Absolute Drift
- February 18, 2021
- FlippFly
- 5h median play time
Absolute Drift: Zen Edition is a driving game that focuses on the art of drifting. The free update includes new event challenges, midnight tracks, replays, ghost cars, tutorials, and improved controller compatibility. The original game features free-roam mode and drift events such as Driftkhana and Mountain Drift, where players can hone their drifting skills.
Reviews
- The game offers a smooth and stylish drift racing experience with a focus on precision and control.
- Great music and a very zen feeling enhance the overall gameplay experience.
- The minimalist design and clean aesthetics make it visually appealing and relaxing to play.
- The drifting mechanics can be frustrating and difficult to master, especially for beginners.
- There is a lack of customization options for controls and cars, which limits player experience.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling it lacks content for its price.
- music598 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and immersive qualities, featuring a blend of electronic and drum & bass tracks that enhance the overall drifting experience. Many players appreciate the minimalist aesthetic that complements the soundtrack, creating a zen-like atmosphere perfect for casual play or skill honing. While some users noted a desire for more aggressive tracks or the ability to customize the music selection, the majority agree that the existing soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
“Pure drifting joy with great music and a very zen feeling to it - the devs knew what they had when they called it 'zen edition'.”
“The graphics are very pleasant to look at, and the game is accompanied by beautiful drum and bass music.”
“The soundtrack is exceptional and worth the price of admission alone.”
“Horrific controls, horrific music, a terrible beginner experience for anyone not already experienced with drifting.”
“Trying to play this with a keyboard is pretty frustrating, and the music was so repetitive I just couldn't keep playing.”
“The reason for the 8 is the lack of a proper story/mission/campaign thing, and the music is quite poor.”
- graphics416 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist aesthetic that many players find charming and visually appealing, often likening it to the style of "Mirror's Edge." While some reviews mention the simplicity of the visuals as a drawback, most agree that the clean and consistent art style enhances clarity and complements the gameplay, creating a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Overall, the graphics are praised for their beauty and effectiveness in supporting the game's drifting mechanics, despite some criticisms regarding performance and detail.
“The graphics are very pleasant to look at, and the game is accompanied by beautiful drum and bass music.”
“The minimalistic graphics and tire tracks you leave behind makes the game feel like you're brushing calligraphy on a canvas.”
“The graphics are simple but beautiful and the gameplay is so much fun!”
“The graphics of this game are primitive, much like the Autobots.”
“The graphics are too simplistic and no real events take place.”
“Considering how low-detail the graphics are, it is ridiculous how poorly the game plays.”
- gameplay322 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Absolute Drift" is characterized by its simple yet challenging mechanics, focusing heavily on mastering drifting techniques that can be frustrating at first but ultimately rewarding. While the game features a minimalist aesthetic and a relaxing soundtrack, some players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in content, with a steep learning curve that may deter newcomers. Overall, it offers a satisfying experience for those who enjoy honing their skills in a casual yet engaging environment.
“Simple but satisfying gameplay with a clean and consistent art style.”
“The mechanics really are the star of this game, and they are a joy.”
“The gameplay is a good mix between having a relaxed drift in the free roam mode and having no easy life to master the challenges on the tracks.”
“Repetitive gameplay, far beyond the 'take the same turn over and over until you master it' idea.”
“Game gives zero guidance on how the mechanics work.”
“The overall idea and unique aesthetics of the game is admirable, but the gameplay is not.”
- story144 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story mode is notably short, typically lasting only 2-3 hours, and is often described as lacking depth, with many players feeling it serves more as a tutorial for the drifting mechanics rather than a substantial narrative. While the missions are fun and provide a good balance of challenges, the overall focus is on free-roaming gameplay and replayability rather than a compelling storyline. Many players express a desire for more content and a longer story to enhance the experience.
“You get a cool story with some awesome music!”
“The story is very short but the replay value is high with many tracks to choose from.”
“Although the main 'story' of the game may only take 2-3 hours, the replay value is incredibly high.”
“The story is much too short, but there are many challenges and a fun free roam to mess around in.”
“The game does not have any story elements whatsoever unless you count the 'journey to become drift master' nonsense that you're given in the tutorial.”
“Overall the game's 'story' should take about 2-3 hours to finish, but the game is far from over at that point.”
- replayability66 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is generally viewed as high, particularly due to its challenging mechanics and high score systems that encourage players to improve their performance. While some reviewers note a lack of content and a short main story, many appreciate the depth and fun of the gameplay, especially when competing on leaderboards or with friends. Overall, players find enough engaging elements to return to the game, making it a worthwhile experience despite its brevity.
“Absolute Drift is a fun short game, but don't get discouraged about its length because there is plenty of replayability if getting high scores is your kind of thing.”
“It's an incredibly enjoyable game with a ton of replayable content; to speak to this point, there's a guy on the Steam reviews who has 417 hours in this game!”
“The replayability is great simply because you'll go back and try to best your high score or get that perfect line.”
“Its a fun game and you can play it on a potato, although this game doesn't have much replayability.”
“Not much replayability in my opinion.”
“Replay value time/value isn't that high, probably 20-30 minutes before the amount of fun is dropping.”
- atmosphere34 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Absolute Drift" is widely praised for its zen-like quality, combining a simplistic art style with a fitting electronic soundtrack that enhances the meditative experience of drifting. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a relaxing mood, with environments that capture the essence of drift culture and Japan, complemented by intuitive driving mechanics and rewarding challenges. Overall, the atmosphere is described as soothing, immersive, and perfectly aligned with the gameplay.
“The atmosphere is simply perfect!”
“A perfectly fitting soundtrack, relaxing atmosphere, just you, your car and awesome tracks blended in an open world.”
“Has fantastic atmosphere, the environments manage to capture Japan really well and the music is fantastic.”
“While Art of Rally seemed to focus on the overall atmosphere of the rally world, Absolute Drift focuses purely on the motion and the flow of the drifting world.”
“The atmosphere is well-rounded with an electronic soundtrack, subtle tire squealing, and rich car sounds.”
“You clearly enter into this sort of meditative mood and atmosphere; I love it.”
- optimization26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many users reporting smooth performance and a wide range of adjustable graphics settings. However, some players have experienced occasional stuttering and performance issues in specific events, particularly in the beta version. While most can run the game well on lower-end hardware, there are notable concerns regarding the optimization of the developers' new title, "art of rally."
“It's so well optimized.”
“I had zero issues with the performance.”
“The game is nicely optimized and I can definitely see someone playing this on an unplugged laptop (provided you have a controller).”
“So poorly optimized graphics, slow rendering, and the delay in controls is so significant that it's practically impossible to control.”
“There are some performance issues in a couple of events, but I was still able to 100% the game just fine.”
“From time to time, there's a bit of stuttering.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lighthearted humor, featuring amusing quotes on loading screens, playful car names, and entertaining tutorials that contribute to its overall charm. Reviewers appreciate its self-aware approach and the inclusion of funny easter eggs, making the experience both enjoyable and engaging. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect, enhancing the game's fun and artistic appeal.
“The game also has a sense of humor in the way it presents itself and its tutorials and the names of the cars, and since it doesn't take itself too seriously, you can just have fun with it.”
“Very fine piece of art, entertaining, funny, and challenging.”
“Some may even recognize a couple of funny easter eggs.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is described as tedious, particularly due to the need to repeatedly play the same tracks to achieve better scores. While some players may enjoy this repetitive gameplay, others find it a bit overwhelming, despite the option to switch to a free-roam mode for a break. Overall, the experience caters to those who appreciate grinding for high scores, but may not appeal to everyone.
“The free roam mode that unlocks new modes and tracks was a bit of an odd choice... it's a touch tedious.”
“I've only played about an hour of the game but I can tell that beating this game will be tedious.”
“If you are really into grinding the same tracks over and over to get a better high score, this game is for you.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with multiple users expressing that it evokes strong feelings of nostalgia and vulnerability, often leading to tears. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to transport them back to childhood, creating a deeply resonant and impactful experience.
“10/10, made me feel like a child again.”
“10/10, would cry again.”
“10/10, made me feel like a child again.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences notable stability issues, particularly with buggy controller support and occasional glitches that can disrupt gameplay. While some users report these problems, others still find the game enjoyable despite the technical difficulties.
“Controller support is buggy.”
“Sometimes this game glitches out and doesn't let me get hours of it on Steam (might be just me), but this game is super fun!”
“Controller support is buggy.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that the developers did not invest effort into creating a quality driving simulation experience.
“I feel like this was just a quick cash grab and the devs didn't even attempt to make this a driving sim.”