Do you ever find yourself playing a modern racing game such as Forza Horizon 5 and enjoying yourself, but feeling as if the game could be improved with a cheesy storyline similar to Need for Speed: Most Wanted (the original)? You’re not alone. Racing games have come a long way, yet I feel as if something has been lost in the process. Vehicle physics has been refined and visuals are often beautiful, but some sort of magic is missing. Why is that? By looking at the aughts, we’ll find that answer.

Arcade vs. Simulation Racing Games

What is the difference between an arcade and a simulation racing game? It’s a bit more complicated than some may think. The fact of the matter is that arcade and simulation are two ends of a spectrum, instead of being categories you can easily group racing games into. For example, if Assetto Corsa Competizione is far on the simulation end of the spectrum, then something like Ridge Racer would be far on the arcade end of the spectrum. A game like Project Gotham Racing would be somewhere in between those two other games.

I believe that a good chunk of the spectrum has been missing in recent years. There may be the odd Need for Speed release here and there, but the arcade side of the spectrum seems lacking. There seems to be a huge gap between Forza Horizon and Mario Kart that just doesn’t get as much attention these days. I love sim racers, don’t get me wrong. However, when Forza Horizon 5 is considered the current big arcade racing…