10 Racing Games With The Best Damage Models

A good damage model can really set a game apart and make it even more enjoyable. We recently asked which racing games you think have the best damage models and there were lots of responses!
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BeamNG.drive is a simulation game that takes damage models to new levels with its highly-praised soft-body physics, a complicated but highly effective system that makes crashes look pretty awesome.

Few games can compete with BeamNG when it comes to the way cars crash, shed debris and get smashed up. It’s thrilling to watch and puts a lot of other, more established and better-funded games to shame…

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Project Cars isn’t for everyone, which was made pretty clear from our recent piece on the worst games you’ve ever played. But, there’s no denying the fact that the damage model is quite detailed.

Bodywork dents nicely and even wheels fall off - it’s a shame we get so excited about that. But Project Cars is quite realistic, especially compared to rivals, and mechanical damage has been nicely done too.

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OK, so BeamNG.drive isn’t necessarily a racing game, more a driving game, but when it comes to actual racing, few games have as good a damage model as Dirt Rally. The way the bodywork bends and disintegrates, the wheels bend out of alignment and fall off and the more realistic way the cars pick up damage is all mightily impressive.

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Grid 2’s handling model may have been met with a mixed response, but the damage system was done pretty well. It was a big step forward compared to the previous game, with different cars getting smashed up in different ways. Very satisfying.

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For a game that’s all about smashing up cars and crashing in spectacular fashion, it’s a good job Burnout Paradise’s damage model was one of its strengths. They were always amazing to watch too.

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OK, so when compared to the racing games for the current generation of consoles, this can’t quite compete. But for its time, Street Legal Racing: Redline’s damage model and crashes were impressive and made smashing up your car enjoyable way back in 2003.

Also, turn down the volume because the music in that video is horrible.

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Probably an underrated racing game when it comes to damage, but Assetto Corsa is actually quite good. The component damage system is fairly realistic and crashes look dramatic and exciting. That’s what we want as gamers, right?

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We’ve already included Grid 2 on this list, so it kind of says a lot about that game when the original Grid had a pretty good damage model – especially for back in 2008.

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For its time, the GP4 damage model was impressive and made it a cracking game to play. Sure, the crashes weren’t massively realistic, but they were always epic to watch and looked insane. Again, ignore the awful music in that video…

Here’s another game that also uses soft-physics damage modelling, but unlike BeamNG, this is a proper racing game. It’s an eclectic mix of demolition derbies and track racing, so there’s something for every car gamer. The damage model looks brilliant and is quite realistic, for what it is.

Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. See the original community post right here.

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Comments

Anonymous

Beamng is amazingly basic but fun as hell

01/15/2017 - 23:55 |
2 | 0
Caro

Still didn’t mention how SLRR has the best repair system in any game ever. You really felt like you were building your car up.

01/15/2017 - 23:58 |
24 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Caro

Playing the first Street Legal, I always got worried when I spun out, cause I would have to spend time and money on repairs.

No other games have gotten even close to that feeling of despair just before a crash.

Too bad the spiritual successor never made it out of Kickstarter.

01/16/2017 - 00:38 |
18 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Caro

well it’s like Car Mechanic Simulator with racing

01/21/2017 - 15:28 |
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Demay Christophe

You missed FlatOut guys !!!!

01/16/2017 - 00:17 |
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Macej

Not sure if it was proper racing game( I was alwys playing some stunt challenge or death macth so…) but I enjoyed playing the Crashday as a kid

01/16/2017 - 00:20 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Am I really the only one who finds Dirt Rally’s damage and overall physics (movements of the cars on the road, etc.) utterly unrealistic?

01/16/2017 - 00:39 |
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Anonymous

What about Driven to Destruction/Test Drive:Eve of Destruction, damn good damage model for the time.

01/16/2017 - 01:26 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

I’ve played NFS ProStreet and i can say that it has pretty great damage model. The body panel can fall off and even the hood can fly away and exposes your car’s engine

01/16/2017 - 01:33 |
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Anonymous

Grid 2 is phenomenal for damage detail

01/16/2017 - 01:48 |
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Dylan Sandoval

Driver San Francisco anyone?

01/16/2017 - 02:45 |
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PhillipM

All these with terrible damage models and not one mention of carmageddon where you can cleave your car in half…..or bend it like a banana and the car will actually drive around in circles - and it’s not a preset angle either but calculated on the fly. You can even throw yourself through the windshield with a frontal impact (and then run yourself over)

01/16/2017 - 03:13 |
0 | 0