Death Race is set in eight American cities, which the player visits in succession: San Diego, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; Chicago, Illinois; Raleigh, North Carolina; and New York, New York.

In each city, the player drives an armored sports car equipped with surface-to-air missiles and rapid-fire guns.

The player may use money earned in the game to upgrade the car's engine, tires, chassis, guns, and missiles.

To complete the game, the player must play through all cities twice at the "World Class" difficulty setting.

Compared to the 1976 arcade game, the city has improved graphics, and the tombstones that can block the player's path have been replaced with enemies on helicopters.