The most added-to racing game of all time
586493
In addition to a previous reviewer's note that there is a force-feedback patch out for "GPL" (which provides the best feedback you'll find anywhere), it should be noted that there's also a Direct3D patch, so every 3D accelerator card can be used now with the right patches from the web site of the game's developers, Papyrus.
Patches also exist to allow GPL to be used with the Act-Labs gated shifter unit. That company even produced a standalone shifter specifically to meet the demand of people who used other brands of steering wheels for GPL. They're also currently producing a standalone three-pedal unit for the same reasons, since GPL has a fully working clutch but no one had mass-produced the hardware to support it yet. Can you think of any other single game of any type that has been a significant influence for a hardware company to design controllers for it? This gives you an idea of how GPL makes people addicted to realism.
While you're getting patches, there are simply tons of third-party add-ons for this sim. There are as many new historic tracks out now as came with the game (e.g., Snetterton, Solitude, Crystal Palace, Goodwood, Bremgarten, Anderstorp, Keimola, Croft, Clermont-Ferrand) with several more in development. There are new car graphics, new track graphics, new car shapes (turn those fictional Coventry and Murasama cars into the real Cooper and Honda, and add 3D wheel shapes to all the cars). You can even run a patch that will allow a unique sound for each car, and there are several much better sounds available -- some, like ones I've made, come from actual recordings of the real cars.
Out of the box, GPL is quite dated (it was released in 1998). But with the official patches and the best of the third-party updates, it is transformed into something that looks like it came out today. It's just terribly unfortunate that its difficulty (hey, there's a reason only a handful of people could properly race these cars in real life) and its lack of Direct3D support out of the box gave it an initial bad impression, turning it into a commercial failure. Even magazine reviewers who panned GPL when it came out have been re-reviewing it a couple years later, saying how wrong they were and admitting that they're now addicted to it. You will be too. Your steering wheel may never leave your desk again.
19237
Leaving the "Shift" type of simulator game behind, some of the reviews led me to believe that this version would be more like "Carbon", "Underground", and "Undercover".  Not so much.  It falls somewhere in between.

The overall racing is stellar.  The cars each are unique in handling and speeds.  The crash scenes are awesome.  The graphics set this game apart from any other racing game I've played.  The attention to detail of roads and scenery is amazing.  The car detail is very good, but games have been really detailing cars for awhile, so this go around it doesn't stand out (not that that is a bad thing).

I really like the idea of having split careers on racing and police.  While there is not much of any story line in this game, they make for a very fun game that doesn't get old because because both styles have their own tricks and things you need to do to be successful.

One thing I really like about racing games is making my own modifications to a car.  I really enjoy the simplicity of it in some of the "Need for Speed" series (as opposed to the difficulty in the "Gran Turismo" games). This time they pretty much just overwhelm you with numerous models of cars and you earn them.  The problem is there really isn't a huge difference in performance within the tiers of cars you unlock.  They also really go overboard on trim lines of cars.  It makes for just too many to choose from, and when three different Murcielagos are available I really don't care.

The new weapons that racers and police have to use make for a very fun game.  It's not just about racing.  It's about strategically trying to get whatever needs done efficiently and there's differing ways of going about it.  Typically you unlock more races are you place in open ones.  The one series of races that really annoy me are the time trials where you are penalized for hitting guardrails and traffic.  I think two seconds and three seconds respectively is ridiculous.  One or two, maybe.  It just makes for races I just don't enjoy playing.  Some of these are "previews" where you get to drive a car you're not going to own for twenty hours of gaming.  It makes no sense to have these.

The levels of wanted and police titles are nice, but it would have been great if there was an accompanying storyline...other than the beginning credits.

I also don't like that some of the vehicles are only available for purchase.  I guess unlocking 65 of the 70 is fine, but I don't think I should be paying additional money to unlock things I can't unlock on my own by playing the game.

Overall, the game is about racing and this game does that well.  It's just not a complete package or a game I'm going to say "that was a great game" in five years (see Need for Speed: Carbon for an example).
4602516
This game is contagiously fun!  I've never followed NASCAR at all but picked this game up on a whim (boredom and disappointment with THQ's WWF RAW game).
Let me tell you, this game really makes me glad I have an Xbox.  The controls are crisp and simple which means that anyone can pick it up and play it immediately.  The Quick Race is a nice function which means you can load up the game and play for 10 minutes and leave.  Seems like most current games involve hours or time and sometimes I just can't devote that during a hectic day...not so with Nascar Thunder 2002.
The bread and the butter of the game for me though is the career mode (20 years - 12 races a year).  You can design and build your own car and then improve it through the money you earn through various sponsorships.  The 12 race tracks are not only different looking (I'm assuming based on their real likenesses) but they all handle very differently.  Some races are top speed with tight turns, others weave through awkward patterns, and many are so narrow that passing becomes a serious chore.
The computer racer A.I. is also nice.  There's lots of rubbing and smashing and at times you can lose the lead within a second of the finish line - frustrating but fun.
If you're a fan of Nascar you probably already own this game.  However, if you're not a fan and are looking for hours of racing fun and excitement then this is the Xbox game for you!
3913259
Taking down people is the best part of the game in my opinion. Getting high on Boost overloads and drifting straight into your enemies and making them go 50 ft. into the air is what this game is all about. This is the best racing game I've ever played. The first time I got it I played it for 5 hours straight. As soon as you start playing it, you're sucked in. After a while my fingers got really tired of the Road Rage hype, so I started doing crash mode. Don't even get me started on this. I sat there for another 2 hours figuring out ways to make 40-car pileups!! The crashbreaker boost is great. When enough cars crash, you get to use it. When you do, an explosion occurs at about the magnitude as a stick of dynamite. It comes in handy when you are far away from another intersection. It launches you about another 75 ft.!! The best plus is aftertouch, though. I was in a race, and I was in front, I crashed and caused a massive pile-up with all of my competitors included! And even if you don't beat races, and do road rage all the time, you won't get bored with the same level because it is SO ADDICTING AND EXCITING!!!! This is one of the best PS2 games I have ever played!!
217128
Ah, the sweet smell of Nascar in the morning. That's the feeling I get when playing this game. Nascar Revolution SE is a great improvement over the frustrating original Nascar Revolution. By improvements I mean better graphics, smoother gameplay, more tracks+drivers, and more settings.
  Never once did I find this game boring or frustrating,and if you think about it there's no reason to be. I mean, there are over 17 licensed tracks, 31 top Nascar drivers, a lot of race selections to make your race more comfortable, and ways to adjust the opposing cars' competitiveness.
 I would recommend this game to any diehard Nascar fan that just doesn't get enough Nascar action during the regular season.(Plus its a great way to get revenge at the driver you hate the most!)So if you want some Nascar fun or just a great racing game I recommend you stick with this one!
  sincerely,
  #2 fan.
272247
Forza Horizon is my fourth owned title in the series, and is now my favorite.  Whereas it incorporates the enjoyment of track racing as found in the other Forza series titles, this one allows the driver to free roam the Colorado landscape.

Several race modes exist; from street racing, tracks, cross country, and more.  Yet one of the most enjoyable aspects is simply driving around, watching the beauty of the landscape, and the awesome changing sky.  You find yourself driving at night and in daytime,

Discovering the "barn finds" is a great distraction from racing for the championship.  Here, while listening to any of the preselected radio stations you get clues of where to look to gain free cars.  These cars range from a Cobra Daytona to an Astin Martin DBV.  Rather than pricing out, the best cars are free for the finding.  The selection of cars at "the auto show"are impressive.  The game lacks some I would like to drive, 66 Mustang, Model T, Corvettes, and NASCAR stock cars.  Yet what they do offer is a great cornucopia that will satisfy the hunger of all gearheads.

My boys and I greatly enjoy this game.  The views of the cars inside and out are amazing in their rendering.  From cockpit view you get all sorts of wow factor for each particular car.  For example, some of the Ferrari's have gear indicating lights in their steering wheel.  We also love the "y" button feature.  If you wreck, you can rewind the action to various distances to get a "do over".  This is a great advantage over having to restart a race. With the driveline feature showing the route and brake warnings, it is the best game on the market for all skill levels.  I highly recommend using the wireless steering wheel for this game, it makes it all the more realistic and enjoyable.

It works fantastic with the Kennect system.  Just speak your commands and Kinnect activates your GPS and routs you to wherever you desire.

All in all, this game is one of the best thought out and designed I have ever played.  Some days after trials and tribulations, I find it relaxing to hop in my 63 Ferrari California  and take a leisurely drive in the mountains, all at endless MPG.

What could be an improvement?  Having avatar customization would be a plus.  In the future, I would like to see various driving conditions, rain, snow, etc.  Another feature to an update would be more roads to drive.
783544
I love racing games.  I have been a Gran Turismo fanatic since GT1 on the first Playstation.  I bought all five GT's, including GT5 Prologue.  But you know what?  I'm also a car enthusiast, so that's why I made the switch to Forza.

I specifically bought an Xbox 360 for FM3, because GT5 got boring fast.  FM3 was a game for car enthusiasts.  The physics weren't as good as GT5, but they were certainly good enough. Overall, the game was much more fun than GT5.

Well, FM4 is better than FM3 in every way!  Better graphics, better physics, and more online competitions like "Rivals" mode. The real reason to buy this game, though, is for the car list. There are just so many worth additions to your garage.  You'll even be able to download new cars as they become available over the coming months.  Yes, that will cost extra money, but you don't have to buy it if you don't want to.

If there is one complaint I have, it's that you can't create your own race with custom settings in single player.  You pretty much have to go through the list of preexisting races, which are too short in my opinion.

There isn't much else to complain about.  It's the best racing game ever available on a console.  It leaves Gran Turismo in the dust!
1623612
Grid is the first PC racing game that I've played and by far the most realistic.  It doesn't have as many cars as GT5 (about 43?), but the superb graphics and intensely realistic driving experience more than makes up for it.  I've only had the game for a few days and I am smitten.
I have my PC connected to my 56" 1080P TV via DVI-SVGA running at 1024X768 and it looks fantastic!  I'm looking to bump up the settings to 1280X800 once I get my settings optimized & the cable swapped out w/ a DVI-HDMI.  The lettering (mostly menus) can get a little jaggy, but the gameplay is smooth and the backgrounds flow seamlessly around you.  The added details such as damage to your car affecting the handling, realistic smoke effects (you really have to wait until the smoke clears before you can see anything) and the superb replay options add in to the fun.  The cockpit view is great, too - although there is a slight delay between your shifts and the on screen driver shifts, but I'm being nitpicky.  I do wish the cars were customizable, but I'm still getting used to the game, so it's no biggie for now.

I did have inital problems w/getting my new Logitech Driving Force GT wheel (the newest one w/o the clutch) to play nice with Grid, but it was resolved once I loaded in the newest drivers from wingmanteam - not the game's fault.  Grid's wheel/pedal settings from the driver options menu allowed for more fine tuning (force feedback strength, pedal bias, wheel deadspotting, etc.)

Bottom line - great game for those seeking a solid racing sim & a bad game for those who like arcade racers like Burnout.

System setup:
Intel Pentium D (2.8GHz)
2GB DDR2
XFX 8800GT 256MB
Samsung 56" 1080P DLP
Onkyo receiver/JBL surrounds
Custom built racing seat w/Corbeau Forza
Logitech Driving Force GT wheel/pedals
1919668
I absolutely adore this game.  The graphics and game play are excellent and the forgiving damage model allows you to take cars that Jeremy Clarkson wouldn't take off a race track, off-road.

My one caveat would be the cost of in play items, Storm Island : Why is this an add-on so early in the game.  Car packs, I have already paid full price for the game why am I being asked to pay again,  Storm Island and the Car Packs double the price of the game and that is a dis-appointment but one we are all getting used to in games.

You don't need to purchase them though and without them this game certainly still warrants 5 stars.  One of the best racing games I have ever played.  Wonderful graphics and excellent car rendering as long as you are happy to be able to drive off-road and not see a car completely shake apart.
3295331
I guess I should have known that the geniuses behind Crash Team Racing (PS1) could only create more awesomeness.  This game rocks!  It is much more challenging than CTR or any other combat/racing game I've played, partly due to some strange driving physics (the reason for not giving 5 stars), but also b/c of great AI and difficult maps.
The adventure/story mode is very fun, and the cut-scenes are very funny (my first Jak game).  There are several different "modes" for each level during the story mode: you might have three races, two Turbo Challenges, two Deathmatches, two Drone-Hunts, an Artifact challenge, a time-freeze race...i can't remember all the modes but you get the point.  It took me a few days to get through 1/4 of the story mode, and I'm looking forward to the next 3/4!
The multiplayer is why I really got the game.  I do not have online capability, but I do like to play alongside my girlfriend.  We love that this game, like CTR, allows two people to race along with other AI racers, rather than just head-to-head, which is boring.  Plus you have most of the aforementioned "modes", not just race/deathmatch (some are not multiplayer compatible).
Also, you accrue points to spend improving the cars and customizing them, which always makes the game more engaging.  My only wish would be that I could play through the story mode as one of the other characters, but that is small.
Load/save times are so fast you'd swear it was a cartridge game.  Unbelievably fast!  I love this game!
1758016
This game is pretty awesome.  It came with suppport for racing wheels right out of the gate.  Not some add-on that barely worked two months after release, as is the case for NFS: HP.  EA still has a lot to learn about racing/driving games, but overall this game is quite exciting.
4544436
Awesome driving/racing game.  My son and I both love this game, too bad we can't play against each other on it.  There are so many amazing cars and paint scheme for each.  The visuals are excellent and look great on the big screen.  Very addicting and so many options and add on packs too.
1404967
I have never played a game like this in my life! It is awsome. You can change the way the car looks and sounds, it is totaly custumizable. The pros: (1)Great sound effects and soundtrack really brings the feeling of the game to life. (2)Awsome special effects! nitro booster and the screen shake in drag mode are my favorite. (3)The cars look cool. You can unlock and custumize just about anything. (4)Graphics are stunning! Cons:(1)No replay mode. Really horrible...(2)You can crash into a semi at 150mph and you won't get a scratch on your car! The dammage engine is a bit iffy.(3)The game is a bit long. You have to win 111 races. After about 50 races, half the stuff is unlocked, but I start to loose intrest in playing. (4) Levels are repetitive.
Overall I would rate this game 4 of 5 stars. It is a great bang for the buck!
2558696
When the first motorstorm came out it carved its own racing type. It was one of the pioneers in physics based racing. With every track having lots of branching path, every branch suitable for a different class of vehicles.

Here they have taken it to the next level. Races are much bigger. Apart from mud you also have other obstacles for individual vehicles classes. Small vehicles will get stuck in plants and other terrestrial hazards. This time it is lot more than physics. Some people are complaining that vehicles slide more than the first one, it is intentional as it forces you to use hand brakes for a  faster drift turn. Overall sense of speed has drastically gone up.

This game is still Motorstorm at heart. They have added tonnes and tonnes of extras to the game to make it feel very fresh. Things like lava tracks, water jets for faster cooling, high air jumps all add extra strategy. It is not just driving fast. You have to try out all the alternative paths and choose right one based on  boost and cooling requirements.

So many behind the scene changes
  - Explosions will destroy the guys next to you. You can do kamikaze on cliff edges.
  - If you are small vehicle you can lap behind a big one to clear off the vegetation and pull off at the last second.
  - Water shower is available only in paths that have more terrestrial danger for balancing. Either it is a rocky path or volcanic eruption.
 More and more I play, I keep finding lot more interesting tweaks.

AI is also vastly improved. If you truly race well you will win. There isn't much of rubber necking. I also think the physics respond much better compared to the first one. Jumps and slides feel lot more natural. Graphics seem to be better than the demo. I think they have tweaked the xdr lighting. Every thing looks very polished. I haven't seen any crashes or hangs.

There is twice as many race tracks as the original one. There is also an extra eliminator mode. Speed events are my favorite, it is like slalom race. Where the flags appear only after you cross the current one. So it requires lot more agility than just boosting the way through. It is like the old ATV games.

After play thing for an hour or so, when I tried MS1 it was a night and day difference. The new game also loads much much faster than the old one. The vehicle selection screen is lot more slicker and avoids the double loading screen. I love the fact they have added split screen. There is nothing more fun than pushing your buddy off the cliff. Using L1/R1 as action buttons makes the game much more fun.

Hope they keep us busy with more DLCs.
1739451
This game is hands down the most beautiful game I've ever played.

If you admire the beauty and detail in cars, especially high-end/exotic cars, this game delivers. I obsess over automotive engineering and design, and I spend a large portion of my time with this game in photo mode just drooling over the extremely specific detail the makers of this game incorporated. It's astonishingly sharp and appealing.

In comparison to the Horizon series, you won't get quite the same arcade feel from this game. The only customization you get is selecting the paint and decals on your car. But with this game, that'll be the least of your worries anyway. This game is more about the experience of driving and precision in your ability to perform on the track. Yet it's still not as plain-jane and boring as I found Gran Turismo that restricted you to realistic race tracks and overly accurate physics. This game takes you all over the world on some crazy highways and mountain passes that push you to your limits with full control of weather, time of day, and even how many people you want in the crowd to cheer you on as you blow by them going 150+ mph.

My only complaint is that all the available DLC is only for purchase. There's so much more to the game that I don't have access to because I refuse to support buying DLC. Grand Theft Auto 5 offers all DLC for free, and they still earn their money through optional credits you can use towards the game that don't require purchasing to enjoy the full game. I understand they gotta make their money somehow, but find a different alternative than building locked doors!
4811212
Whether you are a newcomer to the series or have played all 3 so far, this one is by the far the best. The game starts you off with a limited selection of cars and about 25 grand to spend. You win a few races and begin to move up in the underground racing world. The more you progress, you unlock cars, upgrades, and special moves. The customization in this game is fairly detailed and gives you plenty of options. Each city that you drive in is vast and lets you explore a lot of places, and of course the soundtrack is nothing short of spectacular. Ranging from Marilyn Manson to Bloc Party to more obscure bands like Hundred Reasons, the music is flat out great for racing. My point is that if you enjoy racing games with a huge thrill factor and love to kick it into high gear(no pun intended), then I highly recommend Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix.
4074383
awesome game, graphics are fantastic, car models consist of many many polygons, sound is superb, game structure and customization and impeccable. this is a gem of a racing game