Highlights
- F1 Race Stars is a fun Mario Kart -style game with the F1 license, but it didn't include sliding, which was a missed opportunity.
- Grid 2 showcased impressive graphics, damage modeling, and physics, making it a solid sequel that competed with Gran Turismo .
- TOCA Race Driver 2 was a refined racing game with great graphics, offering a hardcore simulation mode and a ton of different content.
The British developer Codemasters is certainly a powerhouse when it comes to racing games, having left behind some of the best games ever in this genre. Absorbed by EA a few years ago, Codemasters continued working alongside them in multiple racing games like the F1 franchise. However, for this list, the focus is set on their standalone era, and more specifically, the best racing games of all time.
Codemasters was founded in 1986, and despite being mostly known for their racing games, they also have some successful RPGs such as the Overlord series. It was around the late '90s when they pivoted towards racing as their main focus with sagas like TOCA or Colin McRae. Since then, they have left behind some of the best racing simulation games ever, but which one of those is their best?
10 F1 Race Stars
What better way to start the list than with some controversy? Some very valuable games may have been snubbed, like their first-ever racing game BMX Simulator, however, F1 Race Stars does not deserve to be one of those "forgotten" titles. This attempt at a Mario Kart with the F1 license came out pretty well and deserves some consideration as the best of the rest in this category.
The circuits had great and fun designs, and racing with current and legendary F1 drivers was obviously great. Overall it was a good game, but the decision to not add sliding as it usually works for this type of game didn't sit well. Although to be fair sliding with an F1 car shouldn't really be in the cards. It came out in 2012 with another edition for Wii U in 2013. An idea that could use a comeback for this generation.
9 Grid 2
Going back to their expertise for the rest of this list, what Codemasters really mastered was the finest racing simulation, always ahead of their time and an example to follow for other developers. With Grid 2, they showed off mesmerizing graphics of damage modeling and physics.
The career mode in which players would get more fans according to their performances in races, the selection of cars and tracks, and the overall gameplay turned this game into a very solid sequel of a saga that threatened to challenge the greatness of Gran Turismo.
8 TOCA Race Driver 2: The Ultimate Driving Simulator
If Grid 2 was trying to challenge the greats, TOCA Race Driver 2 actually did it. One of the best and most refined racing games at the time, an all-time classic especially for PlayStation 2.
Released in 2004, it featured a ton of different content with once again great graphics and the possibility to set the game in a Hardcore simulation mode which brings one of the most realistic racing simulators at the time.
7 DiRT Rally
Apart from F1, street racing and driving simulators what Codemasters really excelled at was their rally games. DiRT Rally launched in 2015 for PC, and a little later in consoles. It felt like the culmination of the DiRT saga. Truth is, the game was so realistic that it turned out to be extremely difficult for beginners.
A game that sets the casuals from the true pilots. Like it or not, when a racing game succeeds at portraying the sport in such a faithful and detailed manner, it has to be considered one of the best, even if the public doesn't feel welcome.
6 Race Driver: Grid
Back in 2008, Codemasters seemed to grow tired of the collecting cars trend and made a game that focused solely on racing, plain and simple. The first entry of the Grid franchise is still one of their best-rated games in Metacritic. A highly acclaimed racing game that knows how to stick to the basics and perfect them.
Others might try to do too much and fail to make some of the content worthwhile. In Grid, every car and track, physics, and gameplay were right on point. Hard to find games as polished as this one at launch these days.
5 Colin McRae Rally 2.0
An absolute classic masterpiece, remembered by anyone into racing games or just rallying. Colin McRae Rally 2.0 came out in the year 2000 for PlayStation and PC and Game Boy Advance, although its graphics could easily be mistaken for a PlayStation 2 game, and not a bad one.
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At the time, this game was by far the best and most realistic rallying video game, the only issues that could be found were tracks, a little short.
4 F1 2017
It couldn't be different. The top of the list is almost limited to the F1 franchise that Codemasters built out of thin air. The king of Motorsports deserved an annual game that could rival with all the other major sports games like NBA 2K, FIFA, or Madden, and they did it.
However, F1 2017 makes the list as one of their best after almost a decade of work and continued progress. The increasing popularity and respected gameplay of the franchise made this the first F1 game in the eSports competitions.
3 Colin McRae: DiRT 2
One of the most highly acclaimed games they ever made, and worthy of a podium finish. Released in 2009, Colin McRae DiRT 2 had a unique feel to it. It was one of the few times were Codemasters decided to fusion arcade-like physics with simulation gameplay. The introduction of a few different modes also helped to bring different types of public to the game, as well as maintaining a place for the hardcore fans. The only downside to be found was perhaps the absence of weather and track deterioration.
2 F1 2020
The last entry of the F1 franchise before EA took over. Codemasters went all out on F1 2020 as if they were saving something for the end.
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They brought new gameplay, customization, the introduction of the My Team mode, a wide range of accessibility options, driver changes in career mode, and classic cars but also classic drivers to be added to your team. Probably, the only reason it stands at second place is nostalgia.
1 F1 2010
Sitting right at the top, F1 2010 was a game that changed the racing genre forever. It was Codemasters' first attempt at the F1 series and the first time the competition had a licensed product for a few years. The leap forward was massive. It built a huge fan base for F1 games almost overnight thanks greatly to the career mode.
This mode would make the player start from a top-bottom team and build their way up with results, becoming the first driver, improving and developing the car during practice sessions, and testing skills to the limit. Simply, special.