Game of the Year 2009: Racing

And the nominees are:

Forza Motorsport 3

Forza continues to add more social elements into the racing genre, but not at the cost of racing itself. The game is customizable enough to go anywhere between precision-based simulation to even ‘bump the competition out of your way’ arcade. And with the rewind feature, just about anyone can finally ensure to complete the game. Visually, this is undoubtedly the best there is on the Xbox 360.

Need for Speed Shift

After the horrific car crash that was Need for Speed Undercover we expected the Need for Speed series to go under (see what I did there?) but EA bounced back with a polished game that took players once again to the race track as opposed to the illegal street racing concept that was sucked dry in past NFS games. The result was a game that was equal parts arcady as it was sim-like offering fans of both the genres a little something something.

Motorstorm Arctic Edge

Frantic off road racing made its way to the PlayStation Portable this year with Motorstorm Arctic Edge, a racer that much like its older brother allowed players to take part in the brutal Motorstorm festival where the only thing your opponents’ live for is to watch you crash and burn. The game offered intense off road racing coupled with gorgeous visuals, entertaining modes and a killer OST.

Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box

Yeah I know Burnout Paradise was released last year but this year it was repackaged and released in the form of the Ultimate Box that came bundled with all the DLC released for the game till date. Plus the PC port of the game was stellar and improved on visuals along with gameplay to provide a more enjoyable experience.

Colin McRae: DiRT 2

The DiRT series has always been well known for its stylish interpretation of off road racing and DiRT 2 is no different. In fact it upped the ante with newer cars, newer race types and much more. Also the PC version of the game was one of the first games to use DX11, so if you have a DX11 compliant card you’re in for some snazzy visuals.

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And the winner is:

Forza Motorsport 3

Need for Speed did redeem itself this time, but it was Forza Motorsport 3 the game that proved to be the king of the road. Great racing, great customization, and a car selection so wide, it wouldn’t even fit on a single disc.