Fanatical Gift Guide - Best high-octane PC games to buy this Christmas

Every story has a beginning in F1 2021, the official videogame of the 2021 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. In this superb racing game, you'll get to enjoy the stunning new features including the thrilling story experience ‘Braking Point’, two-player Career, and get even closer to the grid with ‘Real-Season Start’.

Take your team to the top in the acclaimed ten-year ‘My Team’ Career mode, or race head-to-head in split-screen and multiplayer. Immerse yourself in the greatest racing spectacle on the planet and race with the authentic line-up of 20 heroic drivers and ten iconic teams from the 2021 season.

Similar to 'The Journey' in some of EA's recent FIFA titles, 'Braking Point' is a story-driven mode that sees you compete in one of the most competitive, speediest sports on the planet where your actions on and off the track with fellow drivers and teams impacts your destiny.

In My Team mode, you can create your own driver, choose a sponsor, an engine supplier, hire a teammate and compete as the 11th team on the grid. Expanded Driver Stats also now include ‘Focus’ and new team-critical Department Events to address.

Work your way up in Formula 2, the ultimate training ground for F1, which is also included in the game - with short, medium, or full season options and 2020 and 2021 season content.

If you're into Esports, check out the in-game area for the online qualification events, latest news and even watch the new F1 Esports Challenger and Pro Series races.

Want a racing game with all the glitz and glamor? Of 'Corsa' you do!

Experience the most complete version of the universally acclaimed driving simulator with Assetto Corsa: Ultimate Edition. In this jam-packed edition, you'll enjoy the thrill of the racing action along with all the DLC and updates ever released for the game.

Choose from 178 meticulously detailed vehicles - their handling and performance modeling taken from real track data & telemetry - and 19 legendary circuits (including Spa Francorchamps, Nürburgring-Nordschleife, Laguna Seca & many others) with 40 different track configurations, recreated through laser-scan to deliver the highest accuracy possible.

Enjoy all the race modes in Single player or compete with friends in online multiplayer. Customize the driving experience by adjusting the handling and race set-up to match personal racing styles. With its advanced physics engine including features and aspects of real cars, Assetto Corsa: Ultimate Edition offers a level of realism never experienced before.

The racing never stops with a whole new level of DLC content, including Dream Pack 1-2-3, Tripl3Pack, Porsche Pack 1-2-3, Red Pack, Ready To Race, Japanese Pack and Ferrari 70th Anniversary DLCs).

Futuristic racing that pays homage to classic games such as F-Zero, WipeOut, Rollcage, and POD!

Get ready to strap yourself in for the fast, tough and satisfying driving experience with Redout: Enhanced Edition. Speed through gorgeous settings - from breezy coastlines and frozen landscapes to vast desert plains - and witness the sharp low-polygon style blended meshes and terrains with the latest state-of-the-art shading and lighting effects provided by the Unreal Engine 4.

Fast and ferocious, Redout offers much more than just your standard competitive racer. Feel the vibrations as you glide around the tracks and collide with other vehicles in heated races and lose yourself in the dystopian atmosphere of a semi abandoned Earth.

When you are racing at 800km/h, it’s important to take every opportunity you can to move up the grid or remain in pole position. Redout features physics derived from quad-copters controllers and real magnetic forces. With upgrades and powerups, players will have even more control over their ship's behavior.

Be sure to make the necessary upgrades before you hit the advanced tracks!

A hardcore combat racer like no other, with GRIP: Combat Racing, players will get behind the wheel of tank-like vehicles packing ferocious speed and armed to the teeth with heavy weapons - as well as updated gravity-defying airborne vehicles.

Make your ride stand out from the rest with paint job, rim and tire customization. Grab power-ups and weapons - from shields and turbo to missiles and explosive darts - as you zoom your way around 10 race tracks, three arenas and 15 Carkour courses.

Hold onto your hat as gamers will hit speeds of up to 767mph driving on floors, walls and ceilings!

Choose from six different game modes including Classic Race, Ultimate Race (overall points), Elimination, Time Trial, Arena (Deathmatch) and Carkour. Select from five deadly weapons - Scorpion, Raptor, Ironfist, Hydra and Assassin - as well as four Power-ups (Aegis, Firestorm, EMP, Ramraider) to aid you in each combat-frenzied race.

"High on speed, low on polygons"

Hotshot Racing is a blisteringly fast arcade-style racing game fusing drift handling, razor-sharp retro visuals and an incredible sense of speed to create an exhilarating driving experience.

Sixteen racing circuits provide the twists, turns and straights conducive to searingly quick racing. Take in coastal, jungle, alpine and Las Vegas desert environments, with each course modelled with the most vivid colours and blue skies for miles.

Time Trial and Grand Prix modes cater to those who like to compete in classic racing formats, while ‘Cops and Robbers’ and ‘Drive or Explode’ modes offer exhilarating new ways to play.

Each mode is available in single-player, four-player split-screen and eight-player online, while Time Trial is single-player only. Single-player modes run at a blistering 60FPS to deliver one of the fastest depictions of racing possible.

Smash lap records to rise-up the global online leaderboards or download ghost laps to match your racing lines against the very best.

Keiko, Xing, Mike, Alexa, Aston, Toshiro, Marcus and Viktor - eight speed addicts that have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of being the greatest racing driver in the world.

Drifting is crucial in Hotshot Racing. Boost charges as the player drifts so maintaining it for as long as possible is vital to preserving maximum speed throughout a race.

Prefer two wheels to four? We hear you. Take your place on the starting grid and get ready for the most realistic and immersive MotoGP game to date with MotoGP 21!

Experience more than 120 official riders, over 20 tracks and new and improved features for an unprecedented level of realism with, for the first time in the series, the Long Lap Penalty. Relive the history of MotoGP with more than 40 historic riders and their iconic bikes.

Take full control of your managerial career: joining an official team or creating a brand new one it's up to you. Then select your Staff: a team of professionals will assist you throughout the season and your career, helping you to take crucial decisions like the choice of the best contract and the development of your bike.

And once you get to the highest classes, build your own Junior Team, handling every aspect.

When you can control and manage every aspect of the race, every decision matters. Keep tabs on the level of Fuel, the Brakes temperature and the Tire wear. Take crucial choices based on your riding style and the conditions of the race.

Whether is the way you ride or the way you look, style is key in MotoGP™21. Show them who you really are! Customize helmet, suit, stickers, racing number and livery with 5 incredible graphic editors!

And impress everyone with your riding style too! Also, our revolutionary neural AI system based on machine learning is back with significant improvements: get ready to discover new faces of A.N.N.A. in the most exciting races ever!

Take the fun to a whole new level challenging your friends online or create your own events with the Race Director mode, enjoying a smooth and lag-free experience thanks to our Dedicated Servers.

One of the most authentic racers around, experience intense and technically-advanced racing with Project CARS - Game of the Year Edition. In this beautiful racing sim, you'll experience the ultimate driving journey in a next-gen game that combines fan desire and developer expertise.

Guided, tested, and approved by a passionate community of racing fans and real-life drivers, Project CARS is a genre-defining title featuring world-class graphics and vehicle handling.

Experience this racing sim in all its glory with the Game of the Year Edition content featuring four additional tracks, over 50 cars, over 60 community-created liveries and hundreds of improvements.

Plus, you'll also get two special and exclusive items - the iconic Nurburgring Combined Nordschieife + GP circuit and two exclusive vehicles from Pagani - as well as the Zonda Revolucion and Huayra BC unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

Create your own driver, pick from a huge variety of motorsports and shift into high gear to chase a number of Historic Goals and ultimate recognition in the Hall Of Fame. Then, it's time to test your skills online either in competitive fully-loaded race weekends, leaderboard-based time challenges, or continually-updated community events.

Featuring the largest track roster of any recent racing game with a ground-breaking dynamic time of day and weather system, deep tuning and pit stop functionality, Project CARS leaves the competition behind in the dust.

Playable at either cinematic 12K Ultra HD resolution via Oculus Rift, or everything in between, Project CARS goes beyond reality to provide unrivaled immersion.