5 Best PS3 Racing Games That Still Hold Up Today

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The PlayStation 3 was a fantastic era for racing game enthusiasts. Developers consistently released excellent titles, offering a wide variety of gameplay experiences. Whether you preferred fast-paced, arcade-style racing or realistic simulations, there were plenty of great options. Many of these games are still enjoyable today, thanks to the PS3’s powerful hardware. While they don’t have the same visual polish as modern games like Forza, they still look significantly better than titles from the PlayStation 2 or older consoles.

Here are five PlayStation 3 racers that still hold up.

5) Midnight Club: Los Angeles

If you’re looking to play Midnight Club: Los Angeles, the Complete Edition is the way to go. It includes everything from the original game, plus all downloadable content, and a few improvements to fix bugs and refine gameplay. You’ll get the most complete and polished experience possible with this version.

This game features an incredibly detailed and realistic recreation of Los Angeles, infused with Rockstar’s signature style, and offers a wide variety of online racing options. It’s a shame Rockstar stopped making Midnight Club games after this installment, choosing to concentrate on Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead instead. However, if you’re curious to see what Rockstar was capable of when focused on racing games, this is the one to play.

4) Gran Turismo 5

If you’re looking for a beautiful PlayStation 3 game, Gran Turismo 6 is a great choice – it still looks amazing and plays very well. However, I personally think Gran Turismo 5 holds up better overall, aside from the graphics.

As a racing fan, I was blown away by Gran Turismo 5. Seriously, over 1,000 cars and 77 tracks? That’s insane! And with changing weather and time of day, every race feels totally different. They also finally nailed the damage – you can really see the cars getting wrecked, which is awesome. It’s no surprise it sold so well, right after Grand Theft Auto V as the top PS3 game. If you’re into realistic racing games, this one is a must-have.

3) MotorStorm

MotorStorm delivers exhilarating off-road racing with a diverse range of vehicles. Forget typical cars – you’ll be competing in everything from ATVs and buggies to rally cars and massive trucks. Choosing the right vehicle is key, as each one handles differently and has its own advantages.

While you’re racing, the track will actually change and fall apart around you, making every lap different and adding new challenges. The game doesn’t have a huge number of modes, but it’s still a really fun and simple racer to pick up and play. If you want something completely different from realistic games like Gran Turismo 5, this is definitely worth checking out.

2) Burnout Paradise

Okay, so the Burnout games are my go-to when I just want pure chaos – basically ramming into everyone else to create huge crashes! That’s always been my favorite part. Burnout Paradise was awesome because they took that classic racing and put it in a massive open world. Honestly, I thought that might ruin the fun, but it actually made things even better. There’s just so much to explore and wreck stuff in!

While it wasn’t perfect – things like not being able to quickly restart races and lots of advertising were downsides – the game was still fantastic overall. The way you unlocked cars was especially well done, and there was a great variety of race modes to choose from. If you’re interested in playing now, the 2018 remastered version is probably your best bet, but even the original game holds up pretty well.

1) Split/Second

Despite being published by Disney, Split/Second is a surprisingly strong racing game. Its developer, Black Rock Studio, was well known for creating excellent racing titles like Pure, MotoGP, and ATV Offroad Fury. They delivered a fast-paced and thrilling experience that rewarded players for taking bold chances.

In this new reality show-style game, you earn points by performing stunts like jumps and drifts, and even causing a little chaos! The goal is to become the most thrilling racer – filling up your special meter allows you to trigger obstacles that will slow down your rivals.

In Split/Second, you can trigger spectacular events like exploding tankers and collapsing dams to impact the race. You can even use special abilities to create shortcuts and gain an advantage. It’s a truly excellent racing game that unfortunately didn’t find a large audience, contributing to the closure of its developer, Black Rock Studios, shortly after release.

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2026-06-13 01:50