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Best Racing games of 1997

The 8 best Racing games released in 1997, ranked from 1,482 critic and player ratings.

The best Racing game of 1997 is Ignition, with a critic score of 86/100 — updated October 2026.

How this ranking is built
  • Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
  • A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
  • Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
  • Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
  • Release window covered: 1997.
  • 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,482 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 12 October 2026.

Top 8

01 Ignition Ignition 1997 · 42 ratings Ignition is an action packed racing game viewed from above and slightly behind the player. The cars on offer range from police car and VW Beetle to school bus and truck, each of which has its own strengths and weaknesses - trying to win with the bus, which involves blocking everyone behind the hideously slow vehicle for 3 laps, is perhaps the ultimate challenge. Initially there are 5 tracks available, with practice and single race modes as well as full championship at 3 levels - winning each of the first 2 levels unlocks an extra track. They all have hazards running through them, and sections where you must make a split-second choice between the safer route and the risky but potentially rewarding one. Multiplayer can be done via network or by split-screen - in a break with convention the screen is split vertically rather than horizontally. 86 /100
02 Grand Theft Auto Grand Theft Auto 1997 · 504 ratings Grand Theft Auto is the first game in the Grand Theft Auto series and a sandbox-crime game published by Rockstar Games. The original Grand Theft Auto is made up of a series of levels each set in one of the three cities in the game. In each level, the player has a target number of points to achieve, and five lives to attain the score. The score counter doubles as a money meter; the player can spend this money on paint jobs and various other things. However, any money spent is of course taken away from the score, making the goal that little bit further away. On obtaining the target number of points, the player must then drive to a certain location to complete the level, which allows progress to the next one. 80 /100
03 Carmageddon Carmageddon 1997 · 185 ratings Take the wheel as Max Damage as you plow scores of vehicles unlucky enough to be in your way in Carmageddon, an action racing game. Your soundtrack will be the sound of crunching metal, the splatter of motor oil on the windshield, and the screams of skidding tires. With a white-knuckled grip on the wheel, you'll have the choice of 23 crash mobiles (from a terrifying monster truck to a high octane Dragster) and 30+ levels of hellish fury and motorized terror. 80 /100
04 Moto Racer Moto Racer 1997 · 34 ratings Moto Racer is an arcade style motorcycle racing game developed by Delphine Software International and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation. It features both dirt and street bikes, and a variety of tracks. 78 /100
05 Gran Turismo B Gran Turismo 1997 · 291 ratings · 1 Tier vote Gran Turismo is a racing game designed by Kazunori Yamauchi and is the first entry in the critically acclaimed simulator racing series bearing the same name. After five years of development time, it was well-received publicly and critically, shipping a total of 10.85 million copies worldwide as of March 2013, making it the best-selling PlayStation game. The game uses two different modes: Arcade Mode and Gran Turismo Mode. In the arcade mode, the player can freely choose the courses and vehicles they wish to use. Winning races unlocks additional cars and courses. However, Gran Turismo Mode requires the player to earn different levels of driver's licenses in order to qualify for events, and earn credits, trophies and prize cars by winning race championships. Gran Turismo features 140 cars and 11 race tracks (as well as their reversed versions). 73 /100
06 Need for Speed 2 Need for Speed 2 1997 · 196 ratings There are three main game types. The first two are single race and tournament and the last is a knockout race. Single races allow players to become familiar with the circuits and increase their skill of any one of the six tracks. The six tracks are called Mediterranean, Mystic Peaks, Proving Grounds, Outback, North Country, and Pacific Spirit. 60 /100
07 LEGO Island LEGO Island 1997 · 35 ratings Lego Island is a nonlinear game with a first-person perspective. The game features a series of missions including pizza delivery, jet ski racing, and putting the Brickster back in jail. It also features a variety of playable characters that each have unique abilities that can help the player throughout the game. 53 /100
08 Diddy Kong Racing Diddy Kong Racing 1997 · 195 ratings Diddy Kong Racing is set on Timber's Island and revolves around Diddy Kong and his friends' attempt to defeat the intergalactic antagonist, a wizarding pig named Wizpig, through winning a series of races. The player can take control of any of the featured characters throughout the game. Diddy Kong Racing features five worlds with four racetracks each, and the ability to drive a car, hovercraft, or pilot an aeroplane. 50 /100
Browse all Racing games

Other years

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Same year, other platforms

Best PC games of 1997Best PlayStation 1 games of 1997Best Mac games of 1997Best Arcade games of 1997Best Nintendo 64 games of 1997Best Sega Saturn games of 1997Best Linux games of 1997

Nearby rankings

Best Racing games of 1996Best Racing games of 1998Best Fighting games of 1997Best Platformer games of 1997Best RPG games of 1997

Catalog statistics

Most abandoned gamesMost completed games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Racing game of 1997?

Ignition currently tops the ranking with a score of 86/100 across 42 ratings. Ranking updated October 2026.

How is this ranking built?

Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.