Building the perfect racing game

Racing games are like New Years Eve. Whenever one comes around I'm hopeful and excited. But after its come and gone, I'm always left disappointed. I want to love racing games, I really do, but they just won't let me. There is always something about them that feels like somethings missing.

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Why am I bringing this up now? Because of Need for Speed Carbon. I was playing it last week for a review I was working on (yeah I know its late but I can only write about 1 game a week, so sue me) and liked a couple of things about the game but overall wasn't that happy with it. This led me to think of some other racers I liked (PGR3), thought were just okay (Test Drive Unlimited) or didn't like at all (Starsky and Hutch?!? Gahh! ). Each one of these games had something worthwhile about them but when stacking all of the racing games from the past few years on top of each other, they make the genre feel pretty weak. So why not take the best of these games and make 1 great game? Good idea.

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Here are the concepts I would "permanently borrow" from other games to make the perfect racing game.

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Connectivity and open-endedness (from Test Drive Unlimited) - I loved the huge, open-ended world of TDU. I still can't get over how massive it is. I also thought the constant connectivity was a great feature, although in my perfect game you could turn it off if you wanted.

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Why TDU isn't the perfect racing game: For me, the average graphics (for the 360 anyway) and driving mechanics hurt this game.

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Cheesy storyline and live action sequences (from Need for Speed Carbon) - Most racing games don't bother with having a plot, which is understandable since you spend most of your time um, driving. But what I like most about the last two NFS games is the humorous (I hope its intentional) story lines and live action sequences. I like the idea that there's some kind of motivation behind my racing besides just making money. That and the scenes are a 10 on the Unintenional Comedy Scale. I should also add that outracing cops and making buildings and water towers fall on their cruisers is also endlessly funny. So I'd probably throw some of that in my perfect game as well.

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Why NFSC isn't the perfect racing game: Many of the new features aren't very good and it just feels like a Most Wanted expansion pack. Its racing lite.

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Heidi-Klum-beautiful-graphics (from Gran Turismo) - I've never seen cars as beautiful as the ones in the GT series. Well, not in a video game anyway. The attention to detail that Kazunori Yamauchi puts into his games is unmatched.

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Why Gran Turismo isn't the perfect racing game: This game is waaay too technical. I don't care that the Mini Cooper I'm driving actually does drives just like a Mini Cooper. Its a video game, give me some leeway. While I appreciate its depth, its overwhelming and can be a drag.

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Satisfying yet challenging driving controls (from Project Gotham Racing 3) - PGR3 earned the highest ratings I've ever given to a racing game, most of that was due to the fact that it has the best driving controls of any racer I've ever played. The cars were easy to pick up and drive but if you dedicated time to learn their subtle nuances, an experieced driver could learn all their little secrets and blow a rookie driver out of the water. Unlike Gran Turismo, the cars in PGR3 drive realistically but not too realistically. Its the perfect blend of imitation and fun.

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Why PGR3 isn't the perfect racing game: As I've already mentioned, my perfect racer is open-world and PGR3 doesn't qualify. I also like my cars to show a little damage, which brings me to...

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Destructibility and get-out-of-car-ability (from Grand Theft Auto) - Yeah, yeah I know, the GTA series isn't a traditional racing game. Go ahead you racing purists, laugh all you want. I don't care, its got some great concepts that I'm "permanently borrowing" anyway. I like my cars to get banged up. I don't want them to blow up after I hit 4 light posts like in GTA but I think some damage adds a little bit of realism. Again, my goal is real but not too real. If I have to pay to have my car fixed up, I can deal with that. Games where vehicles take no damage are unrealistic and allow me to drive as crazy as I want. That's not what good racing is about. Good racing should penalize you, but only a little, for taking damage.

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I also like being able to get out of a car and not being just a faceless driver. I know a couple of other games have tried this (lets all pretend SpyHunter: Nowhere to Run never happened) but GTA does it best. Do I have any idea how this will work in my perfect? Um, no. I do know that its a cool feature.

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Why GTA isn't the perfect racing game: The cars getting destroyed too easy, the controls are a little loose for a racer and "technically" its not a racing game.

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Downloadable maps and vehicles (courtesy of the Wii's, PS3's and Xbox 360's online services) - While I don't like EA sticking it so hard to consumers with its downloadable content, I do appreciate the option of adding features to a game if I so choose. In my perfect game, I'd have clothes, cars and upgrades as in-game unlockable features; while new maps, very rare cars and even new homes/garages would be downloadable online for a very small fee. Why even charge? Just to seperate the more serious gamers from the casual ones who are only renting or borrowing the game.

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Well, there you have it, the perfect game. I don't think its too much to ask for. Now if some developer reads this and incorporates "my" ideas into a racing game, you better hire me as a consultant or you'll hear from my lawyer. Also, I get first dibs on the name. I'd prefer Sonic Death Monkey Racing Adventure or Kathleen Turner Overdrive or Mad Max's DUI Checkpoint. Something classy like that.

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terry.terrones@gazette.com