Races take place across a reconstructed arena designed by the citizens of Wellspring, and they feature a mix of both car combat and traditional racing mechanics. The obvious point of the competition is to be first across the finish line, but you can do this by either outracing your opponents or blowing them to pieces. Along the way, it is possible to collect either ammo power-ups in orange canisters or nitrous boosts in blue packs, allowing you to gain an edge on your enemies. Eliminating an enemy doesn't completely take them out of the race; instead, it forces them to reset farther back on the track, allowing you to gain an edge. The other plus to destroying enemies is that you earn bonus certificates once you complete the race, one for each car destroyed, while coming in first place earns you 15 certificates.

After a number of races, however, you'll need to be sponsored by a patron to earn a chance to compete in better events. That's where J.K. Stiles comes in. The producer of Mutant Bash, a Running Man-like television show pitting contestants against large odds, Stiles makes you a deal: you compete for him and do well against the creatures he throws at you, and not only will he pay you for your trouble, his reruns will make you famous. The episode that I witnessed has a couple of stages, starting out with mutants that quickly descend from stairs and attack on a sound stage while the cheers from an unseen crowd are piped in via speakers. From there, the action moves to a separate stage with slides full of mutants and eventually Molotov-throwing mutants atop platforms. The action is fast paced and hectic, particularly because you'll frequently be surrounded on all sides by slobbering mutants throwing knives or leaping at you with clubs.