We expected Tokyo Xtreme Racer (known as Shutokō Expressway Battle in Japan) in 2025, but not this soon – it will be released on PC via Steam Early Access on 23rd January 2025.
The Japanese street racer title, heralded by some as the progenitor to the ‘No Hesi’ traffic mod scene, will return after a nearly 20-year hiatus.
Despite gaining recognition on consoles through the 1990s and into the 2000s, namely the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2, this reincarnation will be on PC only with now console release confirmed.
Except, the statement issued by the developer Genki talks about PC being “first”, insinuating that other platforms are planned:
“The reason we chose PC first was because we believe it will allow the most ease of access to our fans all over the world as well as allow us to tweak and improve the game as quickly as we can.”
Over the past five months, a drip feed of information has been issued about the upcoming racing video game, from the locked-down Tokyo setting, to the licenced car models from the likes of Nissan, Mazda and Toyota to the first clear gameplay footage published in December.
An early demo was also playable at the Fuel Fest event in America towards the end of 2024.
One of its defining features has been one-on-one racing battles with rivals, each with a name and a form of personality expressed through car livery design. 2001’s Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Zero, for example, had 49 to beat, culminating in a final boss.
So far for 2025’s reboot, six have been unveiled, with the likes of Midnight Rose and Rolling Guy returning.
“Why Steam Early Access? The simple answer is that we are eager to get feedback from our gamers,” reads the release date statement.
“Our fans are some of the most passionate in the racing community (they’ve stuck with us for nearly two decades of absences, after all) and it would be foolish of us not to listen to their thoughts and feedback on our new game. By incorporating the feedback we receive, we aim to further improve and evolve the game to provide a superior gaming experience for our fans.”
Expected to last around four months, the early access build will include a story mode playable up to “roughly the halfway mark,” along with over 200 rival characters to race, 50 playable cars and over 180 kilometres (111 miles) of road based on Tokyo’s Shuto Expressway.
More cars, cars and rival characters will be added before the full release. However, the initial car list and pricing are not yet confirmed.
Along with the announcement of the early access release date, Genki has also confirmed the PC system requirements.
Are you looking forward to Tokyo Xtreme Racer’s surprise early access release? Let us know in the comments below.
Chat with the Community
Sign Up To CommentIt's completely Free