The Genki racing franchise has returned as planned after 18 years, as Tokyo Xtreme Racer launches on Steam Early Access priced at £24.99.
Also known as Shutoko Battle in the past, the series originally began on the Super Nintendo in 1994, and fans of the series have been eager to try the new game since it was announced last summer. At launch, the game is playable up to roughly the halfway mark, with more than 200 rival characters, 50 playable cars and more than 180 kilometres of the Shuto Expressway. It’s expected to be in Early Access for roughly four months, meaning a full release around May or June 2025.
If you’re not familiar with the Shuto Expressway, it’s a network of tolled expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area, currently stretching over 280 kilometres since building first began in 1962, and well known as a street racing road made famous by the Mid Night Club and games including Wangan Midnight and Gran Turismo along with Shutokou Battle (as well as spin-offs and instalments including Tokyo Highway Battle, Import Tuner Challenge and Street Supremacy).
The price of Tokyo Xtreme Racer might increase at full release, and so far it’s received positive reviews, and an ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ rating from 1,149 Steam reviews at the time of writing. It’s recommended you play the arcade racing game with a controller, as you race through traffic and engage in SP Battle, based on Spirit Points that represent the willpower of drivers.
Find Tokyo Xtreme Racer on for the PC on Steam here, keep up with the latest news and updates here, or check out the full car list before and after the game is released. There’s no official confirmation of console versions, although a press release did say that Genki has chosen to release on PC first, suggesting PlayStation, Xbox and even Switch versions may appear in the future.
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