This was a year with a lot of driving games and a few didn’t make it on the list. A great driving game has a wide variety of cars, great physics and handling (especially if it’s a simulator), great tracks, and a fun multiplayer component. What sets the best apart from the rest? Perfecting or changing something in the genre that none of the others did. Most racing games tend to stick to what’s safe, but the best reaches out just a little bit further.

DiRt 3

What sets DiRT 3 apart this year was the fact that it improved on itself and added a lot of new things, but also was a solid racing game with great physics and cars. This was a close tie against Forza 4, but Forza didn’t improve enough on itself like DiRT 3 did. With the addition of Gymkhana, a whole new presentation style, revamped rep system, and tons of new cars DiRT 3 just new what makes a good racing game. With the addition of some DirectX 11 effects on PC, it also is one of the best looking.

Runner-Ups

F1 2011

MotorStorm: Apocalypse

Forza Motorsport 4

Driver: San Francisco