Distance

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,892 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Distance Game Cover
Starting at $4.25Buy now
Get on Steam

"Distance" is an atmospheric racing platformer game with arcade elements, fusing futuristic racing with parkour. Survive a deadly city with obstacles, jump, rotate, and fly using unique car abilities. Play solo or with friends in multiplayer mode, including co-op and PvP. The game features stunning visuals, an ingenious soundtrack, and a short single-player experience with a dark, mysterious city. Race ghosts in arcade mode and earn medals to unlock new content.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,892 reviews
music689 positive mentions
stability12 negative mentions
  • Visually stunning with a vibrant aesthetic and great soundtrack.
  • Unique gameplay mechanics that combine racing with platforming elements, providing a fresh experience.
  • Extensive community support with a level editor and a large library of user-generated content.
  • Campaign mode is relatively short and can feel repetitive.
  • Difficulty spikes in later levels can lead to frustration, especially with unclear mechanics.
  • Controller support can be inconsistent, leading to issues with gameplay.
  • music1,265 mentions

    The music in "Distance" has been widely praised for its energetic and immersive electronic soundtrack, which complements the game's fast-paced racing and vibrant visuals. Players appreciate the ability to customize their experience by adding their own music, with many noting how the game's environment reacts dynamically to the beats. While some reviews mention a desire for more variety in the soundtrack, the overall consensus is that the music significantly enhances the gameplay experience, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The soundtrack is amazing, the visuals are breathtakingly good and are amplified further in the workshop levels.”
    • “Distance is a solid track traversal/racing game combining the joys of non-stop boosting, 3D tracks, and a banging soundtrack to give you an engaging and enjoyable experience.”
    • “The music fits perfectly with the game, it's almost as if they made it to be a pun: they are tracks, music, and racing tracks.”
    • “The soundtrack is genuinely something I find myself coming back to the game to enjoy over and over and over again.”
    • “The only downside for me is the lack of variety in the music; it feels like every track is just a remix of the previous one.”
    • “I wish the soundtrack had a bit more personality like Nitronic Rush, but Distance is fantastic and the graphical enhancements are very welcomed.”
  • gameplay757 mentions

    The gameplay in "Distance" is characterized by its fast-paced, arcade-style racing mechanics that blend traditional driving with unique features like wall-riding, flying, and various stunts, creating a thrilling experience. While the game introduces mechanics gradually through its campaign, some players find certain controls unintuitive and level design inconsistent, leading to moments of frustration. Overall, the combination of engaging mechanics, stunning visuals, and a captivating soundtrack makes for a highly enjoyable, albeit challenging, gameplay experience.

    • “Some of the most satisfying arcade racing gameplay, with some very unique twists!”
    • “The game's arcade-like feel is immediately apparent, offering an intuitive and responsive control system that seamlessly blends with the heart-pounding speed of the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is consistently fun and skill rewarding, challenging yet fair as every mistake you could make is 100% in your control.”
    • “However, the clunky and sharp, sometimes even unresponsive controls, inconsistent, and unintuitive level design break the gameplay for me.”
    • “I'd even praise the gameplay if it weren't for some details like a flying mechanic that gets introduced and then locked away for the rest of the game, or the level design sometimes forgetting its own rules, leading to the player not knowing where to go.”
    • “The game makes an effort to explain the tools available to you, but it does so kind of lazily and in a bizarre order, and doesn't provide enough challenges of escalating difficulty to truly make you comfortable with each mechanic before adding in more layers.”
  • graphics747 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning, neon-drenched aesthetic reminiscent of Tron, creating an immersive experience that enhances gameplay. Players appreciate the vibrant visuals and smooth performance, even on lower-end systems, although some have noted that certain graphical settings can impact performance. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics and a fitting soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout in the racing genre.

    • “The neon visuals, coupled with a smooth frame rate, create an immersive experience that feels like a cinematic journey through a cybernetic dreamscape.”
    • “Visually, Distance continues to dazzle with its neon-drenched landscapes and futuristic aesthetics.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, the levels are expansive, and the music is damn good.”
    • “The graphics are plain and horrible.”
    • “I thought it might be worthwhile for the graphics in VR, but they're pretty bland and repetitive, and there was one part where it just launched me into space with no objective, just a spaceship I could crash into and explode, and I've never been nauseated from VR before that.”
    • “It's got neat graphics, but the gameplay feels more like a high school project than a game you pay for.”
  • story472 mentions

    The story in "Distance" is often described as minimal and abstract, serving primarily as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a central focus. While the campaign mode is relatively short, lasting around 1-3 hours, it features atmospheric storytelling and environmental cues that create a sense of intrigue and mystery. Many players appreciate the unique approach to narrative, which blends racing mechanics with a haunting, dystopian aesthetic, though some express a desire for a more fleshed-out and coherent storyline.

    • “The game has a shockingly good campaign mode, where the story is extremely minimal, but the set pieces, the music, and the presentation are hypnotizing.”
    • “The story mode is really atmospheric, and the campaign introduces a lot of the game mechanics, various atmospheric effects, and a nice story!”
    • “The story is interesting and mysterious, with a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged throughout the gameplay.”
    • “The story campaign is short: the main one takes only 1 hour to complete.”
    • “But ultimately all of this falls short and the only reason I finished the main story campaign was because I wanted to see how the barebones story is ultimately explained.”
    • “The story mode is rather short and can be completed in under 1 hour, but the heart of the game to me are the arcade/challenge modes which I can see myself playing over and over for days.”
  • atmosphere174 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, enhanced by a stellar soundtrack that complements the futuristic and often eerie visuals. Players appreciate the blend of atmospheric storytelling, dynamic sound design, and engaging level aesthetics, which together create a unique and memorable experience. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke a range of emotions, from excitement to contemplation, making it a standout title in the racing genre.

    • “The atmosphere is mind-blowing and almost an experience in itself; I found myself wondering what was happening at some points with all of these cool trippy and glitchy effects.”
    • “The atmosphere and soundtrack are phenomenal, and the gameplay is awesome.”
    • “Distance is incredible with its soundtrack, sound design, visuals, atmosphere, attention to detail, and it has great community-created content and extras to extend its playtime.”
    • “That's extremely distracting, given the sporadic atmosphere of thriller almost horror imagery.”
    • “As far as atmosphere goes...well the environments are this sort of super-futuristic Tron-esque looking things most of the time.”
    • “Sure; they did a good job of creating a desolate virtual city, once bustling but is now beset by an all-devouring virus, my personal favorite part being the completely abandoned sections of the city where the only light is your boosters and the only music is the sweet sound of silence, but I don't seek out video games for atmosphere, and especially not one that carries the spirit of Nitronic Rush.”
  • replayability73 mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, primarily due to its extensive Steam Workshop support, which offers an almost infinite array of community-created levels and challenges. Players can engage in time trials, speedrunning, and explore custom tracks, ensuring a fresh experience even after completing the main campaign. While the official content may be short, the combination of user-generated content and various gameplay modes significantly enhances the game's longevity and enjoyment.

    • “The Steam Workshop support for levels makes this infinitely replayable!”
    • “By nature of being a racing game, it has immense replay value from encouraging speedrunning and achieving the fastest time you can, which is further reinforced by the Steam Workshop opening the floodgates for new, creative and challenging community courses with which you can further test your skill in.”
    • “The game's official levels are about 2 hours' worth of gaming, but the level editor and the community workshop make this game almost infinitely replayable.”
    • “While it's short, it makes the replay value so much higher.”
    • “There are plenty of things about it that make the game replayable, but I'm still left wishing there was somehow more...”
    • “Each gameplay mode, outside of the multiplayer, is mildly lacking in replay value (unless you're a perfectionist and want to get to the top of the leaderboards which I personally could easily see myself attempting).”
  • optimization59 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance even on lower-end systems. While some users noted that certain graphical settings, like real-time reflections, can significantly impact performance, the majority found the game to run well at high settings, particularly in VR. A few minor performance hiccups were mentioned, but many believe that further improvements are expected as the game continues to develop.

    • “The game is well-optimized and I'm getting around 100-140fps most of the time with everything maxed out on 1080p GTX 980 Ti.”
    • “Another thing - this has to be the most well-optimized game I have ever played.”
    • “Great gameplay - great optimization and lots of nice performance updates.”
    • “The developer has assured that optimizations have been applied multiple times, and I do believe this is true, but it still only gets me like 60fps at 4k with a 4090.”
    • “The only downside is the performance drops in very heavy scenes even with a high-end machine.”
    • “It is slightly unoptimized currently but in the future I bet that will change.”
  • humor24 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both entertaining and engaging, often leading to hilarious moments during gameplay, such as funny deaths and amusing community creations. The game's quirky mechanics, like the "funny car go brrrrrrrrrrrr" and the absurdity of obstacles, contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere, making it enjoyable for both casual and competitive players. Overall, the combination of comedic elements and a friendly community enhances the gaming experience, ensuring plenty of laughs along the way.

    • “The game is interesting, funny, well realized, and the ambiance is incredible.”
    • “Adventure mode will have you laughing and screaming, and has an unexpected sense of terror similar to Superhot's story mode.”
    • “If you get hit by a laser, the game will remove parts of your vehicle realistically, and you can keep going to try and rebuild at the next checkpoint; it's often hilarious!”
  • stability22 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with many users reporting smooth performance and good framerate, especially on Linux. While there are some minor glitches and bugs, particularly with VR controls and camera issues, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience. As an early access title, it shows promise with few critical stability issues, making it feel almost complete despite some user interface quirks.

    • “Support for all kinds of controllers, runs great on Linux.”
    • “Despite being an early access title, it's very stable and runs great.”
    • “This game runs great and has tons of settings to tweak if for whatever reason you can't run it well.”
    • “The controls and mechanics in VR are a little buggy, and I can't play from the cockpit of the car, so I switched to third-person view in the options and nearly lost my lunch.”
    • “There can be minor glitches like falling through the ground, but they don't break the game at all.”
    • “To be honest, it already feels like a finished game; it just has a few glitches here and there that are mostly user interface.”
  • emotional14 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke a range of feelings, from fear during intense story intermissions to nostalgia and joy reminiscent of childhood experiences. Players report a gripping sense of urgency and excitement while navigating the game's challenges, with the combination of visuals, music, and gameplay creating a psychedelic and exhilarating atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully elicits strong emotional responses, making it a memorable experience for players.

    • “The game doesn't quite have a set story; in fact, it has multiple stories you can play through, each one with a different feel and experience. You unlock these as you play the game. The first one is the Distance storyline. I won't go into details because of spoilers, but it's interesting. Compared to Nitronic Rush, the Distance storyline actually borders on horror. I never thought a racing game could be scary, but they did it somehow. The first few tracks teach you the basics of the game, and then you have the intermissions that progress the story, which you also play through. Trust me, these are scary. I haven't felt actual fear in a video game in a long time, and this game somehow made me feel fear in those intermissions.”
    • “Really fun parkour-style driving game with a story mode that surprised me with how it made me feel while playing it.”
    • “Seriously, after getting past a few of the starting levels, I was literally grinning with how awesome this game made me feel driving a car.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be quite tedious, often requiring players to restart lengthy challenge tracks after any failure, which can detract from the experience. While some players enjoy the time trial aspect and find satisfaction in improving their scores, others feel that the grinding can become monotonous, especially for those not deeply invested in the genre. Overall, the game appeals to dedicated players who appreciate the mechanical depth and challenge, but may not be as enjoyable for casual gamers.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It can be a bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “The challenge tracks tend to be longer with any death on the track starting you from the beginning and having to go through the tedious 3, 2, 1 countdown again.”
    • “Unfortunately though you really gotta love this style of game if you are to spend a lot of time with it; number crunching time trialers grinding out best times for the heck of it is a very specific genre.”
    • “Most of my early time in Distance was in campaign levels, grinding for faster times.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is viewed positively, as it is seen as a genuine project of passion rather than a cash grab, though it suffers from limited advertising, resulting in a small active community. Players express a desire for more promotional efforts to increase awareness and engagement.

    • “I don't know about you, but the 'computer parts advertisement' aesthetic is really starting to wear down on me after the past couple of decades.”
    • “In a world now littered with unpolished cash grab games, it is refreshing to see something that is truly a project of passion.”
    • “Its main drawback is that its active community may be dedicated, but it is also tiny due to a lack of advertising.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

90% average critic score

Buy Distance

Play time

6hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
2-13hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News