JDM: Japanese Drift Master

A true JDM lovers heaven, even a few noticeable bugs couldn't stop me having a blast with JDM. With even more content and improvement, these guys will be unstoppable!

72%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

optimization, stability

75% User Score Based on 1,861 reviews

Critic Score 69%Based on 13 reviews

Platforms

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About

JDM: Japanese Drift Master is a single player casual racing game. It was developed by Gaming Factory and was released on May 21, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Explore the birthplace of drift and dive into Japan’s iconic car culture! JDM: Japanese Drift Master is an homage to Japan, Japanese street racing culture and drift. It’s an open world, story-driven experience, blending Tōge (mountainous) serpentines, with narrow rural roads and vast highways leading to a modern cityscape. With licensed cars and robust tuning options it’s a drifting paradise come…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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75%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,861 reviews

story224 positive mentions

optimization49 negative mentions

The game features a beautiful open-world map inspired by Japan, with stunning graphics and a vibrant atmosphere.
Drifting mechanics are enjoyable and provide a satisfying experience once players get the hang of them.
The game includes a variety of licensed JDM cars and extensive customization options, allowing players to personalize their vehicles.

The game suffers from performance issues, including long loading times and stuttering, even on high-end hardware.
AI behavior is inconsistent and often frustrating, with opponents crashing into players and traffic causing unnecessary obstacles.
The story is presented through manga panels, which some players find confusing or poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.

story
907 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
67%
8%
The game's story, presented through manga panels, has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its unique approach and engaging narrative, while others criticize it for being cliché, poorly written, and lacking depth. Many find the missions frustrating due to inconsistent AI and challenging objectives, particularly in drift and delivery tasks, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite its shortcomings, the story's integration into the gameplay and the nostalgic nods to Japanese car culture resonate with fans of the genre, leaving room for potential improvements in future updates.
- “The story is presented through manga panels, which I find very fitting for the game’s style and theme.”
- “The unique storytelling style (through manga) definitely sets this game apart from many others.”
- “I love that instead of animated story scenes, we get to read it in manga format; that is a super interesting take on storytelling and I love how unique it is.”
- “The story offers 0 reasons to play it; I read the first panel and have skipped every single one since. I went back and read a bit of it later, and I made the right decision in skipping them.”
- “The characters lack depth; their story is not interesting nor meaningful.”
- “The story is so terrible that I was suffering to go through it.”
graphics
289 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
39%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and detailed Japanese landscapes, while others criticize performance issues and optimization problems that hinder frame rates. The art style, influenced by manga, is appreciated by some for its uniqueness, though others find it amateurish or inconsistent. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered appealing, they are marred by technical issues that affect gameplay experience.
- “Game graphics overall are pretty good, the landscape of Japan was done beautifully and it's a fresh change of air from other game environments such as NFS.”
- “The graphics are absolutely amazing at 4K native, love to see an open world racing game based on Japan.”
- “The graphics are great, I love the small details in the environment.”
- “And of course thanks to the total lack of optimization, you won't even sustain stable 72 fps (yes, 72, the minimum) even with a very strong graphic card.”
- “The graphics look crazy bad on Xbox Series X.”
- “Lots of stutters and graphical bugs, every setting looks grainy and low quality.”
optimization
238 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
66%
21%
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including frequent stuttering, low frame rates, and crashes, even on high-end hardware. While some users have managed to achieve decent performance through extensive tweaking, the general consensus is that the game requires significant optimization improvements to provide a smoother and more enjoyable experience. Despite its potential and engaging gameplay, the current state of optimization is a major drawback for many players.
- “The drifting itself is much better than it was in the demo, and so is the performance (after a couple of patches, they got rid of a lot of the performance issues and a lot of the stuttering).”
- “A super fun and unique racing game with an incredibly detailed, well-designed map full of elevation changes and narrow roads that make for a lot of fun just driving and racing by yourself. The performance is surprisingly decent for a UE5 title but still has a lot of room for improvement.”
- “I hope that there will be optimization improvements in the coming updates because the game needs it.”
- “The visual quality and the game optimization is an absolute disaster.”
- “The game is very badly optimized and runs really slow unless you use aggressive upscaling or frame generation.”
- “It's poorly optimized and has far too many stutters to be playable for long periods of time.”
music
231 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
35%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its diverse and engaging soundtrack, featuring genres like eurobeat, phonk, rock, and hip-hop, which resonate well with the street racing and drifting culture. Players appreciate the ability to choose from various radio stations, enhancing the overall driving experience and evoking nostalgic feelings reminiscent of classic racing games. While some users noted a desire for more song variety, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly elevates the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “The soundtrack itself is quite good with different styles such as rock, phonk, synthwave, hip hop, and eurobeat. The devs might be fans of Initial D as there are some themes from the anime series, which is so good, especially if you are a cars/racing fan.”
- “Overall, they nailed the soundtrack, and I believe it captures the essence of street racing and drifting culture properly, unlike other soundtracks that have been disappointing.”
- “The music channels offer a bunch of different styles for any mood you’re in, and the soundtrack is surprisingly fantastic, with tons of variety.”
- “Music is repetitive.”
- “It feels like every station has only 3 songs on it.”
- “I go to settings to disable music; multiple UI elements have music built into them which cannot be adjusted by the music slider.”
gameplay
191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
58%
8%
The gameplay of "JDM: Japanese Drift Master" is characterized by a mix of rewarding drifting mechanics and frustrating inconsistencies, particularly with controls and AI behavior. While many players appreciate the depth of customization and the engaging driving experience, especially for drifting enthusiasts, others criticize the steep learning curve and performance issues that detract from the overall enjoyment. The game offers a vibrant open world and a unique manga-style narrative, but it struggles with optimization and some core gameplay mechanics that need refinement.
- “That being said, once you really get a feel for the mechanics, it's incredibly rewarding, and there's a huge amount of customization to suit your preferred style of driving and aesthetic sensibilities.”
- “The driving and drifting mechanics are really well made.”
- “If you're looking for a game that blends relaxing vibes with satisfying drifting mechanics, JDM: Japanese Drift Master is an absolute gem.”
- “After a point, it seemed to assume you had all the information you needed, and that you had brought most of that with you by not teaching you a lot of the what's, how's, and other mechanical complexities it expected of you.”
- “The collision mechanics are atrocious and need a proper rework, as it seems your car weighs nothing, and opponents’ cars can lightly tap you and you fly off the tracks.”
- “The game isn't very good, the mechanics suck, same to the NPCs, just awful at driving.”
stability
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, graphical glitches, and performance issues such as freezing and stuttering, particularly during missions. While some users noted that the game runs well on high-end systems without crashes, others found it unplayable due to persistent problems. Overall, the game appears to require significant optimization and bug fixes to enhance the user experience.
- “Game runs great on a 4070 on ultra settings with frame generation.”
- “Handles great, looks great, and after the last update, runs great too!”
- “This game runs great.”
- “Now each time I launch the game, it freezes at the epilepsy warning.”
- “It's playable for 15-30 minutes then the game just freezes.”
- “But the game is still really isn't cooked yet, too many bugs and glitches that just ruin the experience. I hope the devs fix most of them in the next update, but for now it's just unplayable.”
atmosphere
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
38%
9%
The atmosphere in "JDM: Japanese Drift Master" is widely praised for its immersive and stylish representation of Japanese street culture, featuring beautiful visuals, chill synthwave music, and attention to detail that enhances the drifting experience. Players appreciate the game's captivating late-night vibes and the authenticity of its environments, although some note that the lack of dynamic elements like traffic and pedestrians detracts from the overall immersion. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest aspects, making it a unique and enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
- “The atmosphere this game has is easily one of its strongest points, with night driving in particular feeling stylish and immersive thanks to solid lighting, reflections, and a multitude of radio stations that fit the racing vibe perfectly.”
- “The atmosphere is pure late-night touge magic—smooth synthwave tunes, neon-lit mountain passes, and the thrill of perfectly executed drifts.”
- “With beautiful visuals, realistic sound design, and a strong sense of atmosphere, JDM: Japanese Drift Master delivers a fun and authentic experience for fans of drifting and Japanese street racing.”
- “Especially in a dense city, I'd expect a considerable amount of traffic, perhaps pedestrians (who do not exist in the game, though) and a dynamic atmosphere, one which reflects a bustling city.”
- “Although the environment is great, the AI vehicles ruin the atmosphere as they appear out of nowhere and in some cases will stop in the middle of your path.”
- “Just nitpicks, the atmosphere is there but the game doesn't really feel alive.”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
17%
79%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a mixed experience, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to long driving missions and a lack of fast travel options. While some appreciate the challenge and potential for earning money through strategic mission replay, others feel that the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, making the game feel repetitive and frustrating at times. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant element that can either enhance or hinder the gaming experience, depending on player preferences.
- “Not grindy at all; you can easily make money with the betting system. Just don't overestimate yourself, or you'll lose money.”
- “To me, it just feels like a very grindy introduction to everything.”
- “A lot of missions feel redundant, aimless, and tedious.”
- “Until you get fast travel spots and those are not clear how you get them, you are driving upwards of 20 minutes to the next race, which becomes rather tedious.”
humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky AI behavior, such as cars crashing into walls and traffic reacting in amusing ways, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay. Players find the stiff car handling and unexpected glitches to be more funny than frustrating, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience. Additionally, references and easter eggs sprinkled throughout the game provide moments of levity, enhancing the arcade vibe.
- “I ran into a small bug where the AI just straight-up drove into a wall at the start of a race; funny more than frustrating, and it didn’t take anything away from the experience.”
- “Traffic AI is funny and honestly amazing since oncoming traffic can react by turning on their hazard lights just a moment before they think you would crash into them.”
- “Also, I did see some glitches but they were more funny than game-breaking; the GPS route tends to take you on the wrong route at times.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the emotional depth of the game, highlighting its crafted atmosphere that resonates with drifting culture, despite some technical flaws. The narrative elements, such as character interactions, evoke feelings of being a background character, while the gameplay mechanics can lead to frustration due to inconsistent physics and object interactions. Overall, the game is seen as a heartfelt experience, showcasing the developers' passion, even amidst its rough edges.
- “Together, these elements contribute to a mood that feels deliberately crafted to capture the emotional appeal of drifting culture rather than just its technical side.”
- “All in all, despite a few bugs and rough edges, JDM is a heartfelt, enjoyable game that clearly had a lot of love put into it.”
- “Not to mention the [spoiler] fight between the scorpion and the American dude [/spoiler] just made me feel like I'm a background character honestly, lol.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the ability to replay story chapters and enjoy exploring the expansive map, many criticize the lack of a New Game+ mode and additional save slots, leading to a perception of limited replay value once the main story is completed. The content feels thin, and players are hopeful for future updates to enhance replayability.
- “Yeah, the story is short, but it still offers good replayability.”
- “The story is okay, the missions have some variety, and the non-story missions give the game decent replayability, but the main draw to this game is just to enjoy driving around an expansive map, exploring it and drifting.”
- “The almost zero replayability of the title, which only allows you to repeat missions again and again via your phone on the same save file (lacks a new game+ mode or additional save slots).”
- “Replayability exists through story chapter replays, but overall content feels thin.”
- “Once you get the story complete, it has pretty much zero replayability value until they drop the story additions in the next few months.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate dissatisfaction with the game's monetization strategy, highlighting concerns about a lack of content and perceived cash-grab tactics from the developers. Players express a desire for additional features, such as a replay mode, which could enhance engagement and serve as free promotion.
- “Stay away from these companies only interested in a cash grab.”
- “I remember seeing some ads a while ago that promised multiple rivals, but so far I've found only one playable backstory - the scorpion from the demo.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is noted for its effectiveness in enhancing the overall tone, though some reviewers feel it lacks depth and pacing at times. However, the evolution of the character Ayumi stands out as a particularly engaging and surprising aspect of the narrative.
- “Seeing the character development of Ayumi was very interesting, and perhaps even a little unexpected.”
- “The manga presentation is particularly effective at reinforcing the game’s tone, even if character development and pacing occasionally feel undercooked.”

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69%Critics’ scoreBased on 13 critic reviews

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12h Median play time

18h Average play time

8-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

JDM: Japanese Drift Master is a casual racing game.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Windows and Xbox.

On average players spend around 18 hours playing JDM: Japanese Drift Master.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master was released on May 21, 2025.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master was developed by Gaming Factory.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master is a single player game.

Similar games include Touge Shakai, Dakar Desert Rally, Grid 2, Need for Speed Unbound, Tokyo Xtreme Racer and others.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master

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