Tokyo Xtreme Racer

There's a whole generation of gamers out there that weren't around for the paradigm shift that [i]Gran Turismo[/i] kicked off in the video game racing sphere where sims and simcade unseated the formerly-ubiquitous arcade racer. This series started in 1994 and we even got an entry in the West one year before [i]GT[/i] in the form of [i]Tokyo Highway Battle[/i]. For tuner enthusiasts and racing game fans, it was something completely different than what we were used to with [i]Ridge Racer, Cruisin', Daytona USA,[/i] and other games of that calibre. For many, this was their first exposure to JDM cars and the highway system in Tokyo and the idea of cruising around on a highway loop and flashing your lights to challenge other racers embraced the rebellious spirit that 90s gaming liked to promote. [i]Tokyo Xtreme Racer '25[/i] is precisely what the series has always been, with little variation on what we last saw in the early 2000s, and for some people that's just simply going to be a turn-off because it doesn't resemble anything that's come out in the last decade except for some outliers like indie [i]Kanjozoku Game[/i], which is heavily-inspired by this series. Even if you're not caught in the nostalgia trap and this is potentially your first foray into [i]TXR[/i], know that it's fundamentally old-school, it's grindy, it's annoying, the AI drivers are ♥♥♥♥♥, it's low-fidelity and full of crunchy EDM, and it's just [i]fun[/i]. If you can keep an open mind and understand that this is like they threw [i]TXR[/i] into a time machine and brought it kicking and screaming into the future, then you'll understand what this game is and what it absolutely isn't. This isn't [i]Forza Horizon[/i]. It's not [i]Absolute Drift[/i]. It's not [i]the Art of Rally[/i]. It's [i]TXR[/i] made by the people who made it in the past and it's uncompromisingly proud to be itself. It's street racing on Tokyo's highways which are conveniently laid out in loops and you travel on them in one direction, challenging rivals (or random cars, if you like, but that serves little purpose) for points and money, both of which are spent to upgrade your car and your perks. You'll need to grind the points out as that's the only way you're going to open up the game to buy other ones and tune them. Then you'll go in the other direction, switch loops, doing the same thing over and over again in quick races while dodging civilian traffic. It's not very complex, but the progression system keeps you playing. You're not expected to use a whole lot of brain cells here; it's just street racing and it's often dirty. The AI [i]loves[/i] to try to run you into the wall or other cars, but you can do the same thing. Both of you have health bars like in a fighting game and hitting stuff knocks it down to be sure, but mostly you just want to get ahead of your opponent and their HP will drain over time. There's a ridiculous story as well with hilariously-flowery language that makes absolutely no sense, but it's just fluff. The idea is that if you have a little bit of time to kill, get in the game and run a few races before you go to other things. Grind out some points/money. Eventually through challenging rivals, you'll get to challenge the team boss... which is still just doing what you've been doing the entire time leading up to it, but as a reward, you'll be able to buy their car provided you've challenged enough rivals to line your pockets with cash. The joy of this game is that it is accessible. Anyone can play it. You don't need special hardware or to study racing theory to get the most out of it. Just sit down with your favorite controller and play. It's simple and it's fun in a way that games haven't been in a very long time. That's not to say today's games aren't fun, but this [i]type[/i] of fun hasn't been seen in a while and I really like it. On the flip side, it does come with [i]all[/i] of what an old-school game entails. If you're going to play this, then you're going to have to overcome a few humps of design. Yes, you are locked to walled highways the entire way through; there are no breathtaking vistas or bleachers full of fans. Progress is pretty slow, but you can get some perks to increase the payout of rewards to make it a bit easier. The AI does not race clean. Sometimes it feels like it will cheat. I'm fully expecting to hit a wall at some point as I have always hit that wall in past entries where no matter what I do, I can't seem to beat this one guy. I haven't got there yet, but given how much they didn't change the core of the game, I am certain that I'll get there. But you can lower the difficulty so that scaling is turned off and you can use your super-tuned car against lowbies and grind out the cash/points you need faster. All this to say that [i]TXR[/i] isn't going to be for everyone. It's certainly going to appeal more to the folks that have played prior entries. But if you want a fun racer that isn't about the sweats and just want to have a good time with a decent progression system and like the idea of slowly unfolding the game you're playing, then jump on into the pool. For me, it's great to have a racer in my pocket that doesn't require me to bust out the wheel and pedals and sweat out milliseconds of improved cornering to secure my position. Instead I can just pick up a controller and throw magically-better parts into the car and I'm off and running, covered in gaudy colors and vinyl to mock my NPC opponents. It's nostalgic, but it is also true to itself and if you're expecting anything else, you're probably not going to be a happy camper.