selection in the career mode is really limited, only letting you choose from about five different cars. It's okay as an introduction to the game, but the lack of variety might be off-putting for some. See More

Specs

Top Pro

Different tracks give opportunities to change up your car

Tracks with different weather and lengths are more like active features in WRC 7, letting you adapt to the changes while you prepare for the race. You can switch to your snow tires for winter races for better traction and control. When it's raining, you'll want to go for soft tires instead to keep your car from sliding around on turns. You can experiment with hard and soft tires depending on how long a track is, if there are asphalt roads or dirt roads, and all kinds of other variations. It's up to you to figure out what works best and prepare your car for any situation. See More

Top Con

Not many chances to drive at full-speed

WRC 7 has tracks that challenge you to drive with more caution and avoid flying off the road. You can drive fast from time to time, but you won't be going at full speed all that often, or else you risk losing too much time. If you're looking for more of an arcade racer, this may not be the game for you. See More

Top Pro

Difficult but rewarding long-form race mode

WRC 7 has Epic Stages, which are much longer forms of existing tracks. In these races, you'll be challenged to drive your best for up to fifteen minutes or more while shooting for the lowest time possible. You'll have to learn these tracks perfectly if you want to clear them. Any time you veer off the road or make a wrong calculation on a turn, it'll cost you time that you won't want to waste. It'll be tough, but plenty of practice, you'll be able to win these epic races, giving you an incredible sense of accomplishment. See More

Top Pro

Challenging off-road races

Driving in WRC 7 is more careful and methodical than most racing games, testing how well you can adapt to sudden turns and slowdowns on off-road tracks. Some stages have you driving up winding mountain roads with no rails, leaving you open to flying off the edge of a cliff if you're not careful. At other times, you'll be tempted to go as fast as you can through a scenic village, only to run over an unexpected dip in the road and spinning your car into a barrel roll. You want to be careful when driving, because if you try to floor the gas pedal, it'll probably send your car tumbling into a ditch off the side of the road or crashing into a tree. If you want a racing game that challenges you to be alert, then this is the one for you. See More

The Crew 2

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Top Pro

Easy to join races just about anywhere

Jumping into a race is simple and fast. All you have to do is pick which city you want to race in, and you can find a match within a short time. The Crew 2 is great for dropping in for a quick run and then dropping out whenever you want. See More

Top Con

The world is barren and empty

Even though the open world is massive, most of it is wasted space. The cities you drive around don't feel lived-in, as if they only exist for cars, boats, and planes instead of actual people. It's just a nice copy of the US without any recreation of the history and culture of the locations, serving as empty sandboxes for gameplay. Having more detail and fine touches throughout the maps would have gone a long way to make these places feel more meaningful and worthwhile. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

Genre:Racing, Multiplayer

Top Pro

Huge map of the United States to race around

The Crew 2 features a giant open world set in major cities across the US. Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, and more are here for you to drive around in during races and free exploration. The cities are all true-to-life recreations of the actual locations, with recognizable landmarks and buildings. You can go anywhere you want within the available locales, driving around, joining races, and making your own fun along the way. See More

Top Con

Online-only means you need to have a good connection to play

The Crew 2 is always-online, which means you need a solid internet connection in order to play. If you don't have stable internet, then you're probably better off not purchasing the game, since your performance during races depends on how well your connection holds up. If you're constantly lagging and/or rubberbanding, then you're going to have a bad time. See More

Top Pro

Slick and clean visuals

Everything looks nice and polished. Paint on your vehicles gleam in the sunlight, the weather is realistic, and the locations you race around in all look amazing. While character models in story cutscenes aren't as well-done, they're still fine. The devs did a great job at making the game pleasing to the eye. See More

Top Con

Thin story

There's not much of a narrative here. Basically, it's up to you to win races and gain social media followers for fame. The story doesn't even try to pull you in, and it knows that it's less important than the gameplay. So if you're looking for even a halfway decent plot in a game, you won't find one here. See More

Top Pro

You can switch freely between driving a car, a speed boat, and a plane

The best part about The Crew 2 is getting to change your vehicle type on-the-fly. While racing around on the road with a normal race car, for example, if you go flying off of a ramp at high speed over a lake, you can switch to your speed boat with a few simple button presses. Then, while zipping through the water, when you're about to reach land, you can change to your plane and fly for as long as you want. When you find a street to land on, you can go back to your car. It's a fun and innovative concept that lets you cross stretches of land in different ways. See More

Top Con

Plane and boat racing aren't that enjoyable

Compared to the arcadey fun of driving cars and bikes on roads, steering speed boats in the water and planes in the air isn't as engaging. Races by boats are pretty boring, where you just go from point A to B with only a few turns to make. The flying controls are imprecise, like how the game sometimes doesn't register when you correctly pull off a loop or barrel roll, and you end up not getting points for them. It's a cool concept to switch between three methods of racing, but it's obvious that the devs didn't spend as much time refining these two. See More

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