The Best Offline PC Racing Games To Play Right Now

Key Takeaways

• The Horizon Festival experience in Forza Horizon 5 is just as great in offline mode.
• Burnout Paradise Remastered offers simple, fun arcade gameplay offline.
• F1 23’s Braking Point storyline is among the best single-player experiences.

It’s a shame that most racing games are associated with always-online experiences, which can be a pain to deal with. Most players would agree that staying connected to the internet while playing a single-player game is a needless restriction that does more harm than good.

This genre has been plagued with titles that push the online experience on players, which is understandable but to a lot. Thankfully, PC players have their fair share of offline racing games that can be enjoyed quite a bit even if players are racing other human opponents or interacting with social elements.

8 Forza Horizon 5

Playing Offline Can Sometimes Lead To The Horizon Festival Feeling More Alive

While the online experience in Forza Horizon 5 is great, players will have no problems switching to offline mode and playing this game without any human racer interrupting their fun. The Horizon Festival’s set pieces don’t lose their luster, and players can check out every event and open-world activity without any issues.

Some people would argue that the Horizon Festival in Mexico feels more alive in an offline mode where supercars are constantly zooming past the player. Since the map is so big, players can sometimes race across vast patches of the open world without encountering a single racer, which can wreck the title’s atmosphere.

7 Burnout Paradise Remastered

A Classic Title With Fun Arcade Gameplay That Can Be Enjoyed In Single-Player

Burnout Paradise is one of the greatest arcade racing games of all time, and fans will love the opportunity to check out the remaster of this title that brings a much-needed facelift to the game’s addictive chaos. Of course, players don’t need an excuse to check out the high-octane gameplay of this title.

The gameplay of this title is simple yet entertaining and is a blast offline. Exploring Paradise City in the most chaotic manner possible while wrecking other racers is a huge part of what makes Burnout Paradise such a joy to play through.

6 F1 23

Braking Point’s Return Is Better Than Ever Before

F1 21‘s Braking Point was a nice addition to the long-running series, but the one-dimensional characters and binary writing made it feel like a half-baked story mode that could’ve done better. Thankfully, Codemasters heard fan complaints and ensured that the continuation of this storyline would address fan complaints.

As a result, F1 23‘s Braking Point is arguably the best single-player storyline that fans can check out. Logging off and blazing through this narrative is a genuine treat that motorsport fans will get a kick out of.

5 Art Of Rally

Play A Relaxing Title That Encompasses The Golden Age Of Rally Racing

Art of Rally is one of the rare single-player racing games that is worth its weight in gold. The charming art style may be hard to appreciate when players are struggling with the controls, but it shouldn’t take too long before players learn how to handle these rally cars and complete stages in style.

Players will gain a newfound appreciation for the golden age of rally once they’re done with this title. The game is meant to be a laidback experience that encourages players to stop and smell the roses from time to time instead of just blazing from one race to the next.

4 Road Rash

A Classic PC Racing Title That Can Be Tough To Acquire But Well-Worth The Effort

• Platforms: 3DO, Sega CD, PlayStation, Saturn, PC
• Release Date: September 27, 1996 (PC)
• Developers: Monkey Do Productions, Buzz Puppet Productions
• Genres: Racing, vehicular combat

A classic racing game that needs no introduction, the retro trappings of Road Rash are something most fans are familiar with. Outrunning the police and using weapons to knock rival racers down in high-speed bike races is a huge part of what made Road Rash so appealing.

The game is brash, loud, and doesn’t hide its influences. The amazing soundtrack and cheesy FMV visuals add to this game’s charm, and players will find the effort of hunting for this game worthwhile to get their hands on a street racing game with over-the-top characters and cartoonish violence.

3 Carmageddon

A Brutal Racing Game With Vehicular Combat That’s A Classic

• Platforms: PC, Mobile
• Release Date: June 13, 1997
• Developer: Stainless Games
• Genres: Racing, vehicular combat

A game that caused a lot of controversy when it launched, Carmageddon‘s focus on rampant violence and vehicular combat made it unlike any other racing game at the time. The re-release of this title on PC with the Carmageddon Max Pack was a source of great joy for fans.

As one would expect, an online connection is not required for this retro racing experience. Carmaggedon came out during a simpler time when the biggest video game controversies were about violence and risque content instead of always-online requirements and other anti-consumer business practices.

2 Dirt 5

The Story Mode Boasts A Decent Narrative That’s Worth Experiencing In Single-Player

Rally racing can be hard to get into, especially for players who get frustrated when they’re unable to steer their car properly no matter how hard they try. However, despite how intimidating Dirt 5 may be, it only takes a few races for players to understand what makes these cars tick.

What makes this game so fascinating is a genuinely excellent single-player career mode featuring the voices of Nolan North and Troy Baker, along with podcasts by Donut Media. This game was made by racing fans, for racing fans. Not having to stay online is just one of the many perks that make Dirt 5 worth checking out for fans.

1 Inertial Drift

A Great Take On Drift Racing With A Simple And Satisfying Story Mode To Match

In a genre where every racing game is either an arcade racer with realistic visuals or a racing simulator with realistic visuals, it’s nice to see games like Inertial Drift try something different with their gameplay. As players would expect, drifting is a huge part of the gameplay and utilizes a unique control scheme to let players round corners in style.

The right stick is used to control the angle of a player’s drift, ensuring that their car doesn’t spin out of control if they’re trying to be too flamboyant. It’s a simple mechanic that won’t take long to grasp before players invest a ton of hours in the career mode and other varied single-player content.