R: Racing Evolution is a racing game featuring over 33 licensed cars from various motorsports series (such as the JGTC, WRC, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans), and in-depth configuration options such as adjusting the brakes, front-wheel stabilizers, and car weight. Other features concerning gameplay include drifts, Nitro adjustments, and individual classes and attributes for every car. The game also features a system referred to as the pressure meter, a gauge that is displayed above every car which fills up as the player gets closer to a rival car; the higher the meter, the greater the likelihood that the AI will make a critical mistake. Most of the time, when the player overtakes an NPC, it will trigger a dialog, complimenting your movements, and it might also trigger a dialog when the pressure meter is full/half-full, with the opponent slowly feeling the pressure, ending up, most likely, screaming out of control.
The game offers a story mode where the player follows the racing career of Rena Hayami as she struggles to deal with the busy life of a professional race car driver and the politics of the sport. The mode features 14 chapters, in which the player earns new cars, RP points for new purchases, and views pre-rendered cutscenes preceding every chapter. Other modes include the usual racing game fare: single races, time attacks, a versus mode, and car customization.