These overlooked driving and racing games deserved more recognition in 2025.
2025 saw plenty of high-profile racing game releases, from Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World to Assetto Corsa Rally’s Early Access release.
Not every game lived up to expectations, though, particularly with November’s double disappointments of Rennsport and Project Motor Racing in the sim racing space. And yet, beyond these big-budget releases, there was a raft of excellent indie racers released this year that probably flew under your radar.
With that in mind, here are five overlooked driving games that deserved more recognition in 2025.
Wreckreation
Wreckreation hit PC and consoles towards the end of 2025 with a whimper rather than a bang. An extended period of silence and little marketing in the run-up to launch made it easy to overlook.
From the original creators of Burnout, Wreckreation combines frenetic arcade racing and spectacular crashes with a customisable open world.
Although the ambitious concept doesn’t quite reach its full potential thanks to its barren open-world and low budget, it’s the closest to a Burnout Paradise sequel. It also helps that it’s suitably priced for a non-AAA title.
Sadly, the team at Three Fields Entertainment were put on redundancy notice less than two months after the game’s launch, with publisher THQ Nordic no longer supporting the arcade racer. This prompted the small studio to launch a Patreon, inviting fans to help fund future updates. It deserved so much better.
Formula Legends
Like many titles released this year, Formula Legends had a rocky launch. Developer 3DClouds clearly has a reverence for Formula 1, with lovingly crafted cars and tracks that pay homage to the sport’s history, all presented with a charming art style. There’s more than meets the eye, too, with dynamic weather, tyre wear and fuel to manage.
It’s a shame, then, that it fell short of its potential when it launched in September, thanks to its unwieldy car handling and inconsistent AI. In response, 3DClouds has worked to rectify several of these issues. Coupled with no less than five DLC packs so far, post-release support for Formula Legends has been exceptional.
Next year’s roadmap also looks promising, with steering wheel support and online multiplayer set to arrive in early 2026. Traxion aims to revisit the retro-inspired racer next year to find out if it’s blossomed into a hidden racing gem.
Rally Arcade Classics
Although the official WRC game series is on hiatus until 2027 with Nacon reclaiming the license, there is no shortage of new rally games in the indie space, from Old School Rally to the upcoming Super Woden: Rally Edge. And then there’s Rally Arcade Classics, which drifted onto PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch this year following its 2024 PC releas.
On the surface, this is a budget rally racer with subpar PlayStation 2-quality graphics and presentation. However, Rally Arcade Classics makes up for these shortcomings with its wonderfully weighty car handling, terrific stage designs and addictive leaderboard-based time trials.
With a lengthy campaign, over 40 cars inspired by iconic rally legends, nearly 50 stages and six game modes, it’s a surprisingly substantial package for the low asking price. Its enjoyable driving and quick-fire stage runs scratch that Sega Rally itch.
Fast Fusion
With Mario Kart World stealing the spotlight, you would be forgiven for missing Fast Fusion in the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch lineup. If you did, you’re missing out on one of the best Switch 2-exclusive racing games.
Developer Shin’en Multimedia has a proven track record when it comes to futuristic racers on Nintendo consoles, and Fast Fusion is no exception. A sequel to Fast RMX, it’s a technical showcase of the Switch 2 that fills the void of a new F-Zero, with striking visuals and a sensational sense of speed.
While it isn’t drastically different to its predecessor, its fusion mechanic, where parts from other vehicles can be combined to create unique ships with boosted stats, is interesting.
What also makes Fast Fusion easy to recommend is that it costs only £ 13.49/$14.99, which is criminally cheap for such a high-quality game. If you have a penchant for futuristic racers like WipEout and F-Zero, Fast Fusion should be in your Switch 2 collection.
The Precinct
If you miss the top-down Grand Theft Auto games, The Precinct is a love letter to this forgotten era of Rockstar’s crime series. However, unlike the developer’s last game, American Fugitive, you play as a rookie cop, rather than a criminal.
The Precinct sees you patrol the street as a rookie police officer, solving crimes in Averno, a fictional city overrun by criminal gangs. There’s a story mode with objective-based missions, or you can respond to random crimes in free roam. These range from tame parking violations to bank robberies and deadly shootouts.
Naturally, you spend a lot of time pursuing fleeing criminals in high-speed, Hollywood-inspired car chases, complete with handbrake turns, narrow alleyways and piles of cardboard boxes to plough into. Combined with its gritty, neo-noir presentation, The Precinct perfectly encapsulates 1980s car chase films.