Drift: Space Survival
- May 12, 2023
- KAR Games
- 11h median play time
Drift is an open-world, co-op survival adventure for up to 8 players where you must rebuild your crashed research ship in a mysterious asteroid field. Gather resources, build interstellar ships, and explore the cosmos with friends to uncover strange fauna and hidden answers. With a stunning soundtrack, life support systems, and customizable ships, Drift offers a unique space experience.
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and engaging experience, reminiscent of 'Raft in space', with enjoyable mechanics for exploration and crafting.
- The developers are highly responsive to feedback, frequently releasing updates and hotfixes to improve the game.
- The visuals and soundtrack create a relaxing atmosphere, making it a pleasant game to unwind with.
- The game suffers from significant optimization issues, including frequent crashes and a lack of clear guidance on gameplay mechanics.
- Progression can become tedious due to resource scarcity and the RNG nature of finding necessary materials, particularly crystals.
- Many players feel the game is not yet ready for full release, citing a lack of quality-of-life features and overall polish.
- gameplay16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of frustration and enjoyment; while players appreciate the intuitive controls and relaxing exploration in the crafting game, many report frequent crashes and inefficient mechanics that hinder the overall experience. The balance of game mechanics is noted positively, but there is a strong call for developers to prioritize core gameplay improvements over additional features.
“Hard no to love a chill crafting game in space, but the mechanics feel balanced and I loved the sense of exploration and discovery - especially when paired with the soundtrack.”
“Controls are pretty intuitive and gameplay is relaxing.”
“Played the demo for a couple of hours; I like the art style and the mechanics of researching and crafting in the game.”
“I couldn't even get 10 straight minutes of gameplay without the game crashing.”
“Game mechanics that prevent you from playing the actual game are bad.”
“Okay so preface, I've played Drift for roughly four hours but due to how Steam handles times for gameplay... well, you know how it is.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly in the early stages, where the initial fun quickly diminishes into a monotonous cycle of resource gathering. While some acknowledge that grinding is a common feature in survival games, many express frustration with the RNG elements and the overall lack of enjoyment in the grinding process.
“It's fun for maybe the first 15 - 30 minutes and then it just turns into a boring grinding game.”
“Add the fact that you're searching for materials that are tedious and just downright boring to even attempt to get.”
“It is all extremely tedious and not fun at all.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback for their cute and colorful art style, which has been refined through updates while maintaining its original charm. Players appreciate the combination of appealing visuals and engaging gameplay mechanics, enhanced by a fitting audio experience that complements the overall atmosphere. The early access format allows users to witness ongoing improvements, further enhancing their enjoyment of the graphics.
“Also, they have updated the graphics since the beginning, and they have gotten more refined without losing the visual style they built.”
“I was worried the updated graphics wouldn't be good, but I was happy they were.”
“The visuals are cute and colorful, the audio is pretty great, the music is comfy and spacey from what I've heard.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its peaceful and comfy qualities, enhancing the overall chill experience of exploration and crafting in space. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a perfect complement to the game's visuals and mechanics, contributing to a stress-free atmosphere. Overall, the audio design is considered a strong point, adding to the game's immersive and enjoyable nature.
“The music is incredibly peaceful, and when you can remember to bring extra oxygen and power, it is very stress-free.”
“The visuals are cute and colorful, the audio is pretty great, and the music is comfy and spacey from what I've heard.”
“The graphics, music, and gameplay are all great, and the early access format lets you experience the game and watch as it matures.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's current optimization is a significant concern for users, with many expressing frustration over performance issues that hinder gameplay. However, there is a sense of optimism among players, who hope for future improvements that will enhance the overall experience.
“The game has some serious optimization needed before it's close to being worth playing again.”
“I'm looking forward to the game's development and hope to see significant optimization improvements.”
“Game has some serious optimization issues before it's close to being worth playing or touching again.”
“Although I will be unable to play this game currently, I'm excited to see this game develop further and hopefully become more optimized.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is currently minimal, primarily revolving around its premise, with players expressing hope for future narrative development. While enjoying the gameplay, users noted several bugs in cooperative mode that detracted from the experience. Overall, there is a desire for a more engaging story to complement the exploration and building elements.
“Not much of any story beyond the premise just yet, and we encountered a few bugs in co-op (only the host can see the wrench icon, host selecting continue after leaving defaults to direct IP for players to join, without saying anything, and the tutorial dialog restarts on re-entry) but still having a blast building and exploring.”
“Very interested in where it will go; hopefully there will be some sort of story to give you something to think about while floating in space.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability, particularly in multiplayer mode, has been criticized for being highly buggy, with many users calling for significant quality of life updates to address these issues.
“Multiplayer was super buggy, and as many other folks have posted, this game needs serious quality of life updates.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is overshadowed by significant optimization issues, leading players to feel frustrated and disengaged. Many users express that until these technical problems are resolved, the game's emotional impact remains unfulfilled.
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized, with many users labeling it as a blatant "cash grab."
“It screams 'cash grab'.”
“It screams 'cash grab'.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a desire for improved gameplay before considering replaying the game, indicating that its current state affects its replayability. Overall, there is a sense of potential for future enjoyment if enhancements are made.