A look at the most Anticipated Racing Games Coming to the PS4 This Year (2014)

Modern racing titles (starting with those found on the PS3 all the way up to those soon to be released on the PS4) certainly aren’t known to be shabby in the graphics department.  So when people start to say that a lot of the emergent PS4 driving games offer a clear improvement in terms of visuals…well, that’s pretty substantial if you’re a serious gamer.

For all intents and purposes it would seem as though 2014 is quickly shaping up to be a great year for games on next-generation consoles like the PS4.  Sony’s new console is basically a gaming PC.  The possibilities are opening up to include types of play which might have been considered impractical before – like massively open world racing, for instance.  The fact of the matter is, there are some great games headed your way which feature furious action from behind the wheel…

Driveclub

As per Sony’s semi-grandiloquent statements regarding the aims of Driveclub, implying that it’s going to be a game that “celebrates car culture”, we’re left with a title that’s intriguing to say the least.  Rather than coming off as an ultra flashy, uber-mechanical aggressive experience, it seems to promise something slightly more elegant, in a way.  Just looking at video and screenshots, the vehicle models are stunning and the environments filled with deep, realistic color and lighting.  You might end up feeling as though you’re actually speeding across a ridgeway at times.  In other words, it looks incredibly immersive in more ways than one.  Evolution Studios is presenting this game, the British company previously bringing other racing titles to market such as “Colin McRae Rally”, so they certainly know what they’re doing.

Arguably, the most heavily emphasized aspect of Driveclub is its supposed ability to engage and ignite the social aspect of gaming via the PSN.  Through the integration of direct social networking and services like Twitch, it’s hoped that the game will be able to really become something of a destination for PS4 racing fans.

Carmageddon: Reincarnation

Taking things in a completely different direction, a wild, screaming 180º turn, if you will, is “Carmageddon: Reincarnation”, a spiky vehicular combat title.  As you might have already gathered, “Reincarnation” employs a decidedly less realistic (yet thrilling nonetheless) art style which is at once complex and impressive, albeit insane at times.  The fact that the game is even coming to the PS4 is actually the work of one person who donated $3.5 million (Bullfrog founder Les Edgar) “in order to develop the game for next-gen consoles”.  All we really know at this point is that Stainless Games is developing this title and that they’re probably looking to establish themselves with this game’s release (and hopefully, subsequent success if all goes according to plan).

In all seriousness though, there is a lot of detail and effort going into the development of “Carmageddon: Reincarnation”, both on and off the factory floor, as they say.  If you want a sneak peak, check out this news link from Stainless Games.  Currently (Feb. 21, 2014) there is a video which demonstrates the suspension physics.

Ready to Run

Ukrainian developer, Beatshapers is perhaps best known as the company that was doing a lot of PlayStation mini porting some time ago.  Of course now they’re primed and ready to release a notable PS4 title with the upcoming “Ready to Run”, which is itself, something of an enigma.  First off, the physics are more like that of RC racing than full-scale autos, which offers an entirely new type of experience (which some might even find to be more appealing in the end).   Moreover, according to reports, the setting will be decidedly “retro-futuristic”, so expect some weirdness to go along with the arcade-like action.

In fact, it’s been stated that the vehicles themselves will respond much more responsively, which sounds interesting on a number of different levels.  Of course whether or not the project turns out as expected (perhaps going on to become a fan favorite), is anyone’s guess.  Who knows, it might also run out of batteries too, guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Trials Fusion

If you’ve previously played RedLynx’s “Trials Evolution” or the mega-popular “Trials HD” then you’re probably going to go bonkers over their next-gen project dubbed “Trials Fusion” (click here to visit their dev news site).  It looks amazing, to sum things up in the quickest, most direct way possible.  The environments in particular really add to the depth and scale present in the game and seemingly transport you away to far-flung, fantastic lands.  In short, it’s a union of the signature Trials gameplay we all enjoy, but in the context of a truly next-gen platform (which has no issues with fully embracing all the social aspects of the PSN).

As expected, they’re really upping the ante with regards to graphics and it’s quite likely that “Trials Fusion” will rekindle a lot of people’s interest in the entire series in the process of releasing this game as well.

The Crew

Lastly, we come to Ivory Tower and Ubisoft Reflections upcoming open world mega racer “The Crew”.  For starters, it has been said that it takes all of around 90 minutes to make it from sea to shining sea, as they say (note* - the game takes place across a persistent virtual replica of the US).  Needless to say, it’s shaping up to be a very immersive and rather epic title from the sounds of it; for example, expect large-scale multiplayer features which will delight racers everywhere.  Moreover, the game includes the ability to compliment the console action with a tie-in app (Android and iOS, to be specific) which will allow a user to build cars.

If all that weren’t enough, “The Crew” is also going to completely eschew the use of any and all loading screens, which means that it will provide for a very direct and immersive style of gameplay which isn’t at all plagued by needless interruptions.  In fact, when you combine all the various factors which define this game you are left with one conclusion – it’s probably going to be damn fantastic on multiple fronts.  Think of it as a sort of bona-fide open world RPG for racing fans (which takes advantage of the ability to render an extremely large map to traverse while also basking in stunning graphics). “The Crew” seems likely to become a game which truly defines what the PS4 and by extension, Sony is truly capable of (when it comes to development). If you want to check out all the latest dev news pertaining to the upcoming title “The Crew”, click here.