Hard Drivin' is a racing game where you control a high-performance sports car. Your goal is to race around the course as fast as possible and hit checkpoints to gain extra time. Traffic on the road adds an extra layer of challenge, as cars are coming towards and away from you.
The game has two sections: speed track and stunt track. The speed track allows for higher speeds but is longer, while the stunt track requires performing stunts like jumping bridges and driving through loops.
Crashing your car results in a cinematic replay of the crash, which can be amusing despite the penalty. You'll lose some time, but it's not game-ending.
The Atari ST version retains the advanced 3D graphics from the arcade, although without the force-feedback feature.