Now that we’re finally moving beyond 2020 (which is one of the worst recorded years in human history), it’s time to get familiar with 2021.
And by the looks of things as far as gaming goes, gamers are in store for some quality releases in the coming months. On the racing side of the spectrum, some big name franchises and entirely new IP’s will be tackling the digital open roads. With last- and current-gen consoles both on the market, there’s a bunch of racing games set to take advantage of the hardware offered by both machines. Gamers were treated to several notable racers in 2020, such as DiRT 5, Hotshot Racing, F1 2020, etc. And now it’s time to go into the new year with a bevy of standout racers to enjoy.
Here is a full list of all the racing games you need to play in 2021.
Taxi Chaos
Developer: Team6 Game Studios
Publisher: GS2 Games
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Release Date: February 23
Crazy Taxi was and forever will be one of Sega’s greatest franchises. The simple joy of picking people up all over a rambunctious city in your cab and delivering them to their desired locations is still worth going back to. Thankfully, a spiritual successor to that amazing IP is arriving and it looks like the Crazy Taxi follow-up everyone has been crying out for. Taxi Chaos sticks to the same “pick up and deliver” mechanics Crazy Taxi is known for. And as you fulfill your assorted taxi cab driver goals, you’ll get your hands on new rides, get acquainted with new drivers, and get to explore a massive city with plenty of traffic to maneuver. Crazy Taxi fans have finally had their prayers answered with this one.
Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame 4
Developer: Milestone S.r.l.
Publisher: Milestone S.r.l.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC (Steam), Google Stadia
Release Date: March 11
It’s time to indulge in another serving of motorbike shenanigans with a new Monster Energy Supercross installment. The fourth game within the series is coming in 2021 and features all the exciting stadium competitions and varied track races fans have come to enjoy. The newest feature coming to this upcoming sequel is a brand new change to the traditional Career Mode. Players can now begin their motorbike journey from the Supercross Futures and make their way up to the 250SX and 450SX leagues. The all new Compound allows for some new free roaming fun, plus the celebrated Track Editor comes back with even more improvements to boot. Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame 4 is upping the ante for its fanbase in a myriad of ways for the new year.
Gran Turismo 7
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform: PS5
Release Date: TBA
Sony’s racing game tour de force is looking to do things real big on PS5. Gran Turismo 7 will retain the celebrated attention to detail the series is known for via a collection of automobiles that look amazingly lifelike. You’ll be able to compete within this sequel’s massive offering of cars in the GT Simulation mode, which is the series’ longtime traditional single-player campaign. Other returning elements include Special Events, Driving School, GT Auto Mode, GT Sport Mode, etc. You’ll feel every bit of feedback from every race thanks to the haptic feedback attached to your DualSense controller, which will bring you even closer to the onscreen wonderment of Gran Turismo 7.
Circuit Superstars
Developer: Original Fire Games
Publisher: Square Enix Collective
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
Release Date: TBA
Square Enix Collective is a new arm within the legendary video game publisher/development company that goes out of its way to bring indie games to a wider audience. This welcome initiative is working closely with the development studio Original Fire Games, which is surprisingly comprised of just six talented individuals. The studio’s passion project is Circuit Superstars, a top-down racer that combines the best elements of arcade-style racing and more simulation-like driving physics. The visuals may be too simple for some, but Circuit Superstars’ well-tuned gameplay and quality tracks should be enough to get racing game fans to give it a look.
KartRider: Drift
Developer: Nexon Korea Corporation
Publisher: Nexon America Inc.
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (Steam)
Release Date: TBA
2019’s Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled gave kart racing fans a quality experience to stay busy with all year and into 2020. Nexon’s about to throw their name into the kart racing hat with their cutesy take on the genre with KartRider: Drift. The game’s big head mode enabled avatars can engage in speed demon races filled with plenty of chances to drift, boost, and take down each other with all sorts of zany items. Like most kart racers, there’s a ton of customization items to acquire and place on your favorite racers. And just like CTR Nitro-Fueled, players can look forward to seasonal updates and even more items to tinker around with over time. By the looks of it, KartRider: Drift could possibly end up being the Xbox brand’s premier kart racer for 2021.
And here’s a few racing games that were released years prior, but are now making their way to certain consoles for the first time in 2021:
• MXGP 2020 (PS5): January 14
• Ride 4 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S): January 21
• DiRT 5 (Google Stadia): TBA
• #DRIVE (Nintendo Switch): TBA
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