Racing games of this generation have seen a resurgence with polished and consistent AAA titles being pushed to the market with franchises likeGran Turismo,Forza,andNeed For Speed. With the increasing popularity, perhaps the question arises: Is it time to revive older fan favorites that can harness the power of current-gen consoles?
In that case, players should consider taking a spin in some of thebest retro rides of the PS3 erabecause there is a good chance some of them may return in the future to remind fans why they were so good in the first place.
Updated June 06, 2025 by Waseem Muhammad:The Racing genre has always been a firm staple in the gaming community. Most racing games are now considered retro classics, but they still feel important to players all around the world. As more and more of these classics get remastered, players today get a small taste of how enriched and appealing these games were. The sense of nostalgia these games offer to this day can not be matched. Many entries below are present because of the special qualities that make them unique from the other racing games out there.
Think of the films likeMad MaxandDeath Race, and then adapt them into a video game. That is exactly what PS3’s exclusive,Twisted Metalis about: giant heavily armored vehicles and destructible environments in just an intense vehicular combat game. Strategy and grit go hand-in-hand in this reboot ofTwisted Metal, as racing is always secondary to the absolute chaos and wreck-fest the vehicles’ machinery can bring about.
Not only does the multiplayer shine but for whatever reason, little focus is shown toward storytelling in the racing genre.Twisted Metalexcels in its narrative-driven campaign. The enigmatic organizer of the tournament, Calypso, is just another knot in the web of interesting characters, allwith intriguing backstoriesand motivations, rounding up a dark and twisted single-player story mode.
EverythingRockstarGames touches turns to gold, andMidnight Club: Los Angelesis no different in that regard. With a sprawling open-world Los Angeles, coupled with a banging soundtrack to go with, the game perfectly captures the essence of street racing. This feeds into the huge wealth ofcustomization options it offersto players, including decals, paint jobs, body kits, spoilers, and rims.
Fine-tuning the ride meant the player could bring their own personality going into the races, and all the side content and activities only made the world more engaging. Finally, the dynamic day and night cycle was just the icing on the top of theMidnight Clubcake, and that cake is Rockstar’s finest delicacy.
8Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
Metascore: 82
Another off-road racer, but this time, it is much more than racing cars. ATVs, bikes, buggies, and trucks join the action inMotorstorm: Pacific Rift. This installment improves over the originalMotorstormin every way, including sound design, graphical fidelity,and multiplayer features.
PerhapsPacific Rift’s greatest strength against its predecessor and other competition lies in the expansive environments and multi-layered track design, which will keep players coming back for more. From lush jungles to volcanic landscapes to muddy swamps, each track offers thrilling jumps, multiple side routes, and challenging obstacles to navigate around.
7Blur
Probably one of the most combat-focused racing games,Blurmanages to combine elements of fun go-kart racing games likeMario Kartwith the thrill of modern arcade racers likeNeed For Speed. Want to launch a homing missile to have the opponent spinning on their tires? Check. Maybe deploy a mine to wreck the durability of the foe’s vehicle? Check. Possibly project a shockwave to bring the opponent down to a screeching halt? Check again.Blurhas got all the tools in the power-ups arsenal.
Another major revelation inBlur, which hardly makes a return in any racing games today, was a local four-playersplit-screen co-op. Talk about fun for the whole family, friends, and enemies.Blurwas just heat on wheels.
Split/Secondis a hard-hitting cinematic feat in racing games, blending realistic environments with an impressive scale of destructible environments. The dynamic changes to the map, termed “power plays” in the game, give a sense of player freedom and agency to completely change the course of the race, an achievement hardly replicated by other racing games.
Triggering gargantuan environmental destruction, including collapsing buildings, exploding oil tankers, crashing airplanes, and heck, even unleashing an avalanche means the tide of the race can always shift in a split second.
Gran Turismoreigns supreme when it comes to driving simulator games.The series is as old as the PlayStation brand, and withGran Turismo 5, Sony set a new benchmark in graphical realism and authentic simulation for motorsport games.
All one thousand cars in the extensive collection ofGran Turismo 5are meticulously modeled with a keen focus on choosingthe optimal car, based on performance indicators like handling, weight, drivetrain, and traction. Then, there is a variety of breathtaking real-life racetracks to choose from, where the famous Nurburgring and Daytona International Speedway are just some of the routes to relish.
After years of street racing, EA decided to shake up the formula with its reboot ofNeed For Speed: Most Wanted, and it shook it up to the best effect. WhileNeed For Speed: Most Wantedwas not the first racing game to implement an open-world design, the non-linear progression and high-speed police pursuits fit the setting like a glove (compartment?).
The fictional setting of Fairhaven is riddled with different challenges to take as players take onMost Wanted’s drivers to climb the ranks and become the most dangerous of all. It is the sophistication of theopen-world settingthat brings the solid racing mechanics of theNeed For Speedseries to their full fruition.
3DiRT 3
Metascore: 87
As the name suggests,DiRT 3players should prepare to take on a wide variety of gritty and immersive tracks ranging from dusty rallies to snowy landscapes and all in between.DiRT 3built on the impressive driving physics of its predecessors and took it up a notch with engaging sound design anddynamic weather conditions.
TheNeed For Speedseries has always been synonymous with racing games, with each entry upping the game in wild and creative ways.Hot Pursuit, a full reboot of the 1998 original, allows players to experience the thrill on both sides of the law: a classic cat-and-mouse chase between cops and racers.
Although the abilities are not too different fromBlur, the novelty inHot Pursuitcomes from the sheer roster of exotic cars and high-speed racing circuits. It is hard to top the feeling of driving around in a Lamborghini at 210 mph and listening to Chiddy Bang while thunder and lightning crash all around.
Aspects like open-world settings, customizability, destructible environments, and fast-paced action work well in racing games, andBurnout Paradisehas it all in a smooth frame rate of 60 FPS, compared to traditional racing games being capped at 30 FPS.
Criterion’s achievement inBurnout Paradisequickly became the benchmark for fun open-world arcade racers, with its seamless online multiplayer, jaw-dropping takedown sequences, possibilities of stylish stunts, and extensive visual customization. Moreover, the base game continued to benefit from the developer’s strong commitment to post-release expansion packs, with the likes ofBig Surf Islandadding more locations and ways to play the game. All in all,Burnout Paradisewas a gift that kept on giving. Even a hint of a reboot or remake for the series is sure to send waves of delight and craze across any racing fans.
