Self billed as the "most realistic combat racing sim ever created", Road Wars is a driving and shooting game where twelve different characters race their armed and armored vehicles across a dozen assorted tracks. Although the emphasis is on racing and completing laps, cars are equipped with a variety of weapons to impede the progress of the other drivers including gatling guns, missiles, oil slicks, and land mines. Individual drivers also have personal advantages such as cheaper repairs or better traction. Players can compete in single races or three different league circuits of increasing difficulty. Each league season consists of eight races where drivers use their cash winnings for repairs and upgrades between the stages.