Starting with 1997’s Gran Turismo, the franchise has been a trendsetter when it comes to realistic racing simulators. With a wide variety of real-life vehicles and tracks, the Gran Turismo franchise has established its dominance over the years across all major PlayStation consoles.

As compared to other popular racing franchises like Need For Speed and Burnout, Gran Turismo is less reckless and more professional. There are a few mild-mannered racing options for fans if they wish to play any games beyond the  Gran Turismo series. Games with similar stylistic elements and racing mechanics can also be added to such alternatives.

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Tourist Trophy (2006)

A hidden gem from the pantheon of Play Station 2 games, Tourist Trophy takes the Gran Turismo formula and applies it to the world of professional bike racing. Players have the option of picking challenges, “license school tests,” and race events.

Dubbed as “the real riding simulator,” Tourist Trophy is one of the few non-Gran Turismo games developed by the franchise’s native studio Polyphony Digital. For this reason alone, it makes for an interesting option to explore. So, while the realistic style of Gran Turismo is visible in this biking game, the change in format adds some distinctness away from Polyphony’s usual releases.

Forza Horizon 4 (2018)

The 11th main installment of the Forza Horizon games, Forza Horizon 4, is centered upon an open-world environment in a fictional version of Great Britain. Despite this, the features of every car are based on actual modifications. The racing experience is also as realistic as it can get, an instant plus point for Gran Turismo fans.

The customization options are an added bonus as players can create and customize their own tracks and in this manner, their own races.

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Motor Toon Grand Prix (1994)

Before he could establish his reputation with some of the best racing games, Gran Turismo creator and Polyphony CEO Kazunori Yamauchi started his career by creating the cartoon racing game Motor Toon Grand Prix. The similarities between Motor Toon Grand Prix and Mario Kart are quite evident but unlike the latter, Yamauchi’s game still attempts to mirror reality.

As the video game developer revealed in an interview with NextGen, “Basically we’re not trying to fake reality – I’d rather create the sensation of handling a remote control car but with the kind of dynamics that you’d expect from a real car.” It is this vision that was reflected in the Gran Turismo games and the rest, as they say, is history.

Assetto Corsa (2014)

The major reason behind Italian racing-sim Assetto Corsa getting rave reviews is its life-like racing mechanics, a feature that is surely bound to impress Gran Turismo fans.

Not only is the gameplay realistic but Assetto Corsa also gives considerable leeway to gamers to experiment with their own car and track designs. This “moddability” is perfect for those who are looking for a user-specific racing experience instead of the usual races.

Omega Boost

Even though Kazunori Yamauchi has carved his niche with Gran Turismo games, his efforts at Polyphony once yielded a non-racing title. Omega Boost, a shoot ’em-up set in space, also serves as a great mecha-simulation game.

The game has just nine levels but beyond its simplicity, Omega Boost was immensely praised for its realistic mecha designs. These concepts were the brainchild of Shoji Kawamori, the creator behind Macross, an essential mecha anime for beginners. Even for non-anime fans, Omega Boost has enough high-octane fighting to keep them engaged and it goes on to show Yamauchi’s vision for immersive tech-driven dynamics in his games.

Burnout Paradise (2008)

Considered to be the finest entry in the Burnout franchise, Paradise takes the best elements of its predecessors and throws them all in an interactive open-world setting. The usually adrenaline-fueled destruction of the Burnout series of games is obviously present along with main races and side-quests.

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While the Gran Turismo games are rooted in ambient racing, the recklessness of Burnout Paradise will act as an interesting tonal shift for players. At the same time, the open-world exploration that the latter provides is good enough for gamers to have moments of relatively peaceful racing.

F1 2021 (2021)

It is natural for Gran Turismo fans to get inclined towards realistic racing games on real-world races such as F1 Tournaments. The annual F1 games are pretty much like what the FIFA video games franchise is to football lovers. Much like the previous installments, F1 2021 incorporates real-life racers and racing tournaments.

At the same time, F1 2021 also includes an immersive story mode with fictional characters adding more dramatic depth to the usual competitive racing gameplay.

RFactor 2 (2013)

While Gran Turismo‘s most iconic installments are often regarded as some of the most realistic racing simulators, the 2013 release rFactor 2 often tops such lists. Such is its degree of realism that even the car tires reflect tire tread and visual deformations after use.

It is because of such attention to detail and true-to-life racing physics that even actual test drivers rely on rFactor 2 for training purposes.

Mario Kart Franchise (1992-Present)

Sometimes, an escape from realistic racing can be a fresh distraction. In this regard, any of the Mario Kart racing games serve as the perfect segue with their over-the-top vehicles, tracks, and racing hi-jinks.

In fact, Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi started his career with the cartoon-inspired racing game Motor Toon Grand Prix. This title and its sequel bore similarities with the Mario Kart franchise for its cartoonish characters and gameplay that is centered on power-up items.

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NASCAR Heat 5 (2020)

Apart from F1 championships, the NASCAR season has been a major inspiration on Gran Turismo games such as Gran Turismo 5. When it comes to other NASCAR-centric games, NASCAR Heat 5 is a recent favorite. The game recreates the 2020 season.

New additions include a track testing option for the single-player mode while retaining the familiar elements of the franchise. When it comes to real-world racing, NASCAR Heat 5 makes for a perfect option with offerings such as the usual Cup, Xfinity Series, and the RV Truck Series.

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About The Author


Shaurya Thapa
(732 Articles Published)

Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who mostly dabbles in writings on cinema, music, and human interest features. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide array of subjects ranging from international films to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called ‘BhindiWire’, an Indian parody of IndieWire.

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