Racing games are great for the fans of fast (and slow) cars. Like that, they are really good at sucking the fans in the atmosphere where the tires are hot, the smoke from drifting is dense and the cars are glossy. When we mention car racing games, there aren’t only Need for Speed games, but many other games that allow drifting and doing various stunts with the cars. Drifting is a very complex thing to do in the real-life, and not every living being is able to do so, but there is good news- you can do it in the game! If you wish to do so, these are the 20 Best Drifting Games for PC.
1. Dirt 3
Dirt 3 isn’t the newest game on our list, but not everything that’s new is good and vice versa. This game is a pure example of a rally game done right. If you want to get dirty in the balanced and nice-looking, muddy terrains of Dirt 3, now it’s the time to do so. You can drive some of the best rally cars, like Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Ford Focus, and much more. On top of that, the handling in this game is superb, meaning that you can do some tweaks to make it more simulation or arcade experience. Dirt 3 is for those who like fast cars, muddy terrains, and of course, drifting.
2. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit was released in 2010, and it’s maybe one of the best games in the Need for Speed franchise. This franchise is known to have some nice drifting games, but also those not that great. Either way, Hot Pursuit is a great title. With the emphasis on Police vs Racers battles, Hot Pursuit offers an explosive action experience filled with thrilling moments and fast speed. The sense of speed in this game is mind-boggling, so you’ll be driving some of the fastest cars on the planet across the highways, cities, and even mountains. It’s simply a masterpiece.
3. GTA V
GTA V is an open-world game and represents a crucial moment in gaming history. Being regarded as one of the best action games, GTA V is here to bring you some fast cars, shooting, and lots of violence. Aside from being a very violent game, GTA V shows its true potential when it comes to gameplay. There is a lot of shooting, drifting, vehicles of every kind, a great story, and multiplayer. Multiplayer is the star of the show, offering tons of fun for months, and probably years. I bet you won’t find many games that can get close to GTA V when it comes to action and driving.
4. Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed
I know we’ve mentioned a Need for Speed game, but damn… Shift 2 Unleashed isn’t to be overlooked! In fact, this is the most underrated game in the franchise, mostly because it’s a simulation game. I know many of you guys don’t like this kind of game, but I suggest giving it a go. Shift 2 Unleashed focuses on a different approach, using realistic physics and graphics to achieve that real-life feeling. You’ll be in the cockpit of your car, doing whatever it takes to win. Clear driving is the most valuable here and cheaters can only be disqualified. Shift 2 Unleashed is a pure drifting experience waiting for you to pick it up.
5. Absolute Drift
Indie games are all around us everywhere, but racing indie games… hmph, that’s a rare sight! Thankfully, we have a drift game called Absolute Drift, which is all about those nasty, jaw-dropping drifts that will melt your face. The graphics aren’t that beautiful, focusing more on the simplistic approach, rather than a full-fledged visual set. It’s a top-down game, which gives you a wider view of your race track and lets you perform drifts with more precision. Absolute Drift is a game devoted to drifts, so if you are a clean racer, then get out of here!
6. Dirt: Showdown
Dirt: Showdown is the dirtiest, filthiest, and most addictive drifting game of all time! In fact, this game isn’t all about the racing, but fighting against the other cars. Should I call it a brawling game? That’s a good question, as Dirt: Showdown lets you be your own boss and kick the other drivers from the racing arena. If your car is strong enough, you can start ramming the other vehicles, leaving them vulnerable to the final blow.
7. The Crew
The Crew isn’t exactly a commercial success, and surely, it’s a Ubisoft game, which is a key fact here. Ubisoft made some mistakes in the past couple of years, but I personally think that The Crew isn’t all that bad. It’s an online racing game which again, puts you in the role of a driver looking for races and escaping cops if needed. It’s sort of a Need for Speed World, but on steroids. Furthermore, microtransactions aren’t a necessary part of the game, meaning that The Crew relies purely on racing skills.
8. Forza Horizon 3
And, the reward for the best-looking racing game goes to… Forza Horizon 3! This game will blow your PC graphically, leaving your GPU down on its knees begging for mercy. But, drifting doesn’t have to do anything with graphics, huh? Well, that’s partially right. If the game like Forza Horizon 3 looks great, your drifting will look, too! Forza Horizon 3 lets you explore its open world, participate in various races, and drift, both off-road and on the blazing hot roads. It’s a Microsoft exclusive, so you won’t find it on PlayStation 4 which is a pity.
9. Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs isn’t really about dogs, neither sleeping. It’s a game like GTA that puts you in the role of an undercover cop, trying to bust the criminals selling drugs in China. However, Sleeping Dogs puts a great emphasis on combat, which is really awesome here. Aside from that, you can drive motorcycles, vans, trucks, and cars, so there’s drifting, too. By the way, the drifting mechanics are solid, albeit very arcade-ish for my taste. Nevertheless, you won’t play Sleeping Dogs just for drifting and driving.
10. Burnout Paradise
Burnout Paradise came from the creators of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and I’m confident enough to say that it’s a great drifting game. Criterion Games did their best to optimize this game, as it can run on almost any PC out there. The driving mechanics are awesome. You can drive motorcycles and cars, and if you are a car type like me, you can do some amazing drifting and even stunts that can increase your driving skills. Burnout Paradise is an underrated game that needs time to get under your skin.
11. Dirt Rally
There isn’t anything cooler than getting dirty in your car. Oh, you pervert, I thought about going off-road and doing some rally racing! If that’s what you like, you can check out this game. Basically, it’s a remake of the old, beloved Collin McRae Rally, with the old-school feeling to it. The graphics are awesome, the visuals are eye-cutting and the whole presentation is just fine. Again, there are the fastest rally cars for you to drive, but only if you are on Collin McRae’s level.
12. Rocket League
It simply doesn’t get better than Rocket League. Combining football with cars was one of the best decisions ever, that made Rocket League so great and fun. As a football game, Rocket League’s goal is to score as many goals as you can and win against the opponent’s team of cars. Of course, it’s not going to be easy out there, as you need to throttle, brake, and drift your way through the field and get the ball to enter the goal. It’s not easy by any means, but hey… that’s where the pleasure comes from!
13. Blur
As much as I like racing games, I’m not a huge fan of arcade racing with the arcade elements being very prominent. Blur is such a good drifting game which made me love the genre. In fact, Blur is so awesome that I still play it, even today. It once again features some licensed cars which you can use in your street racing, but there are new gameplay mechanics and power-ups. Power-ups are amazing in this game, letting you dispatch your opponents or get the additional boost to make it to the first spot. Blur is a heart-pounding experience and it’s more fun than ever.
14. Trackmania Turbo
Trackmania Turbo is for the true, hardcore racing fans. You aren’t going to race against the other opponents, neither you are going to ram the other drivers against the wall. Instead, you’ll race with the time, in order to get a Gold medal and proceed to the next race. The game begins slowly, introducing you to races that last 20-30 seconds, but as the game builds up, Trackmania Turbo shows you what it really means to be an extreme racer. It’ll have no mercy, so I suggest being consistent if you want to beat the game.
15. Test Drive Unlimited
Test Drive Unlimited was such a deal back in the time. You won’t believe me when I say that this PC drifting game is released in 2006, mostly because of its huge scale. It’s true that Test Drive Unlimited doesn’t save its resources and uses a whole lot of assets and objects to build a huge world for racing. It’s an open-world racing game that lets you explore the beautiful in-game world and race against the computer or the other players online. What more to ask for?
16. FlatOut 2
FlatOut 2 is as badass as it sounds. This underrated piece of the game is here to bring you the racing at its finest. Because the game aged relatively bad, the graphics aren’t the strongest point here, and there aren’t licensed cars. BUT, the driving mechanics are great, and drifting is definitely a strong point. Furthermore, FlatOut 2 contains various game modes that offer lots of fun if you experiment with them sufficiently. It’s just a few bucks, so why don’t give it a try?
17. BeamNG.drive
BeamNG.drive is a drifting simulation game that lets you do amazing stuff with the vehicles. You can use your truck or a car and smash the nearby wall. Or perhaps, you want to collide your car with a van? Oh, and jump off a cliff and watch it breaking and squeaking? You can do that! However, BeamNG.drive isn’t the most optimized game, meaning that there are still frame drops here and there. Otherwise, it’s fun as hell.
18. Split/Second
Are you sometimes wondering what you can do in a split second? You can blink, for example, but you can also play Split/Second game. Split/Second is another arcade racer that puts away the complex car handling and simulation elements and brings the car fights to the maximum. It’s a very fast-paced racing game where every millisecond is important. Use your driving skills to dispatch your foes, grab some power-ups, and kick their butts. Simple, yet deadly effective.
19. WRC 7
WRC 7 is a brand new rally racing game that aims to be a fine balance between simulation and arcade game. WRC is a successful rally racing series and this one is a magnum opus of that franchise. Get in your favorite car and explore what the game has to offer. If you are up for a dirty, muddy, and amazing drifting experience, WRC 7 is a very good choice. Have in mind that it’s very challenging, so don’t expect the game to go easy on you. It surely won’t!
20. Spintires
Spintires lets you drive monstrous vehicles across the dangerous terrains and forests, in order to finish various missions. You’ll go to places where even God himself wouldn’t dare to tread. Expect to be blown away by the gameplay mechanics and enjoy the slow-paced gameplay. Spintires is a truck game, so you might think that drifting isn’t that common. Well, try to drive a vehicle through the dangerous terrain and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Spintires will wipe the floor with you if you don’t take it seriously. Don’t tell me that I didn’t warn you!