what racing game franchise is this game comparable to? Trying to see if it's worth picking up

[DreadfulDrummer]

i love my racing sims to use my wheel with and forza but i've been looking for a good need for speed ps2 era style racer that isn't trash.

[x808drifter]

Originally posted by SecularSteve:

None, it's it's own thing, and one we didn't expect to have such a faithful follow-up.

Think of it as "the last RPG Battle Racing hold-out".

The same way Mountain Drift Racing games had their basis with Initial D, this game's basis is Wangan Midnight by the same publisher.

Basically it's illegal Tokyo Highway Racing where two opponents compete for who can outrun who first.

It's not for everyone. But it is worth trying at least once.

That is 110% wrong. (Just the bold part not the whole thing)
Both Wangan Midnight (The manga that started in 1992 that the games are FROM) and TXR are inspired by IRL racers in the 80's and 90's.
The very first game in the Shutokō Battle series (Tokyo Xtreme Racer in the west) came out in 1994 on the Super Famicom aka SNES. These games were more generic lap/checkpoint racers.
This particular game play circle finally came out in the most well known of the group Shutoko Battle/TXR/Tokyo Highway Battle on the Dreamcast in 1999.

[RBTWOSIX]

This is not like NFS, think, outrun races for NFSU2 but highway only.

[Nostrildumbass]

The closest would be NFSU2 because NFSU1 wasn't freeroam. But it is not too similar to NFSU2; only in the freeroam street racing aspect.

[DiscoJer]

Originally posted by Dewa:

Originally posted by faqmoroz:

I can remember at least one non genki game that can be close enough by style: fast and furious Tokyo Drift from ps2/psp era

God that game was so forgotten by time

It wasn't great, but it was good on the PSP because it had actual free roam, unlike the PSP version of TXR (released under the Street Supremacy title)

[くりこ]

Wangan Midnight R

[DiscoJer]

I'm not sure it really compares to any other series because it's basically about driving fast on highways. If anything, it's back to the old arcade games where you basically just dodged traffic. I mean, you do turn sometimes and there are parts of the highway that are tricky with bridges whose supports you can run into