5 great older racing games to play in 2024

The racing game genre has been heavily expanded upon in recent years, with a host of new entries making their way onto store shelves. However, there is often a keen interest in players' minds to relive some nostalgia and replay some racing games from the years gone by. Though lacking fancy graphics and film-like cinematography, these games are a great way to enjoy a pure, classic racing experience.

With that in mind, here's our pick of five great older racing games that can still be enjoyable in 2024.

Note: The contents of this list are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.

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Five great older racing games to enjoy

1) Midnight Club: LA

Midnight Club: LA (Image via Rockstar Games)

Today, Rockstar Games is primarily known for creating the GTA and Red Dead franchises. However, back in the 2000s, they had a whole host of IPs that they juggled around, one of which was Midnight Club. Rockstar's take on the street racing genre spawned four games, starting in 2000 and unfortunately, concluding in 2008 with the launch of Midnight Club: LA.

The game features a recreation of the city of Los Angeles as the playable area and provides the player with various races, challenges, and collectibles to earn. The franchise has been dormant for over a decade and a half, but Midnight Club LA is a great way to experience car racing through the eyes of Rockstar Games' vision for the genre.

Available on: PS3, Xbox 360, PSP

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2) Project Cars 2

Project Cars 2 (Image via Project Cars)

Slightly Mad Studios was in charge of the Project Cars franchise and released the first entry into the series in 2015. That said, Project Cars 2 from 2017 offers an incredible selection of real-life cars and tracks to choose from. In addition to this are incredibly detailed vehicle handling mechanics and an intricate setup customization for every part of your in-game vehicle.

The franchise has fizzled out since the release of 2020's Project Cars 3, but the second entry in the franchise remains one of the most dedicated racing games to have been made. With Codemasters having bought the developer and retired the franchise for the time being, this title remains the best way to experience and enjoy the franchise.

Available on: PS4, PC, Xbox One

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3) Test Drive Unlimited 2

Test Drive Unlimited 2 (Image via Bandai Namco Europe)

Launched in 2011, the second entry in the Test Drive Unlimited franchise took players from the first game's setting of Hawaii in 2006 to the scenic island of Ibiza. Within the game are present gameplay elements and features, such as vehicle dealerships, purchasable houses for the character, and a detailed open world map.

Test Drive Unlimited 2's open world allows players to experience a variety of races. While the recent resurrection of the franchise in the hands of Solar Crown is interesting, Test Drive Unlimited 2 remains a cult classic and a great racing game to enjoy.

Available on: PS3, PC, Xbox 360

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4) Driver: San Francisco

Driver: San Francisco (Image via Ubisoft)

Ubisoft's Driver franchise has been left for the history books, though the final full-scale entry in the series offers a unique gameplay element not seen in any other racing game. Controlling the series' popular protagonist John Tanner, the game takes place in (no rewards for guessing this) San Francisco.

Tanner has an ability simply termed as "Shift," which allows him to take control of any vehicle, at any time. This ties into the game's story, which is woven around an accident the protagonist was a part of. The game is a fantastic racer and seemingly the final entry in the Driver franchise, for now at least.

Available on: PS3, PC, Wii, MacOS, Xbox 360

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5) Need For Speed: Underground 2

NFS: Underground 2 (Image via EA LATAM)

Back in the 2000s, EA was synonymous with the Need for Speed franchise. Though Unbound (2022) may be a good game, Underground 2 was largely popular during its time. With an incredible soundtrack and some fantastic cars to choose from, it is widely considered one of the best entries in the franchise.

The game heavily focused on the vehicle tuner culture of the time and has some great street racing elements woven into the campaign as well. Despite being arguably the oldest game on this list, NFS Underground 2 is a must-play for racing game fans.

Available on: PS2, PC, Xbox, GameCube, GameBoy, Nintendo DS, PSP

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