Recharge Previews on Steam: RC Racing Gets the Sim Racing

The RC racing genre has been crying out for a proper modern take since Re-Volt ruled PlayStation consoles back in 1999. Now we’ve got not one, but two games called “Recharge” launching on Steam in July 2025, causing no end of confusion in the community. Today we’re looking at the first arrival – Room Games’ Recharge, which hit Early Access on 28th July with a promise to bring “hyperrealistic” radio-controlled racing to our screens.

First Impressions: Unreal Engine Eye Candy

Boot up Recharge and you’re immediately struck by how stunning it looks. Room Games weren’t exaggerating about those ray-traced visuals – this is genuinely one of the prettiest racing games I’ve played this year.

The attention to detail is remarkable, from the way sunlight catches on chrome bumpers to realistic tyre deformation as you slide through corners. Running on high settings, the game manages to make these tiny cars feel properly weighty and physical.

The track environments are equally impressive, taking you from professional RC circuits that wouldn’t look out of place at a real competition, to more creative locations like beaches, amusement parks and skateparks. Each location feels distinct and offers different challenges – beach tracks have you sliding through sand sections, whilst the skatepark layouts encourage massive aerial stunts.

Driving Dynamics: Arcade Chaos Meets Sim Sensibilities

Where Recharge really shines is in its “sim-cade” approach to handling. The developers have struck a careful balance between accessibility and depth. Jump in with a controller and you’ll be sliding around corners within minutes, but there’s enough nuance in the physics to reward practice and precision.

The cars feel properly weighted, with believable suspension movement and momentum. Hit a jump wrong and you’ll see your RC tumble realistically through the air. Nail the landing, and you can maintain your speed into the next section. It’s fast – properly fast – and initially quite challenging until you get used to the pace.

My experience with an Xbox controller was initially frustrating, with the cars feeling twitchy and oversensitive. After some experimentation, I found that keyboard controls were more responsive for this style of racing. My keyboard inputs seemed to suit the quick corrections needed at high speed. That said, the game promises support for actual RC controllers in future updates, which could be a game-changer for authenticity.

The Early Access Reality Check

Here’s where we need to pump the brakes a bit. At £11.89 (currently 15% off the usual £13.99), Recharge delivers impressive visuals and solid core gameplay, but the Early Access label is earned. The customisation options for new players feel particularly sparse – you’ll unlock paint jobs and stickers as you level up, but starting options are limited compared to what promotional materials suggest.

The UI can be temperamental, with occasional glitches that require a restart. Nothing game-breaking, but enough to remind you this is still a work in progress. More concerning for a racing game launching in 2025 is the state of multiplayer. Whilst the game supports up to 12 players online, finding populated lobbies during my testing proved challenging. Whether that’s down to early adoption numbers or technical issues isn’t clear.

Performance-wise, the game ran smoothly on high settings with my RTX setup, though those ray-traced reflections will certainly test mid-range systems. Load times are reasonable, and I didn’t experience any crashes during several hours of play.

Content and Progression

The current Early Access build includes a decent selection of tracks across various environments, with the promise of more to come. The progression system sees you earning XP through races to unlock new customisation options, though the pace feels a bit stingy – expect to grind if you want those premium paint schemes.

Single-player offers races against AI at three difficulty levels. The AI puts up a decent fight on higher settings, though they occasionally show their artificial nature with odd cornering lines or collision responses. Time trials against ghost data provide the real challenge, especially once you start competing against community best times.

The developers have committed to a 6-12 month Early Access period, with plans for expanded customisation, more tracks, improved physics refinement based on community feedback, and eventually, cross-platform play. They’re also promising regular community engagement through Discord and Steam forums, which is encouraging.

Room for Improvement

Beyond the limited customisation and UI quirks, there are several areas where Recharge could improve. The lack of a proper tutorial means you’re thrown in at the deep end – fine for racing game veterans, but potentially off-putting for casual players drawn in by the accessible premise.

Direct drive wheel support would be welcome for sim racing enthusiasts, though given the RC theme, this might not be a priority. The promised RC controller support feels more essential and could really set this apart from generic arcade racers.

The game also needs more variety in race types. Currently, it’s fairly standard circuit racing, but the RC setting opens possibilities for more creative game modes – why not obstacle courses, precision challenges, or even battle modes?

Verdict: Promising Foundations

Recharge shows tremendous promise. When everything clicks – when you’re sliding through a perfect racing line at breakneck speed with those gorgeous visuals flying past – it captures something special. The core driving mechanics are solid, the presentation is top-tier, and there’s clearly passion behind the project.

But it’s definitely an Early Access title. If you’re looking for a polished, content-complete RC racing experience, you might want to wait six months and see how development progresses. For those happy to support ambitious indie projects and watch them grow, there’s already enough here to justify the entry price.

The competition is about to heat up too – ReCharge RC: High Voltage from Hondune Games is the confusingly named rival that’s already generating buzz with its own take on RC racing. Having two quality options in this neglected genre can only be good for players, even if the naming situation is a nightmare for games journalists.

For now, Recharge gets a cautious recommendation. Come for the stunning visuals and engaging physics, but bring patience for the Early Access journey ahead. With continued development and community feedback, this could evolve into the definitive RC racing experience we’ve been waiting for since the turn of the millennium.

Recharge is available now on Steam Early Access for £11.89 (usually £13.99). Full release planned for 2026.