Some of my earliest racing game memories were thanks to the Dreamcast classic Tokyo Xtreme Racer. While games like Need for Speed Underground 2 may have edged it out on the customization factor, there was and still is something so endearing about this particular franchise. And for the first time in 18 years, a new Tokyo Xtreme Racer is about to race onto shelves, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to dive in. Sure, it’s coming to Early Access, but I’m beyond ready to get back into that classic groove.
It May Be Time to Finally Retire My Playstation 2, Now That I Can Play ‘Tokyo Xtreme Racer’ on Modern Hardware
One of the reasons I set up a dedicated Retro Corner in my office was to dive into games that I loved when I was younger. Even jumping into Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Zero feels fresh in 2025. So when I heard that there was going to be a new TxR coming out soon, I couldn’t help but be excited. Little did I know that it was going to be entering into Early Access on Steam this month.
That’s right; 18 years of painful waiting will finally be coming to an end on January 23, 2025. Tokyo Xtreme Racer will be making its triumphant emergence on PC in Early Access, meaning that we’ll have the bare skeleton and bones of what the game will fully become when it hits full release. And honestly? It looks exactly how I wanted it to. It looks like the same Dreamcast/PS2-era racing game that many players have been craving for years but with a fancy new coat of paint.
Tokyo Xtreme Racer has the juice, man. It’s just one of those games that sticks with you, no matter how many other racing games you play in your lifetime. The thrill of street racing, the customization, everything is bringing a tear to my eyes. And the soundtrack. It’s perfect, it’s exactly what I’ve been asking for.
The fact of the matter is this; I could gush about Tokyo Xtreme Racer for hours, but just watch that gameplay footage I linked above. There’s nothing more that I could have asked for; fast tuner cars blaring through city streets at night with a powerful soundtrack blasting in my ears. You can keep your Forza Horizon games. This is all that I could ever ask for.
The post The First ‘Tokyo Xtreme Racer’ in 18 Years Enters Early Access Much Sooner Than Expected, and I’m Screaming appeared first on VICE.
