It was the first game in the series to feature a CGI animated introduction, and introduced a new "mascot", Reiko Nagase.

[4] The game introduced a new class-based Grand Prix on which the player must progress, and, in an aesthetic change, Rage Racer had darker colors and visuals.

[citation needed] Rage Racer's introduction introduced "mascot girl" Reiko Nagase.

[4] Composed by Tetsukazu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Okubo, it marked the beginning of Namco's new primary sound team after their former members began working with other companies doing production on games such as Street Fighter EX (1996) and Driving Emotion Type-S (2000).

Critics widely approved of the use of more photo-realistic visuals than the previous games in the series,[11][16][17][18] though some complained that they were comparatively drab and lacking in color.

"[17] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot criticized it for failing to improve upon the unrealistic crashes seen in previous installments, though he nonetheless described it as "an outstanding sequel".

[16] Next Generation re-reviewed the game three months later, saying, "Rage Racer has all the classic elements of Namco's series - the pounding techno music, cheesy but encouraging vocal soundbites, slick power slides - but it ultimately leaves you with the uneasy feeling of déjà vu.