Tokyo Xtreme Racer

Tokyo Xtreme Racer may start off slow and niche, but rewards patience with an addictive street racing experience full of atmosphere, depth, and authentic Japanese car culture.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer is ideal for those who miss a more objective game. The increasing challenge and hunting rivals through the cities of the Japanese capital is a satisfying mission, but it may disappoint those who wanted something deeper, mainly due to the initial grinding and the constant repetitiveness of entering and exiting the map all the time.

It's an interesting game, just keep in mind that it’s not a racing game like all the others. It’s a unique title with a fresh perspective and a clear passion for iconic Japanese machines, one that will captivate some players while pushing others away for good.

You can jump in for a few quick duels or sink hours into tuning, grinding, and hunting down every last wanderer. It is focused, challenging, and unapologetically specific. And that specificity is exactly why it works.

Saying that Tokyo Xtreme Racer feels like I’m playing a niche, mid-tier title from the PS2 era is not a point of criticism in this case. Even if it’s not aiming for the same kind of realism and impressive scopes seen in more recent racing gaming franchises, I can easily say there is nothing else like it out in the market. It perfectly oozes the easygoing vibes from that era of consoles without the graphical or resolution limitations from the period.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer is already worth recommending in Early Access to anyone who enjoyed the previous installments. Players venturing onto Tokyo’s highways for the first time will enjoy it just as much, provided they can appreciate the old-school simplicity of the gameplay mechanics, the atmosphere of nighttime racing, and, of course, the artistry of Japanese car designers. Until the full version is released, let’s hope the developers manage to better balance the difficulty of the AI opponents and tweak the tuning system. Then Tokyo Xtreme Racer will become one of the most addictive racing games of recent years.