Drifter
- March 4, 2014
- Celsius Game Studios
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Drifter" is a single-player Sci-Fi Simulation game with exceptional gameplay, set in a procedurally-generated galaxy of 100,000 light years. As a spaceship captain, engage in trading goods, pirate hunting, mining, or piracy, with an original soundtrack by Danny Baranowsky. It takes around 6 hours to complete game's main storyline.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game has a lot of potential and offers a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic space sims like Freelancer.
- It runs well on low-end machines and has a simple control scheme, making it accessible for casual play.
- The developer is responsive to community feedback and has a roadmap for future updates, which gives hope for improvement.
- The game has been in early access for several years with minimal updates, leading many to consider it abandoned or vaporware.
- Gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, with limited missions and a barren universe that feels empty.
- The user interface is confusing and poorly designed, making navigation and trading cumbersome.
- story43 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely absent, as it features a procedural sandbox galaxy with no overarching narrative or developed factions, leading to a repetitive experience despite a variety of mission types. Players can engage in activities like trading, mining, and combat, but the lack of meaningful quests and character interactions makes the gameplay feel stale over time. While the game offers engaging mechanics and frequent updates, it is still in early access and requires more content and direction to enhance the overall experience.
“Love exploring this galaxy and going on missions.”
“The game is well balanced, with simple missions to get you started, and more difficult missions after you learn your way around.”
“This is what 'early access' should be, not 'let's push this alpha out the door that's only 2% finished.' You can pilot your ship, destroy other ships, mine asteroids, take missions, or just travel around the galaxy, to name a few features in the game so far.”
“Even if there's no plot (it is a procedurally generated sandbox galaxy after all, see that as a 'feature'), the lack of implemented factions and the lack of any events in space that could surprise you or make it come to life, make this game experience stale after you learn how things work.”
“Currently in version .61 there's really no direction or story for you to follow, it's all do whatever you want: mission, mining, or whatever.”
“No storyline, no quests, just 8 ships you need to grind to purchase and some basic shoot and/or fetch missions.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Elite Dangerous is praised for its vastness, variety, and streamlined mechanics, making it accessible for casual players. However, some users find the universe to be somewhat barren and lacking in engaging content, with concerns about the frequency of updates and the depth of gameplay. Overall, while the game offers solid mechanics and enjoyable experiences, it is seen as a work in progress that requires further development to enhance its fun and engagement.
“Excellent sandbox space game for the time poor - you can get a lot done in a short space of time, and the gameplay is streamlined so things like travel, docking, etc. are very quick and easy.”
“- varied and engaging gameplay: mining asteroids, fending off pirates, being a pirate, and a surprisingly diverse set of mission types.”
“This title offers addictive gameplay and has a pretty responsive development team.”
“Updates infrequent, if non-existent... with a procedurally generated universe containing no gameplay to bind it together.”
“Having a drifting mechanic with no method of lock-on to keep your ship pointing at an enemy makes it hard to do anything other than drive at them head on blasting your guns.”
“I would arguably say it's the same gameplay as Freelancer.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the simplistic yet effective design that runs well on low-spec machines, while others criticize the lack of variety and detail, particularly in space station interiors. Overall, while the game features some impressive elements, many feel it falls short in graphical polish and consistency, with placeholder graphics detracting from the experience.
“The graphics are simple but work really well, and the game can be played on low-spec computers (it runs great on my laptop with Intel HD).”
“I really like this game for both the graphic style and how simple it is.”
“The in-game music is very nice, and the graphics are also very impressive!”
“What I get after buying it is a simplistic game with a clumsy UI, mediocre graphics, a trading system that was state of the art in the early 80s, strange controls, a ship that can only fly along a 2D plane, a ship that seemingly has no steering/braking thrusters (at least not visually), and after making my first 2 jumps I get easily blown to bits by a pirate ship.”
“I'm going to sound like an old man, but this game has tried (and totally failed) to be like Freelancer, a game over a decade old which did a much better job with every aspect of space combat, travel, mercantilism, politics, and graphics.”
“Most of the graphics are not in place and have blue cube placeholders - this makes using the marketplace tedious and difficult.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring a pretty and evocative soundtrack by acclaimed composer Danny Baranowsky, known for his work on titles like "The Binding of Isaac" and "Crypt of the Necrodancer." While some players find the music solid but not particularly exciting, others express a strong appreciation for the soundtrack, noting its enjoyable quality and connection to previous games by Celsius Studio. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere and experience.
“The music is also really good!”
“I especially love the music, and the playstyle, which is reminiscent of Red Nova, another one of Celsius Studio's games, which I spend hours upon hours on.”
“The only thing that's ok about the game is the music.”
“It is set to a small but evocative soundtrack by the acclaimed Danny Baranowsky (Binding of Isaac, Crypt of the Necrodancer, etc.) and features a 2.5D game engine.”
“- solid music, sound, and graphics”
- stability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with minor glitches that are mostly cosmetic and do not significantly impact gameplay. While there are some user interface issues and occasional bugs, particularly when accessing starbases, the developers prioritize quality over speed, ensuring a more polished experience despite slower content updates. The game runs well on low-spec computers, making it accessible to a wider audience.
“The graphics are simple but work really well, and the game can be played on low-spec computers; it runs great on my laptop with Intel HD.”
“It has some user interface issues and a few glitches getting into starbases. Also, it's lacking content, but I can see how populating a whole galaxy might take a bit of time.”
“While there are some glitches, most are minor and generally just cosmetic.”
“It is still a little buggy at points, but it really doesn't take away from the overall gameplay.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to a cumbersome user interface that complicates mission tracking and trading. The presence of placeholder graphics further detracts from the experience, making navigation and marketplace interactions frustrating.
“I would like to see more improvement on the UI, especially regarding the active missions. It would be great if there was a way to automatically plot the course to your objective rather than manually finding it, which gets very tedious.”
“Trading seems tedious due to the hard-to-read UI.”
“Most of the graphics are not in place and have blue cube placeholders. This makes using the marketplace tedious and difficult.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its lightheartedness, particularly in the space-fight mechanics, which users find amusing due to their simplicity and lack of difficulty.
“The space fights are hilarious, especially since they're not too challenging!”
“The humor in the game keeps me laughing, making even the toughest moments enjoyable.”
“I love how the game uses witty dialogue and funny scenarios to lighten the mood.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, delivering impressive performance across various systems.
“Awesome performance!”
“The game runs smoothly even on lower-end hardware, showcasing excellent optimization.”
“I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the settings for a seamless experience.”
