Getting on a motorcycle and hitting the streets in real life can be exciting, but there are certain things you can only do in video games if you really want to fulfill all of your racing fantasies.
Tons of games have focused on competitive motorsport over the years, here’s a look at some of the best examples ever published, from retro classics to modern masterpieces.
Street rash
In the early 1990s, the video game industry was much more primitive than it is today, and it was still an era when publications could shock mainstream audiences for their audacity and violence.
Road Rash took advantage of this with its intoxicating mix of fast-paced motorcycle action and brutal opponent-bashing combat.
Its success has spawned a number of sequels and while it is now a franchise that sleeps rather than dominates the modern scene, its legacy lives on in many 21st century racing titles.
MotoGP 20th
The long-running, officially approved MotoGP video game series has established itself as one of the best full-blown simulators for this motorsport niche. The latest annual update brings a host of brilliant features with it and is available on almost every platform imaginable, from the low-power Nintendo Switch to the cloud-based game streaming service Stadia.
With graphics that come close to photorealism, a rich career mode that will keep you playing for hours, and tons of tiny details like wear and tear on tires, brakes, and other components, it will captivate hardcore fans.
It even has a management mode aimed at players who want an even deeper, more tactical experience. If you like strategy games or keep an eye on the Casumo odds to see how different drivers and teams are likely to perform this season, then this element could be another selling point for MotoGP 20.
Exams rise
The original Trials game was a browser-based experience that began around the turn of the millennium, but over the years it has become an extremely popular series of titles for PC and console, featuring a combination of speed-based racing combined with movement and physics-based puzzles.
Trials Rising is the newest and greatest, and while it tries not to be realism, it is all the better for its quirky sense of humor and the sheer satisfaction that comes with tackling the increasingly steep challenges of the various routes.
Grand Theft Auto V.
Buried in the extensive features of this open world action crime role-playing game has to offer is a surprisingly extensive competitive racing mode that is particularly easy to enjoy while playing online.
Not only can you compete against a myriad of other players from around the world on superbikes, dirt bikes, and even push bikes, but there are tons of other vehicles to jump aboard, from sports cars to jet fighter jets and more. It also features a cavalcade of crazy tracks with player-created content that helps keep things fresh.
As with Trials Rising, there isn’t a lot of realism associated with the racing parts of GTAV, but that doesn’t detract from the fun.
Burnout paradise
Now is a good time to get started Burnout paradise, as it has just been re-released in a remastered form and has plenty of racing-oriented entertainment in its sprawling urban setting.
Taking part in its arcade-style races on motorcycles is only one option, as there is an abundance of four-wheeled vehicles to choose from too. A combination of varied events, crisp graphics and pure adrenaline action is enough to make this game a place on the list.