Perhaps even more so than in the real world, in video games racing can be subdivided into many different types. Rather than sticking to a niche set by arcade classics like Pole Position, they’ve proliferated into a dizzy array. On the realistic side of things, popular titles today include often long-running Formula One and rally series currently dominated by those from Codemasters, especially the simracers we have all the latest on including peripheral recommendations and mod details.
Of course, the fantastical and story-driven possibilities of the medium have also made kart racers from companies like Nintendo and Sega fantastically popular to the point of being console-sellers. It has also allowed production of other sometimes-bizarre offshoot subgenres like futuristic racers Wipeout and F-Zero, trick-based racers like Excite Truck and Turbo Golf Racing, and arcade-style adrenaline pumpers like Burnout or Initial D.
The use of cops and robbers as a featured mechanic, or even just a popular play style among fans, is popular in racing games. That wasn’t always the case — 1985’s Cops ‘n’ Robbers may have been something of an early forerunner of Grand Theft Auto, but there was no racing involved per se. Games like Outrun popularized the idea, but it wasn’t until Road Rash that the idea of combat was mainstreamed. Meanwhile, cops and robbers is an enduring theme that continues to be spun out into other genres. Mobile game Cops N Robbers: Pixel Craft Gun is a first-person shooter with crafting and a Minecraft aesthetic, for instance, while in web-based online slots from Gala Casino feature a game called Cops and Robbers Megaways. Although these don’t have any racing, the imagery of police vehicles in the latter still invokes the chase trope. While car chases are featured in non-console titles — one example, Robber Race, is yet another mobile game with a Minecraft-like style, only focused around the getaway aspect — that’s not what we’re here for. Without further ado, then, here’s the pick of the finest car chase action to grace consoles.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered
This is probably the go-to example of the purest distillation of cops and robbers racing. Originally released back in 2010, this 10 year anniversary edition bumps up the specs as you might expect, bringing the subseries to all major platforms including a Nintendo console for the first time in the form of the Switch edition, where it still runs well. Although reviews weren’t totally stellar, the arcade style is as solid as you’d expect, and we love that it cuts out the fat of modern gaming and gets right to the racing, with a glut of cars available.
The Crew 2
As open-world racers go, Ubisoft’s The Crew 2 is arguably one of the better offerings around. It was only in the third year after release that fan requests for chases were finally satiated, however, with plenty of options for vehicles decked out as police interceptors to join the generally wide selection.
The Getaway
Those who remember this one may be shocked to learn that it’s actually 20 years old. Although often described as a ‘Grand Theft Auto clone,’ The Getaway only came out shortly after the first 3D GTA game, GTA 3, meaning development was happening at the same time. Set in the more claustrophobic streets of London, the roads are narrower and the tone moodier than Rockstar’s series. The game was even banned in Australia due to a graphic torture scene! Since the story follows dual perspectives, one of an ex-convict and one of a police detective, players experience chases from multiple perspectives. After a less-successful second entry, the third game in the series was canned, although fans still hold out for a return of Team Soho’s underrated franchise.
The use of the chase mechanic is popular among game devs, with many classics not on this list like Midtown Madness and even fan-created versions like in Forza Horizon 5, to the point where even sci-fi racers like F-Zero GX integrate the idea of crushing rivals into the story. We can expect the idea to persist, then, into the foreseeable future.
