REV UP Wants To Bring Back The ‘00s Arcade Racer Glory Days

In the year that is 2024 (and very soon to be 2025), the genre of wacky arcade racers is pretty much dead. Burnout is nowhere to be seen, games like Forza Horizon and The Crew have too much of a sense of realism to really be considered as such and all we’re really left with is Need for Speed.

We’re a far cry from the glory days of ‘00s arcade racers on the PS2 and Xbox, yet it’s clear we’re not alone in wishing for a return to that golden age. Something that indie game REV UP wants to bring back.

Its Steam page signals that intention pretty clearly, describing it as: “A refreshing take on 2000s arcade racing games, with stealth mechanics, car chases, and non-linear races”.

Set in a Cyberpunk-esque open world, it’s as if someone crossed cat-and-mouse or hide-and-seek with Need for Speed Most Wanted. You’ll either take on the role of a street racer, taking part in street races and evading the playable ‘Corsairs’, which are in effect contracted bounty hunters taking down racers on behalf of the police.

In case you couldn’t figure out the inspiration for that one, Antoine Lamy – REV UP’s game director – outlined it pretty clearly. “The car chases and rivalry in REV UP were inspired by the Racers vs Cops systems in Need for Speed Rivals and Hot Pursuit. Corsairs will have access to several devices to find and stop Street Racers, like speed cameras and spike strips.”

Similarly, NFS has served as a baseline for how the game will feel. Lamy tells us the physics are reminiscent of the Underground, Most Wanted and Carbon era of the franchise.

“We want to strike a balance with our arcade racing game—more casual than Gran Turismo and Forza, but not as over-the-top as Mario Kart.” He added: “We want the cars to feel stable, with the player choosing when they lose traction, like when using the handbrake to drift for example. We'll also make sure drifting has depth—easy to pick up, but tough to truly master.”

It’s not just Need for Speed that has inspired this title either. “We aim to create the same sense of freedom and exploration that comes with Burnout Paradise’s interconnected roads”, Lamy adds, “We'll be delighted if we can deliver that kind of experience to players.”

The art style takes notes from cult favourite cel-shaded racer Auto Modelista and as for the car list, think more customisable s**tbox than high-end supercars – something we’re completely on board with. Unlicensed models inspired by the Fiat Punto and Volkswagen Golf are just two mentioned.

Unlike many of the offline-era ‘00s arcade racers, REV UP will rely largely on multiplayer for most of its gameplay but solo players will be catered for, Lamy tells us.

It’ll be a while off from release, as the independent French studio – totalling a team of eight people – only began work seven months ago from us writing this. It’s planned for a release in late 2026 or early 2027.

A playable demo should arrive before then, and Lamy is considering an early access period but that’s not decided yet. In any case, add REV UP to your Steam wishlist – we’ll certainly be keeping an eye on this one.