If you’re weary of modern racing titles that are overstuffed or overcomplicated, Tokyo Xtreme Racer serves as a great reminder of simpler times.
It feels like a relic of a bygone era, and we mean that as a compliment; Tokyo Xtreme Racer emanates old school energy to such a degree, you’ll wonder if developer Genki was frozen in time in 2007 and only recently thawed out.
This is an arcade racer that takes place entirely on Japan’s Shuto Expressway, always at night. Once you have your first vehicle, you can hit the highway and cruise around in search of rivals; flash your headlights to initiate a duel.
Unlike most racing games, you win by staying ahead of your opponent to deplete their health meter, so to speak.
Driving is very responsive and easy to pick up, though you will need to apply the brakes for corners or master drifting, which can feel difficult to judge.
It’s an intense, fast racer; you’ll reach high speeds on the many straights of the expressway, dodging traffic and barriers in your fight to stay in front. It somehow feels grounded and heightened at the same time.
You spend pretty much the whole game moving from the streets to your garage, where you’re able to tune and customise your vehicles, purchase new ones, unlock perks, and upgrade stats. It’s a very simple structure, but refreshingly so; you steadily unlock better cars and take on tougher drivers until you become a legend of the circuit.
That being said, it’s a big ol’ grind. Especially at first, it can take a long time to build up money and make meaningful progress. This becomes less of a problem once you’re earning more for each win and have many of the perks unlocked, but getting there may take a little while.
Contributing to this slow burn is a lot of dialogue that, frankly, doesn’t bring much to the experience beyond adding to that cheesy PS2-era flavour we love.
The grind’s not really an issue if you’re into it, but the game can feel a bit repetitive. You’re racing through the same roads every time with no change in scenery; you do unlock new routes, but it all blurs together.
In the moment, though, the racing is exciting and energetic, and the whole game feels quite swish thanks to smooth presentation that’s very reminiscent of Gran Turismo in certain respects.
There’s so much to like about Tokyo Xtreme Racer, and while it has its flaws and certainly isn’t for everyone, it stands out thanks to its brazenly old school and pleasingly straightforward approach.
