Consequently, when it was announced that 2008's Burnout Paradise would be implementing an open world, many people were unhappy, as they felt like it was an unnecessary addition that would detract from the events. Prior to Burnout Paradise's release, the Burnout series was synonymous with over-the-top, arcade-style street racing action. These racing games provide hours of enjoyment and prove just how harmonious this combination really is. Cleverly-made worlds allow for near-infinite combinations of tracks and sprints that players can get invested in time and time again. Open-world racing games are all the rage now, and players can stop raving about titles that merge these two styles of gameplay effortlessly.

Players love the adrenaline rush they experience while playing these titles, with added features like car customization and story modes keeping them even more invested! However, if there's one winning combination that has sold a ton of racing and driving games, it's how this genre merges seamlessly with an open world. Updated on July 11, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: Racing games have a rich history of delivering excellent gameplay loops as players complete tough circuits and challenges while trying to reach and maintain the highest speeds possible. The following open-world racing games on this list all struck gold with excellent driving mechanics, interesting events, and tantalizing maps that are begging to be explored. Although these genres do indeed dominate the open-world market, there have also been a handful of fantastic racing games over the years taking take place in enormous game worlds that players are free to drive around and explore. When people think of open-world gaming, they tend to imagine action-adventure games and RPGs. RELATED: The Most Realistic Racing Games Ever

Still, when an open-world game is done right, it can create a fantastic gameplay experience for the player that is hard to top. Unfortunately, this has led to numerous lackluster releases that shoehorn in an underwhelming open world for marketing and advertising purposes. Open-world gaming has become a powerful commercial force in the industry today, with many iconic IPs ditching their tried and tested gameplay formulas to try and get a piece of the success, including famously linear franchises like Sonic.

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