Distance
- December 31, 2017
- Refract
- 6h median play time
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.
Mac OS
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Linux
PlayStation
Reviews
- Visually stunning with a vibrant neon aesthetic and an excellent soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
- Unique gameplay mechanics that combine racing with platforming elements, allowing for creative movement and exploration.
- Extensive community support with a level editor and a vast library of user-generated content, providing endless replayability.
- The difficulty spikes in later campaigns can be frustrating, often requiring trial and error to progress.
- Some levels lack clear visual cues, making it difficult to anticipate obstacles and navigate effectively.
- The game can feel short, with the main campaign being completed in a few hours, leading to concerns about overall value at full price.
- music2,530 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in *Distance* has received widespread acclaim for its energetic and immersive electronic soundtrack, which enhances the game's fast-paced racing experience. Players appreciate the ability to import their own music, allowing for a personalized experience where the visuals sync with the beats. While some find the original soundtrack repetitive, many agree that it effectively complements the game's vibrant aesthetics and gameplay, making it a standout feature.
“The soundtrack is amazing, the visuals are breathtakingly good and are amplified further in the workshop levels.”
“It's a soundtrack that not only complements the experience but becomes an integral part of it, amplifying the thrill of each race and flight.”
“The music is top notch for a game made by a small team, it blends really well with the environment and world design.”
“Compared to other driving games, the soundtrack is only average.”
“I feel like the music track could have been better and there should have been less jumping.”
“The standard soundtrack is pretty boring and minimalistic.”
- gameplay1,514 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Distance" is characterized by its fast-paced, arcade racing mechanics that blend traditional racing with platforming elements, allowing players to perform unique maneuvers such as wall-riding and flying. While the game introduces mechanics gradually through its campaign, some players find the controls occasionally unresponsive and the level design inconsistent, leading to frustration. Overall, the combination of engaging mechanics, stunning visuals, and a captivating soundtrack creates a thrilling experience, though mastering the gameplay can be challenging and may require significant practice.
“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 mechanics feel solid, and really satisfying when you pull tight maneuvers off well.”
“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 (except sometimes?) or the level design sometimes forgetting its own rules, leading to the player not knowing where to go.”
“I enjoy challenges in video games (see my profile) but this one is just too much, relying on mechanics you are never taught and will have to dedicate hours of practice to just to get the first part of the level down.”
- graphics1,494 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Distance" are widely praised for their stunning, neon-drenched aesthetic reminiscent of the "Tron" universe, creating an immersive experience that enhances gameplay. Players appreciate the vibrant visuals and smooth performance, even on lower-end systems, although some note that the graphics can be overwhelming at high speeds. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics, a captivating soundtrack, and unique art style contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“The neon visuals, coupled with a smooth frame rate, create an immersive experience that feels like a cinematic journey through a cybernetic dreamscape.”
“The visuals are thematically amazing and the game is super fluid.”
“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.”
- story944 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in "Distance" is described as intriguing yet minimal, often serving as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a central focus. Players appreciate the atmospheric and environmental storytelling, which conveys a sense of mystery and unease, but many note that the main campaign is short and lacks depth, often feeling more like a tutorial than a fully fleshed-out narrative. While some find the abstract and cryptic elements engaging, others express a desire for a more coherent and developed storyline as the game continues to evolve.
“It has a pumping synth soundtrack, a remarkable amount of story, and incredible atmospheric storytelling.”
“The story is interesting and unfolds as the vehicle travels towards a distant place.”
“The campaign is great, not too much story you have to do a lot of guesswork; it's nothing complex but man, this game slaps.”
“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 completely lacks dialogue yet conveys a deep story that you're thrust into and are left to your own devices to figure out.”
- atmosphere348 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Distance" is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, combining a stunning visual aesthetic with a dynamic soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a futuristic, often eerie environment that draws them in, with many noting the seamless integration of music and visuals that evoke a sense of wonder and challenge. Overall, the game's atmospheric storytelling and design contribute significantly to its appeal, making it a standout title in the racing platformer 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.”
“Extreme update, one of the more frightening games I've played simply due to the threatening atmosphere.”
“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.”
- replayability146 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, primarily due to its extensive Steam Workshop support, which offers an almost infinite array of user-generated levels and challenges. Players can engage in time trials, speedrunning, and explore diverse community-created tracks, ensuring a fresh experience even after completing the main campaign. While the official content may be brief, the combination of custom tracks and a built-in level editor 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.”
“I've honestly never been more hooked on a game such as this one, thanks to its amazing gameplay, community, built-in speechlessly powerful level editor, and random track generation system, you are in for lots of replay value with over 2500 community workshop level submissions and its 'trackmogrify' mode which allows you to enter any seed you want, and a track is generated based on what you put in (modifiers can be used to alter the difficulty, length, etc.).”
“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.”
“I'm worried the developer will place too much reliance on workshop levels; and while that does increase the longevity of a game, it's the hardcore, well polished studio-made levels that have the most replayability.”
“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).”
- optimization118 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance even on lower-spec PCs and VR setups. However, some users noted that certain graphical settings, particularly real-time reflections and motion blur, can significantly impact performance. While there are minor hiccups, the developers have made multiple optimizations, and further improvements are expected as the game continues to evolve.
“The game itself is well optimized, load times, GPU consumption, visually simple but stunning.”
“Another thing - this has to be the most well optimized game I have ever played.”
“The graphics in this game are stunning and it is well optimized as well.”
“The only downside is the performance drops in very heavy scenes even with a high-end machine.”
“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.”
“It is slightly unoptimized currently but in the future I bet that will change.”
- humor48 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both entertaining and engaging, often leading to hilarious moments during gameplay. The community is described as friendly and funny, contributing to the overall lighthearted atmosphere, while the game's mechanics and unexpected scenarios provide ample opportunities for laughter. Players enjoy the combination of absurdity and challenge, making for a uniquely amusing experience.
“The game has a sense of humor, in spite of its darker and edgier atmosphere.”
“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 realistically remove parts of your vehicle, and you can keep going to try and rebuild at the next checkpoint; it's often hilarious!”
- stability44 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 55 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly on various platforms, including Linux, with only minor glitches reported. While some users experienced occasional bugs, particularly with VR controls and camera mechanics, these issues did not significantly detract from the gameplay experience. As an early access title, it feels polished, with most glitches being minor and manageable.
“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.”
“Support for all kinds of controllers, runs great on Linux.”
“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 or there that are mostly user interface.”
- emotional28 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative 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 reminiscent of childhood experiences with racing games. Players report a thrilling sense of urgency and excitement while navigating the game's unique mechanics, with many expressing that the combination of music, visuals, and gameplay creates a captivating and psychedelic experience. Overall, the game successfully elicits strong emotional responses, making it a memorable and engaging 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 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.”
“The first campaign especially was great and made me feel a great sense of urgency to complete the objectives and beat each level.”
“Really fun parkour-style driving game with a story mode that surprised me with how it made me feel while playing it.”
- grinding24 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly in time trials where players may need to restart lengthy tracks after any mistakes. While some players enjoy the challenge of improving their times, the grind can feel excessive, requiring a significant investment of time and dedication to achieve better results. Overall, the experience is tailored for those who appreciate deep mechanical gameplay and are willing to engage in repetitive tasks for incremental improvements.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“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.”
“Most of my early time in Distance was in campaign levels, grinding for faster times.”
“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.”
- monetization10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative 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, which is a refreshing change in a market filled with unpolished titles. However, the game's lack of advertising has resulted in a small, dedicated community that struggles to gain wider recognition.
“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 is also tiny due to a lack of advertising.”
“I never buy a car game that has advertising with VR support if it doesn't have a real wheel/pedal.”
