Tokyo Xtreme Racerfeels like an old-school driving game with a new-school lick of paint in many ways. It has a wonderfullyaddictive gameplay loop, and progression feels rewarding as you always chase that next upgrade or money so you can buy a shiny new car.
A by-product of thatretrofeel is thatTokyo Xtreme Racerdoesn’t always explain itselfvery well, which can be confusing at best and frustrating at worst.
If you want the best chance of falling in love withTXR, here are some tips and tricks to ensure you hit the tarmac at full speed.
10Keep An Eye On Your Tires
Tokyo Xtreme Racinghas atire-wear system, and it’s a great place to start the list, as there are a few things to be aware of.
You can see the state of your tires in the HUD on the bottom right of the screen. White means healthy, and each wheel’s meter willslowly decay into red, where you will usually want to change them.
You can change tires for free by returning to the garage from the pause menu, so there’s no need to buy them from parking areas unless you’re doing something specific.
You can technically drive on broken tires, but you’llslip and slide uncontrollably, so good luck winning a race.
9Explore & Find Parking Areas & Ramps
Take The Scenic Route
If you’re wondering what I was talking about when I mentioned Parking Areas earlier, I don’t blame you, asthey aren’t fully explained.
SeveralParking Areas are scattered across the map, and you will only reveal them by driving past them.
On that note, you’re able to alsounlock more entry pointsinto the map by driving past those. The best way to get them all is to take acouple of long drivesaround the entire city loop.
The circuit is pretty big, but you’ll thank yourself when you’re trying to track down specific rivals and can enter the fray right behind them.
8Some Opponents Hide In Parking Areas
It’s Not Because They Are Afraid
Speaking of Parking Areas,racers often hide in them, making it difficult to track certain opponents down.
If you notice a’grayed out' rivalon your list, they are likely waiting for you in a Parking Area and are inaccessible until you unlock it.
When you arrive at each Parking Area,don’t forget to talk to everyone, as they can reveal clues on how to challenge particular wandering racers. You can also challenge some racers multiple times for maximum rewards.
7Beware of Crossroads
A Cheap Mechanic
I adoreTXR, but it does have a couple ofarchaic drawbacks, and crossroads are one of them.
You will frequently encounter areas on the map wherethe road splits, which usually pose no issue but can be problematic during races. If you’re chasing an opponent near a junction and drive down a different road from them,the race will end in a draw.
That’s fair enough in my book, but if you’re winning a race and your opponent decides not to follow you, the race ends in a tie in that scenario, too. Sadly, this quirk ismostly out of your control, but you’re able to mitigate it by not overtaking near splits.
If you’re close to your opponent, you can slow down to follow them, although you may just want to reset the race.
6Try Manual Transmission
It’s Not Just For Purists
Cars inTXRhaveautomatic transmission by default, and while it’s ‘fine,’ the game typically changes gears early, which can result in an acceleration loss.
Manual transmission can mitigate thisas it gives you much more control. I may get some flack fromTXRpros for saying this, butmanual transmission is entirely optional.
I’m currently using it as it feels more interactive, but I beat Cinderella Past Midnight with an Automatic Silvia and every opponent before her.
With this in mind, I recommend trying manual, butdon’t sweat it if you don’t enjoy itand revert to automatic.
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For when you crave the smell of burning rubber.
5Upgrades Over New Cars
I Know You Want That Shiny New Car, But…
My biggest mistake duringTXRearly access was saving up for a shiny new car without money to spare for upgrades. Ultimately, I feltforced to sell my previous vehicleas I couldn’t beat anyone in my shiny new ride.
New cars are essential inTXR, andyou can’t rely on your starter ride forever. However, don’t make the same mistake as I did, andensure you’ve got some spare changefor upgrades unless you don’t mind flogging your previous set of wheels.
4Spend BP Wisely
More Valuable Than Cash
Players earn BP by defeating rivals across the map, butthe currency is finiteas you only get BP from beating them for the first time.
I encourage you to spend your BP on what resonates with you, butspending most of it on Tuning is a good idea. Tuning perks are tied to upgrades like Exhaust and Power and are essential for taking down strong opponents.
Remember that there is avast difference between the level of each upgrade. For example, a car with Power LV4 will always leave one with Power LV3 in the dust. Those top-tier upgrades are expensive butworth the grind.
Another essential purchase isWallet upgrades. Better wallets increase your maximum cash capacity, so keep up to date, as your winnings can go to waste otherwise.
3Play Dirty
Don’t Worry About The Paint Job
It may seem like an odd tip for a racer that looks as clean asTXR, butbeing a brute on the road will win you games. Many opponents later on will leave you in the dust, and you may mitigate this by ferrying them into traffic or corners.
The AI isTXRandcan’t usually recover from a nasty crash, which can give you a win against opponents you have no chance against otherwise. Sure, it may be cheap, but good luck beating Melancholic Angel without the meta car otherwise.
Oh,Melancholic Angel’s AI brake checks you, so don’t feel bad about returning the favor.
2NOS Is A Gamechanger
It’s Like A Fast And Furious Movie
You willunlock NOS on the Perks screenearly in yourTXRjourney, offering a massive acceleration upgrade.NOS doesn’t replenish through driftinglike in otherstreet racing gamesbut can be restocked for free by returning to the garage.
If you’re punching above your vehicle class, aburst of NOSat the start of a race can give you just enough push to secure an early lead and keep it.
One interesting quirk TXR doesn’t tell you is thatboss cars don’t come with NOS, nor can they be fitted with it. Keep this in mind before blowing your hard-earned credits on a vehicle you cannot upgrade, even if it looks pretty.
1Acceleration Is King
The Best Advice
My final tip for any budding street racer is thatacceleration is king inTXR. You shouldn’t completely neglect your top speed, but if you can get ahead early,you will winmost encounters.
You can block opponents charging from behind, and they will often give you a little push ahead if they hit you. I won’t turn this list into a tuning guide, but you canmake one small adjustmentto help many cars in the acceleration department.
Open the tuning pageand choose Transmission. You can tinker with the settings if you have at least aLV1 Transmission. Push the ‘Final’ slider to the right, as I have done in the image above. The change reduces your top speed but will increase acceleration.
Abias toward accelerationhas worked for me so far, but above all,you should experiment. There’s zero penalty for losing inTXR, and it’s single-player with no online meta to worry about.
Once you’re done with TXR’s early access offering, why not put your feet up and try out adriving game with no racing whatsoever?
