Five overlooked driving games you may have missed in 2024

There was no shortage of new racing games in 2024, from Le Mans Ultimate to F1 24 and Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. However, several didn’t get the recognition they deserved and fell towards the back of the grid.

As another year reaches the finish line, here are five overlooked driving and racing games you may have missed in 2024.

Monster Jam Showdown

Monster Jam Showdown sees MotoGP and Hot Wheels Unleashed developer Milestone take over the Monster Jam game license. Running on Unreal Engine 5, Showdown is easily the best-looking monster truck game yet, with highly detailed trucks, realistic lighting and impressive weather effects. This is combined with colourful menus that remind us of the DIRT games.

Showdown’s trucks are fun and satisfying to control, with optional rear-wheel steering and bouncy suspension when landing jumps and leaning around corners. There’s a generous selection of vehicles, too, with 66 trucks in the base game plus an extra 26 encompassing free and paid DLC, with fan favourites including the iconic Grave Digger and the shark-shaped Megladon.

Showdown’s ten game modes range from carnage-filled figure-of-eight events to freestyle arenas, where you score points and combos by performing donuts, wheelies and show-stopping backflips.   

Outside of the stunt shows, there’s also a traditional circuit racing mode. With giant monster trucks tearing across off-road courses, smashing into scenery and jumping over gaps, the rugged racing is reminiscent of MotorStorm.  

A few issues let Milestone’s first monster truck game down. The career mode is overlong and repetitive, there’s not enough track variety and the stunt arenas lack atmosphere. Despite this, Showdown is an entertaining off-road racer that will delight Monster Jam fans.

Super Woden GP 2

Initially released on PC last year, Super Woden GP 2 made its console debut this year, introducing more players to this hidden indie racing gem.

Developed by solo Spanish developer ViJuDa, Super Woden GP II is essentially a retro reimagining of Gran Turismo. References to classic Gran Turismo games are everywhere, from the central map where you browse dealerships, wash your car and change your oil, to the wonderfully curated vehicle roster.    

None of the cars are licensed, but you’re treated to nearly 200 recognisable homages of legendary road and race cars, each with distinct handling characteristics to keep you on your toes.

A lengthy campaign sees you enter one-off race weekends, multi-event championships, endurance events and even rally stages. There’s a satisfying sense of progression as you start with underpowered hatchbacks before unlocking high-speed GT cars and prototypes.

While the isometric perspective won’t be for everyone, Super Woden GP II is well worth your time.

Heading Out

A homage to classic car chase films, particularly the 1971 road movie Vanishing Point starring Barry Newman and a white Dodge Challenger R/T, Heading Out is a compelling cross between Driver and narrative adventure games.

You play as an outlaw driving across the USA in a muscle car (more movie-inspired cars are unlocked as you progress) to escape your fears.

Along the journey, you’ll encounter mysterious characters that result in morally difficult situations, with your choices affecting the story and your character’s personality. As you head for the open road, passing rivals challenge you to street races.

Driving sections are interspersed with stealth sections on an overhead map showing your route and destination. Here, you must watch your speed to avoid passing police cars, with your car represented as a dot.

Resource management also adds an element of strategy, with money earned in street races used to refuel and repair your car. If you don’t have enough cash, you can rob petrol stations, which affects your reputation and wanted level. It’s a careful balancing act, as it’s game over if you terminally damage your car or your fear, represented by an expanding red mist on the map, catches you up.

Heading Out’s striking, Sin City-esque art style also deserves praise, featuring black and white visuals with contrasting dashes of colour.

The story’s political satire is too heavy-handed sometimes, and the driving sequences are surprisingly short-lived, but Heading Out is a road trip you won’t forget in a hurry.

Trail Out

As we eagerly wait for Wreckfest 2 to arrive, there’s another destruction racer that deserves your attention. Developed by small studio Good Boys, Trail Out is effectively a modern spiritual successor to the original FlatOut games.

As such, Trail Out is more arcadey and over the top than Wreckfest, with less demanding driving physics, destructible scenery and plenty of explosions. There’s even a story mode with cut scenes and dubious voice acting. And yes, you can abuse your hapless driver by ejecting them through the windscreen in slapstick mini-games like the FlatOut games.

Since initially launching in 2022 on PC, post-release support has been exceptional, with this month’s Road Rash-inspired ‘Moto Rush’ DLC adding motorcycles and weapons. If you’re in the mood for some mayhem and an arcadey alternative to Wreckfest, Trail Out is worth a look.

Following its initial PC release last year, Trail Out was ported to Xbox this year, with a delayed PS5 version set to launch in 2025.

New Star GP

On the surface, New Star GP looks like any other retro-inspired indie racer with low-poly graphics. Yes, the visuals are inspired by early 3D racers like Virtua Racing, but its hidden depths beyond that are unprecedented.

Despite the lack of official licensing, New Star Games’ reverence for Formula 1 history shines. The indie studio’s take on New Star Games’ take on Formula 1 sees you start in the 1980s and work your way up to the present day, with changes to car designs, track layouts and driver lineups reflecting each decade.

As such, you’ll race alongside familiar names like ‘Ayrton Serafino,’ ‘Nigel Mawson’ and ‘Nike Laube.’

Although New Star GP is an arcade racer, you can’t get away with planting the throttle and taking corners at full speed: winning races requires mastering driving lines and braking points. It’s a perfect mix of arcade and realism.

Interactive pit stops where you manually control your crew provide an extra layer of strategy to an already surprisingly deep game. Choosing the correct tyres, fuel allowance and number of pit stops can make the difference between winning and losing. Combine this with competitive opponents featuring unique driving styles and personalities, and every race win feels deserved – especially as there’s no cheating rubber-band AI.  

Add in changeable weather, car customisation and team management, and New Star GP is a surprisingly comprehensive package.

With several high-profile titles falling below expectations this year (we’re looking at you, F1 24 and Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown), New Star GP is one of 2024’s best and most surprising racing games. Considering this is the small studio’s first multi-platform game, it’s an outstanding effort and needs more recognition. 

Are there any overlooked racing games released this year that deserve more recognition?  Let us know your suggestions in the comments below.