When players think of the racing genre, they might think of mainstays like Need for Speed and Forza Motorsport, which usually focus on hardcore matches across roads miraculously devoid of traffic and pedestrians. While unique mechanics such as police chases and periodic mini-games populate racing titles, the gameplay loops they've established have made the genre fairly straightforward.

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In turn, racing games with RPG elements have become quite a revelation for genre fans who think straightforward car action wouldn't be able to offer role-playing staples such as progression and gripping narratives. Certain modern racing titles try to integrate RPG-esque elements into their gameplay, creating an experience that could cater to fans of the latter genre. More importantly, certain older titles seem to have been released under that genre entirely, paving the way for niche racing experiences on more modern consoles.

10 Need For Speed Heat

Earning Bank & Securing Rep Add Depth To Classic Police Chases

In the final Need For Speed entry of the 2010s, players of Need For Speed Heat arrive in the Miami-inspired Palm City for the SpeedHunters Showdown. Here, street racers participate in both sanctioned daylight races and the occasional illegal nighttime affair - at least, until they’re caught by the cops of the High-Speed Task Force. The game’s new Heat System forces players to spend the day earning Bank (Money) for new cars and upgrades, whereas night races earn them Rep, both currencies at the risk of being lost when caught by the police.

Despite Heat’s story being very much more of the same when compared to other Need For Speed tales, cop chases being better integrated via the Heat System bolsters the RPG appeal of the game. On top of a deep car customization system, performance upgrades are locked behind Rep requirements, forcing players to continue risking their hard-earned cash in illegal races, keeping with the theme of the series.

9 The Crew 2

Build A Crew To Master Racing Methods

Set in a persistent open world, gameplay in The Crew 2 skips the complications of a hardcore street racing story and goes straight to the part where players try to become the best racer there is. When players begin their The Crew 2 journey, they have to take their character through the ranks from Rookie to Icon in the game’s racing modes or disciplines, namely Street Racing, Off-Road, Freestyle, and Pro Racing. On top of traditional cars, players can also race with other vehicles such as motorcycles, planes, and boats, all with their unique hierarchies, upgrades, and mechanics.

The game’s focus on progression gives The Crew 2 an RPG-like feel, especially when achieving new ranks can reward players with new vehicles. Cars can be upgraded with new parts to tinker with the specifics of their performance, while the emphasis on multiplayer can encourage gamers to form the aforementioned Crews of four to dominate world rankings.

8 F1 23

Ride The Thrills Of Intense Formula One Management

On top of being the go-to title for Formula One’s 2023 circuit, F1 23 ups the ante by integrating the season’s regulation changes with upgrades already implemented in F1 22. This resulted in overhauled racing physics, a more realistic-leaning UI, and more technical mechanics. While players can enjoy quick racing bursts in F1 World challenges or a riveting story mode via Braking Point 2, where F1 23 shines for RPG enthusiasts is in Career Mode.

Unlike career modes in other racing titles, where players are “team owners that race on behalf of the team,” F1 23 extends the technical intensity of pinpoint Formula One racing into management, allowing players to role-play as a manager and a racer separately. As a team owner, players need to balance budgets across personnel training, upgrades, sponsorships, and navigating inter-team maneuvering. As drivers, players have options to tinker with cars in ways that alter playstyles in precisely the ways they need to, deciding the fate of races through minute changes.

7 Forza Horizon 5

Collection, Progression, & Customization Further Personalize The Racing Experience

Boasting a more vibrant landscape befitting its open-world nature is Forza Horizon 5, with its fictional Mexico map being the largest across all Forza Horizon entries. Races become more “alive” with the game’s weather system, joining the franchise’s existing climate modes that will affect the map’s 11 biomes. Adding to the game’s multiplayer charm are spontaneous mini-games called Horizon Arcade, a leaderboard via the Forza Link, and the return of the Eliminator battle royale mode.

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However, where Forza Horizon 5 ventures into RPG territory is its emphasis on player freedom, customization, and unlockables. Players can collect more than 700 licensed vehicles in Forza Horizon 5 on top of unlockables such as character clothing, Tokens for returning Driver Stories, and unique vehicles to race with. Considering how even Forza Horizon 5 vehicles can be personalized with body kits, custom tunes, and different swaps, being able to race on one’s own terms puts the “role” in role-play in the Forza Horizon entry.

6 Bloody Rally Show

Straightforward Bloody Races With Deep Customization

Emphasizing the prospect of a “bloody” car race is Bloody Rally Show, set in a dystopian future where a television-obsessed audience has developed a penchant for violence. In the game’s story, players have recently been thawed from cryogenic sleep and are coerced by “Bloody Rally Show” director Nicholas Merryland into racing for him.

Races in Bloody Rally Show are as straightforward as they get, with players receiving the occasional extra objective and extra weapons to wreak more havoc. The game’s RPG-esque components shine with its deep car customization and upgrade system, encouraging players to tailor-fit their playstyle in the game’s procedurally-generated tracks as they make progress throughout the story. Bloody Rally Show also features an in-depth track customizer that allows players to challenge friends as well.

5 Desert Child

Quests Become A Highlight In Becoming A Martian Career Racer

In a future where humanity has already colonized Mars, Desert Child shows another frontier to conquer in the form of the planet’s burgeoning speeder bike circuit. To do this, players travel with their hoverbike to Mars and attempt to earn the 10,000 Credits needed to join the Grand Prix. The crux of the game’s RPG-lite mechanics revolves around the method of acquiring this main objective: after players select their preferred hoverbike weapon, it’s up to them to keep their character fed, their hoverbike repaired, and to get enough money for the competition.

Players do these side objectives by exploring the Red Planet’s locales and talking to NPCs for odd jobs, be it pizza delivery, resource collection, or outright robbery. On top of straightforward DOS-style horizontal races, players need to balance earning money legally and fast-tracking cash via Mars’s nightlife district before the police catch up and take the player’s on-hand earnings.

4 Final Lap Twin

Dominate Town After Town In Official, Random Duels To Become Champion

Despite its age and retro graphics, Final Lap Twin may surprise gamers with a compact racing experience tucked beneath a basic RPG formula. Players take on the role of a youngster whose father is a racing champion, and their goal to follow in their father’s footsteps is filled with a whole world’s worth of rival racers. In classic Final Fantasy fashion, players explore an overworld as they traverse from one town to the next, discovering NPCs, vendors that sell upgrades, and random encounters that force players to engage in racing duels.

As players begin with a rather lackluster car, Final Lap Twin gives them much-needed opportunities to upgrade it with enough money. Thanks to vendors, players can tinker with upgrades assigned to parts (Body, Fuel, Tire, etc.), which then affect specific stats (Speed, Grip, Turbo, and Flight). Despite races always needing players to win, being able to tailor-fit a car to a player’s preferred playstyle makes for a rather early iteration of the racing RPG concept.

3 Autoduel

Car Combat With Deep Customization, Steep Progression Across Areas

Set in the United States in 2030, Autoduel depicts a world where armored car gangs pose a threat in a car-dominated society. Despite its age, Autoduel for classic consoles taps into its combat sim inspiration Car Wars to create a car combat game with RPG mechanics. This is evident as early as character creation, where players distribute 50 Points across Driving, Marksmanship, and Mechanic stats to their rookie driver. Beginning with no car, new characters can only explore towns across the Atlantic after earning enough for their own vehicle.

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It’s in the open nature of the game where Autoduel shines. Players are free to tackle the game’s story, told through missions across cities, and they may also engage in combat both on the road or through tournaments. Due to the intense nature of combat, players are encouraged to have multiple cars in reserve, especially when repairs can become extremely costly. The gritty nature of car combat on top of a main character out to make a name for themselves at all costs makes Autoduel quite the compelling classic car RPG.

2 Car Battler Joe

Create And Destroy Cars With RPG-Esque Customization

While not necessarily focused on racing, Car Battler Joe manages to combine intense car combat action with RPG-style collection and upgrades. Starring 16-year-old Joe, players need to help the rookie car battler make it to the big leagues by fighting other car battlers, creating and improving custom vehicles, as well as helping townsfolk from various villages along the way.

As with other RPG-esque titles, Car Battler Joe takes players across roads and towns where all activities are centered around car battling. Various parts can be found scattered on roads or purchased from stores, while missions range from traditional combat, hunting for items, or survival modes. Despite being a Game Boy Advance title, Car Battler Joe shines in its vehicle customization, as players can create a myriad of cars with different parts and weapons that are tailor-fit for their specific playstyles and preferences.

1 Racing Lagoon

Race Amid A Gritty, Angsty Car Gang Backdrop Of A Story

The closest thing gaming has to a fully-fledged racing RPG would be Racing Lagoon, a Square game set in Yokohama, Japan, in 1999 where the “Fastest Legend” shook the area’s street racing scene. As the game begins, players take on the role of Sho Akasaki, the newest recruit of the Bay Lagoon Racing crew, as he explores his forgotten past that is somehow related to the enigmatic event.

The gritty atmosphere of Racing Lagoon captures the height of the illegal street racing scene in Japan in the 1980s, with the game’s main High-Speed Driving RPG mode letting players explore an overworld via car and engage in races by flashing their headlights into other cars. While the game emphasizes traditional racing mechanics, Racing Lagoon cranks up a gear higher, as winning races give players parts from losing cars, which they can then use to improve their own vehicles.

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