iRacing is a subscription-based racing simulator from the developers over at iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations, a team currently only known for this game. The game was originally released back on the 26th August 2008 but has constantly been updated by the developers with new cars, tracks, and visuals to keep up-to-date with the modern day. iRacing is designed to provide one of the most realistic auto racing simulations out there and succeeds to this very day.
How to Download iRacing
To start to play iRacing click on the Download button at the end of the review. The game can be downloaded from Steam and you will be able to decide on what subscription period you need.
The Game Review
iRacing does its best to make its visuals as realistic as it can get them, so all of its models and tracks resemble their real-world counterparts; something the developers do quite well and consistently. The visuals do show their age somewhat in comparison to other racing simulators that are designed to look as realistic as possible, but considering the game is 10 years old, they’ve improved upon on the graphics quite consistently over the years.
iRacing could be mistaken for a simple racing game and that it’s simply a track racer, where you have to make it to the end of the circuit in first place and there’s nothing else standing in your way, but that would be completely wrong. The developers have designed the game to be as accurate of a simulation as possible when it comes to their races, which means that most events in the game follow their real-world counterparts and must be followed to a tee if you want to finish the race at all. Failing to follow these strict rules will allow for penalties or even a straight-up disqualification, so it isn’t something to be taken lightly whilst playing.
Even the gameplay is recommended to be taken seriously, as it’s made blatantly clear that the best way to play is with proper set-up of a steering wheel, pedals, and even a gearbox to truly compete in this game. While you are able to play with a controller, it’s not going to be much of an advantage, as the game wants you to play it as if you were truly behind the wheel of the car.
With the cars effectively remodeled from the real world into the game, they’re designed to control just like they would in real life as well, depending on the terrain that they are driving on. Some cars might have great grip on tarmac but be next to useless when on a dirt road; this realistic simulation style is rampant throughout the entirety of the game.
The game isn’t exactly designed to be like many other racing games, but the closest comparisons would have to be the titles, such as Project Cars, Gran Turismo, and even to some regard, Euro Truck Simulator. That last one, however, is only contingent with the very complicated control scheme that has you drive around as if you would in real life.
iRacing isn’t exactly the easiest game to get into if you’re not a big fan of racing simulators, but for anyone that’s looking for one of the most realistic racing simulators out there, then this is the game that you’ve been looking for. It has so much to offer to the dedicated, hardcore racing fan that it’s hard to find anything better from other sources.
