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The Crew Motorfest is the best choice for a conventional, car-focused open-world racing game on Nintendo Switch 2. It combines a large Hawaiian map with street races, off-road routes, track events and themed activities. Choose Mario Kart World if you want kart racing in a connected world with a substantial Free Roam mode, or Burnout Paradise Remastered if your priority is arcade driving, crashes, shortcuts and an open city. These games use “open world” in different ways, so the right choice depends on whether you want cars, karts or stunt-heavy arcade action.
That distinction matters because public questions about Switch 2 racers range from finding an open-world game “besides Mario Kart” to asking for the best open-world car game. Those are different requests, as the wording in this public discussion illustrates. The recommendations below are based on each game’s officially described world structure, racing activities, multiplayer features and Switch 2 status—not on a controlled performance test.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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The Crew Motorfest - Nintendo Switch 2 | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch 2 | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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PGA TOUR 2K25 - Nintendo Switch 2 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Fast and Furious: Spy Racers Rise of SH1FT3R (Nintendo Switch) | $27.08 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Hercule Poirot: The First Cases (Nintendo Switch) | $36.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | How the open world works | Switch 2 status | Online considerations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Crew Motorfest | Car-focused open-world driving with varied events | Hawaii-based map with street, off-road and track racing, plus themed playlists | Dedicated Switch 2 edition launched October 8, 2026 | Ubisoft requires an online connection; content must be purchased again for this platform |
| Mario Kart World | Kart racing, connected routes and exploration | Courses flow through mountains, forests and cities; Free Roam adds missions and exploration | Switch 2 exclusive, released June 5, 2025 | Online play requires internet and Nintendo Switch Online |
| Burnout Paradise Remastered | Arcade crashes, shortcuts and open-city events | Paradise City links downtown streets, mountain roads, shortcuts and extra locations | Originally a Nintendo Switch game from June 19, 2020; Nintendo lists it as supported on Switch 2 | Online features have account and connection requirements listed by Nintendo |
There is no independent, directly comparable frame-rate or image-quality benchmark for all three games in the available material. A feature-based recommendation is therefore more defensible than claiming that one has a universally superior technical performance.
What “open-world racing” means in these games
An open-world racer normally lets you leave a menu or a single track and drive through a connected environment before, between or instead of formal events. The three games here meet that idea differently:
#1 Best Overall
- EXPLORE A VIBRANT HAWAIIAN OPEN WORLD - Set across the islands of O'ahu, Maui, and Kauai, join high-speed street races, test your off-road skills on volcanic slopes, and master the curves on the tracks.
- CELEBRATE ALL THE FACETS OF CAR CULTURE - Discover playlists and dive into themed campaigns, exploring car culture worlds like American muscle, Japanese-style street racing, and legendary machines of the past!
- COLLECT THE MOST LEGENDARY CARS - Master every driving challenge and grow your collection of legendary vehicles. Customize your cars and show off your own style in the custom contest mode.
- Motorfest follows the familiar car-game model: drive around an island, discover activities and enter races across different disciplines.
- Mario Kart World connects race courses into a larger world. Its Free Roam mode lets you explore and complete missions, but the driving remains kart-based rather than a simulation of everyday cars.
- Burnout Paradise Remastered treats an entire city as an arcade playground. Events, shortcuts, jumps and crashes are embedded in the street network instead of being separated into isolated circuits.
Consequently, “best” should mean best for a stated preference. Someone seeking a car-focused playground will get a more direct match from Motorfest; someone who wants Nintendo-style karts and exploration will find Mario Kart World more coherent; and someone who values takedowns and high-speed improvisation should look at Burnout.
The Crew Motorfest: best conventional car-focused open world
Why it leads this list
Nintendo’s Switch 2 product page presents Motorfest as an explorable Hawaiian setting with street races in Honolulu, off-road driving on volcanic slopes and track racing. That mix gives it the clearest match for the phrase “open-world car game”: the map is a destination to drive through, while several racing disciplines give you reasons to move between areas.
The structure is broader than a single championship. Ubisoft’s Switch 2 announcement describes more than 30 themed playlists covering street racing, off-road, drift and motorsports activities. Playlists provide organized goals for players who want progression, while free driving supplies the open-ended part of the experience. Ubisoft also describes hundreds of vehicles, so the vehicle roster is intended to support multiple driving styles rather than one narrow class.
World and event variety
Honolulu supplies an urban setting for street events, while volcanic terrain changes the surface and route choices for off-road driving. Track races add a more controlled format than the island roads. The result is a game that can shift from city navigation to dirt routes to circuit-style competition without requiring a different title.
The game includes both player-versus-environment and player-versus-player activities according to Ubisoft’s description. That makes it suitable for a solo player who wants structured playlists as well as groups looking for competitive events. The official feature list does not establish a single best vehicle class or a measured performance advantage, so choose vehicles and activities according to the type of driving you enjoy rather than an assumed universal meta.
Rank #2
- Build whatever you can imagine in your own infinite world that’s unique in every playthrough.
Switch 2 edition and purchase caveats
Ubisoft announced the Switch 2 version for October 8, 2026. The same announcement states that relevant content must be purchased again for this platform. In practical terms, ownership of content on another console should not be assumed to transfer to the Switch 2 edition; verify the edition and entitlements attached to your Nintendo account before buying.
Ubisoft’s notice is explicit: An online connection is required to play the game.
This is a play requirement, not merely an option for multiplayer. Plan for an internet connection whenever you intend to launch or use Motorfest, including when your main interest is solo playlist content. The announcement does not establish a comparable offline mode.
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- Choose it if you want recognizable car categories and a large island designed for driving between events.
- Choose it if street, dirt, drift and track activities are more appealing than kart power-ups.
- Choose it if you want a substantial playlist structure and both solo and competitive activities.
- Look elsewhere if you need a game that works without an online connection or if you want a purely local, pick-up-and-play racer.
Mario Kart World: best for kart racing with exploration
A connected world rather than a conventional car map
Nintendo lists Mario Kart World as a Nintendo Switch 2 game released June 5, 2025. Its courses are connected through a broader world containing mountains, forests and cities. Day-and-night changes and weather effects alter the atmosphere as you travel, making the setting feel like a continuous place rather than a menu of unrelated tracks.
This is still kart racing. The vehicles, handling and event design are built around Mario Kart’s power-ups, jumps and character-driven presentation, not around realistic car categories. That difference is important when comparing it with Motorfest: Mario Kart World can satisfy a request for free-roaming racing, but it is not a substitute for a conventional car-focused open-world game.
Free Roam and missions
Nintendo’s official Free Roam page says, Explore the seemingly endless roads and open oceans that go beyond the race courses.
In Free Roam, you can drive away from the formal course boundaries, discover routes and take on missions. This mode gives exploration a defined purpose without removing the quick-access races that remain central to the series.
Rank #3
- GRAB A CLUB. CHASE GREATNESS. - Team up or face off in Match Play, Scramble, or Skins - online or local. Compete in cross-platform societies, earn seasonal rewards, and rise through daily and weekly tournaments.
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- YOUR CAREER. YOUR LEGACY. YOUR WAY. - Dynamically simulate rounds, train for tournaments, and evolve your player through new Attribute Point and Equipment Progression systems.
- SEASONS. BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER. - Earn rewards, climb the Ranked leaderboards, and experience regular content updates. Progress at your own pace through past Seasons.
- PGA TOUR 2K25: AIM FOR GREATNESS
The open areas also help connect one race to another. A player can treat the world as a place to learn routes, search for activities or simply drive, rather than selecting every event from a static list. The official description does not quantify the number of missions or make a performance comparison with the other games, so the strongest case for Mario Kart World is its structure and variety of environments.
Multiplayer scale and requirements
Nintendo says races support up to 24 drivers. That figure applies to the race format described on the product page and should not be interpreted as a guaranteed number for every mode or local setup. Online features require an internet connection and a Nintendo Switch Online membership, subject to Nintendo’s account and service requirements.
Who should choose Mario Kart World
- Choose it if you want kart handling, items and Nintendo characters in a world that you can explore between races.
- Choose it if changing scenery—mountains, forests, cities, weather and time of day—is a major part of the appeal.
- Choose it if large online races are important and you can meet the Nintendo Switch Online requirement.
- Choose another game if your definition of an open-world racer requires licensed-style cars, off-road vehicle classes or a realistic motorsport structure.
Burnout Paradise Remastered: best open-city arcade racing
Paradise City as the playground
Nintendo’s Burnout Paradise Remastered listing describes an open Paradise City with downtown avenues, mountain roads, shortcuts and additional locations. Events begin in the street network, so learning the city is part of learning the game: a shortcut can save time, while a risky route can create the kind of collision the series is known for.
Burnout’s version of open-world racing is therefore more arcade-oriented than Motorfest’s island tour. The focus is speed, traffic, jumps, takedowns and spectacular crashes rather than a broad collection of motorsport disciplines. If you want to improvise through an urban map and turn mistakes into memorable wrecks, its design is more direct than a playlist-based racer.
Vehicles and included content
Nintendo’s feature description gives the game more than 130 vehicles and eight main downloadable-content packs. Those figures describe the included package as presented by Nintendo; they are not a promise that every vehicle behaves identically or that all content is available in every regional edition.
Rank #4
- SH1FT3R is back!
- the criminal racing organization SH1FT3R has returned and they're racing for the ultimate prize - An invisible, untraceable high-tech vehicle. Become your favourite thrill-seeking Spy Racer characters, including Tony toretto, Echo, cisco and Layla Gray. Even unlock SH1FT3R villains in quick race and online multiplayer, in globe-spanning events full of high-speed destruction and thrilling plot twists!
- fight to the finish line
- it takes more than speed to win this combat racing challenge. Armed with 15 Spy gear weapons inspired by the Netflix original series, you'll need to blast past your rivals to earn victory.
- couch co-op and multiplayer.show the whole world you're the fastest, coolest, and most talented Racer! Customize your vehicle with unlockable skins and race against online opponents, AI-controlled drivers, and your friends with couch co-op and online multiplayer.
The city layout supplies variety without requiring separate biomes. Downtown streets, mountain approaches, shortcuts and extra locations create different sightlines and risk levels, while the event structure encourages repeated driving as you learn faster lines. The official listing does not provide a cross-game frame-rate test, so its recommendation rests on the arcade design and content scope.
Switch software on Switch 2
Burnout Paradise Remastered launched for Nintendo Switch on June 19, 2020. It is not a native Switch 2 release in the same sense as Motorfest’s Switch 2 edition or Mario Kart World. Nintendo’s US compatibility listing says the Nintendo Switch version is supported and consistent on Switch 2; check the current compatibility information for your region before purchasing.
The relevant compatibility page is Nintendo’s Switch 2 listing for Burnout Paradise Remastered. Treat the product as Switch software running on the newer console, not as a separate Switch 2 edition with a new feature set.
Online and account conditions
Nintendo’s listing includes account and connection conditions for online features. Local or solo play should be considered separately from those online functions, and the exact requirements can depend on the Nintendo account and service configuration being used. The listing does not justify assuming that every online feature works without an internet connection or membership.
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Who should choose Burnout
- Choose it if crashes, takedowns, shortcuts and arcade momentum matter more than a large variety of racing disciplines.
- Choose it if you prefer an open city with events embedded in its streets.
- Choose it if a compatible Nintendo Switch game is acceptable on Switch 2.
- Choose another game if you specifically want a native Switch 2 edition or an island-scale exploration structure.
How the three games differ by the decision that matters
Car-focused driving versus kart racing
Motorfest is the clearest fit for readers who mean “cars” when they say open-world racer. Its activities span street, off-road, drift and track categories. Mario Kart World is intentionally a kart game, with its world and races built around Nintendo’s handling and item systems. Burnout sits between those definitions: it uses cars and an open city, but its identity comes from exaggerated arcade crashes rather than motorsport variety.
Best Value
- Discover the legendary detective in an untold crime story.
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- Solve a complex murder case where everyone has something to hide.
- Unveil what hides behind the deceiving appearances of the Van den Bosch family.
- Question all the suspects and glean crucial information from them without their knowing..Notice all suspicious behavior as you uncover the dark secrets and rivalries of the upper class..Explore a luxurious house full of buried mysteries. There is more to discover than just the murderer….Use your talents of deduction to link clues in your mindmap.
What you do when you are not in an event
Motorfest uses island driving to connect themed playlists and disciplines. Mario Kart World makes Free Roam a named mode with exploration and missions beyond course boundaries. Burnout makes navigation itself part of event preparation, because routes, shortcuts and traffic affect how you approach an activity. Pick the game whose “between races” activity sounds enjoyable rather than treating free driving as an identical feature in all three.
Online and multiplayer needs
| Game | What the official information establishes | Planning implication |
|---|---|---|
| The Crew Motorfest | Ubisoft says an online connection is required to play | Do not plan on an offline-only session; confirm your connection before launching |
| Mario Kart World | Online features require internet and Nintendo Switch Online; races support up to 24 drivers | Online competition requires both connectivity and the Nintendo membership service |
| Burnout Paradise Remastered | Nintendo lists account and connection conditions for online features | Check the listing and your account setup for the feature you intend to use |
Native Switch 2 software versus compatibility
Motorfest and Mario Kart World are presented as Switch 2 releases. Burnout Paradise Remastered is a 2020 Nintendo Switch title that Nintendo lists as compatible with Switch 2. That distinction affects what you should search for in a store: match the product edition to the console, and do not assume that a Switch purchase is the same product as a dedicated Switch 2 release.
Choosing the right game in five questions
- Do you mean cars or any racing vehicle? If you mean a conventional car game, start with Motorfest. If karts are welcome, Mario Kart World becomes a stronger candidate.
- Is exploration a mode or a route-planning tool? Choose Mario Kart World for a named Free Roam mode and missions. Choose Burnout for an open city where shortcuts and traffic shape events. Choose Motorfest for island travel between themed activities.
- Do crashes define the fun? Burnout is the focused choice for takedowns and spectacular collisions. The other two emphasize different kinds of variety.
- Can you meet the online requirement? Motorfest requires an online connection to play. Mario Kart World online features add Nintendo Switch Online and internet requirements. Burnout’s online features have account and connection conditions.
- Does the release type matter? Select a native Switch 2 edition when that is important to you. If you are comfortable with compatible Switch software, Burnout remains an option on the newer console.
What is not established by the available specifications
Official feature pages identify worlds, modes, vehicle counts, release dates and connectivity requirements, but they do not provide a standardized performance comparison across these games. There is no defensible basis here for declaring a winner by frame rate, resolution, loading time, image quality or player-count stability. Those characteristics can vary by mode, update, display settings and network conditions, so they should not be inferred from the feature descriptions.
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Practical purchase and setup checklist
- Match the edition: look for the Switch 2 product when buying Motorfest or Mario Kart World; look for the Nintendo Switch version and its Switch 2 compatibility information when buying Burnout Paradise Remastered.
- Check connectivity: Motorfest cannot be treated as an offline game. For Mario Kart World, confirm both internet access and Nintendo Switch Online if you plan to race online. For Burnout, review Nintendo’s account and connection notes for the specific online feature.
- Check ownership assumptions: Ubisoft says relevant Motorfest content must be purchased again for the Switch 2 platform, so do not assume another console’s content transfers.
- Plan for storage and updates: the official pages cited here establish game features and compatibility, but they do not state a single storage requirement for every edition or update. Check the current Nintendo eShop or publisher listing for the version you intend to install.
- Choose by driving loop: playlist progression and mixed disciplines point to Motorfest; exploration missions and kart events point to Mario Kart World; city navigation, shortcuts and crashes point to Burnout.
Final recommendation
For the ordinary meaning of “open-world racing game” on Nintendo Switch 2—driving cars through a large environment and entering varied events—buy The Crew Motorfest, provided its always-online requirement and platform-specific repurchase policy work for you. Mario Kart World is the better choice for kart racing that expands into connected roads, open oceans and Free Roam missions. Burnout Paradise Remastered is the specialist pick for open-city arcade action and crashes, with the important qualification that it is compatible Switch software rather than a native Switch 2 release.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
