JDM: Rise of the Scorpion

Check our other games!https://store.steampowered.com/app/2708880/Ghost_Keeper https://store.steampowered.com/app/1707710/Puppet_House/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1563870/Lesson_Learned/ About the Gamehttps://store.steampowered.com/app/1153410/Japanese_Drift_Master/ Meet JDM: Rise of the Scorpion, one and only introduction to the world of the upcoming racing game JDM: Japanese Drift Ma…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 681 reviews

story49 positive mentions

optimization16 negative mentions

The game features a unique manga-style storytelling that adds a fresh twist to the racing genre.
The driving mechanics, especially for drifting, are satisfying and provide a good balance between arcade and simulation.
The graphics and environment design are visually appealing, capturing the essence of Japanese culture and landscapes.

The game suffers from performance issues, including stuttering and low frame rates, even on high-end systems.
Many players report that the steering wheel support is poorly implemented, making it difficult to control the cars effectively.
The AI behavior is inconsistent, often leading to frustrating experiences during races due to their erratic driving patterns.

story
161 mentions
30 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The game's story, presented through a unique manga style, has garnered mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its fresh approach and nostalgic nods to classic racing themes, others find it generic and cringe-worthy. The narrative is described as simple and sometimes lacking depth, with a blend of high school drama and racing elements that may not resonate with all players. Overall, the story adds a layer of engagement to the gameplay, but many hope for more character development and plot complexity in future updates.
- “The manga storytelling for a race/drift themed game is something I haven't seen since the Initial D arcade games came out; the graphics are great if you set it to max with a decent PC.”
- “I love the way the story is delivered through manga; it adds a unique and interesting take on storytelling.”
- “The story is fun and engaging, especially with the manga-style presentation that breathes new life into the racing genre.”
- “The story lacks more context and is too rushed for us to understand many characters' motivations.”
- “The storyline, if you could call it that, just consists of reading black and white comic book pages, and the drawings are of white people.”
- “I love the idea of a story, but the actual story itself is so cringe and such a turn off... you, the main character, as a bully rich kid... yeah, no thanks.”
graphics
128 mentions
32 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the stunning visuals and unique art style, particularly in relation to weather effects and character design. However, many others criticize the graphics for being underwhelming, poorly optimized, and reminiscent of older titles or mobile games, with issues like blurriness and low frame rates on various settings. Overall, while there are elements of beauty, significant improvements in optimization and graphical fidelity are needed to enhance the gaming experience.
- “I love this game, the graphics are stunning!”
- “Love the drift physics and the graphics are stunning!”
- “Beautiful visuals – the rain and storm effects are brilliant, as is the cherry blossom and dappled sunlight.”
- “The graphics are just not good; I've seen Roblox games with better lighting.”
- “Graphically terrible, runs poorly, feels heavy and floaty.”
- “The graphics feel like one of those, 'look how we modded NFSU2' while completely missing the mark.”
optimization
55 mentions
16 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a significant concern among users, with many reporting severe stuttering, lag, and inconsistent frame rates across various devices, including high-end PCs and the Steam Deck. While some players appreciate the game's potential and fun gameplay, they express frustration over performance issues that hinder the experience, particularly on lower-spec hardware. Many reviewers call for further optimization and graphical tweaks to improve stability and accessibility for a broader audience.
- “Overall it's fun, but the lack of optimization may upset those who want to play this game on their everyday laptop/PC.”
- “It's got potential; definitely the optimization needs to be worked on as well as some bugs that came with the game.”
- “I did run into some optimization issues, but it is early access and it was still totally playable.”
- “Optimization feels like it needs a lot of work; it stutters and lags massively no matter which device I pick: PC, laptop, or Steam Deck.”
- “Performance is also a mixed bag, to be honest. I'm usually running around 60fps, which is fine, but it drops into the 50s and 40s every once in a while. As you saw with the specs I have above, I don't have the greatest CPU, but the GPU (while controversial) isn't a slouch.”
- “No one seems to talk about it, but performance on Steam Deck (everything at low) makes this virtually unplayable, with terrible visuals and the most obnoxious ghosting I've ever seen since the first implementation of TAA. I've seen it go down to the low 20s; at that point, any game becomes unresponsive.”
music
47 mentions
47 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as enjoyable and fitting for the driving experience, while others criticize it for lacking variety and feeling out of place. Some players appreciate the good audio balance and variety, noting that it enhances the overall atmosphere, while others point out issues with audio mixing and the need for more diverse genres. Overall, the music is seen as a strong point for some, but not universally acclaimed.
- “The soundtrack is absolutely killer too.”
- “Music is just a banger and feels good with the overall game, also the open world is beautiful and appealing to the eye.”
- “Japan city, atmosphere and soundtrack really does the job.”
- “Shitty music.”
- “The music choice is pretty solid, nothing that really stands out to me personally but it fits the driving very well.”
- “Audio balancing is completely all over the place; everything except the music is way too loud on the third-person cameras, but when you go into cockpit view, they become super muffled and low. It feels like I'm hyper-focusing on a song playing on my headset while inside a car, doesn't feel natural at all.”
gameplay
41 mentions
22 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with players praising its arcade-like mechanics and ease of learning, while also criticizing the steering and drifting mechanics as inconsistent and sometimes frustrating. Many users appreciate the game's unique aesthetic and story, but express disappointment in the execution of certain gameplay features, particularly the drifting system, which some feel is poorly implemented compared to other racing titles. Overall, while the game shows potential and offers enjoyable moments, it also suffers from mechanical issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “I love this game, the mechanics actually weren't that hard to understand. Some kids that only played about 12 minutes are complaining, but how can you improve if you don't play? Can't wait for the full game.”
- “Honestly, the game is amazing. It surprised me in every way possible; gameplay was fun and the story was intriguing. I was hooked as soon as I launched the game, it was very comfortable to play, very easy to learn, and I had a blast completing the prologue.”
- “The whole concept, mechanics, full wheel + shifter support, it truly is a hidden gem.”
- “I know it's an arcade racing game, but the steering wheel mechanics are broken.”
- “The game mechanics are so bad; even after you get the drifting down, it still feels rough as hell.”
- “The drifting mechanics are horrible and arcade-like, almost like CarX.”
stability
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some users report smooth performance on platforms like Steam Deck and Linux, others experience significant bugs, including controller binding issues and random glitches like cars floating. Overall, the game shows potential but suffers from incomplete mechanics and inconsistent performance, leading to frustrating gameplay for some players.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “Also runs great on Linux.”
- “Possibly one of the better demos I've played. Other than the somewhat confusing menu (I had to play the entire game before finding out I can rebind controller controls), it's good, runs great, looks great, has good audio and environment, and the physics are a good mix of arcade and simulation.”
- “A buggy mess”
- “To start off, trying to use a controller, the defaults are bound to buttons nobody ever uses in a racing game, and binding custom keys was a pain that is super buggy and not all of the keys would even bind correctly.”
- “Also, my car randomly started floating at times, very buggy.”
atmosphere
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised for its immersive and detailed environments, particularly during nighttime and adverse weather conditions like thunderstorms and rain. Players appreciate the strong thematic elements and the overall vibe, which enhances the gaming experience, making it both beautiful and engaging.
- “The nighttime is dark and adds to this already beautiful atmosphere.”
- “I love the atmosphere and the lake town; everything is so detailed and nice.”
- “The environment, the theme, and the atmosphere are very strong; I think many of us have been waiting for a game like this.”
- “Japan city, atmosphere, and soundtrack really do the job.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the need to frequently return to the shop after races, which disrupts the flow of gameplay. Additionally, there are frustrations with the lack of realistic car damage and physics, making the grinding experience feel less rewarding. Overall, while driving is enjoyable, the repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall experience.
- “Even though driving's enjoyable, manually going back to the shop after nearly every race became tedious fairly fast.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Mismatched wheels, aftermarket interior parts and that nostalgic feel of grinding.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky, exaggerated mechanics, particularly in grip racing, where players experience comically prolonged braking times that lead to unexpected penalties. This blend of absurdity and nostalgia evokes a lighthearted, 2000s manga-inspired vibe, making it an entertaining experience.
- “Grip racing suffers the most from this, and trying to brake into a simple 90-degree corner takes hilariously long.”
- “And the funny part about that is, you will get the +2 to +4 penalty seconds added to your timer, instead!”
- “Tldr; funny 2000's era manga drift king simulator.”
monetization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game is currently free during its early access phase, with no account creation required and no paywalls or microtransactions encountered so far.
- “Finally, it's a free game right now (probably because it's in early access), and so far it hasn't asked me to start an account, and I've encountered no paywalls or microtransactions.”
- “The monetization model is refreshing; I can enjoy the game without being bombarded by ads or in-game purchases.”
- “I appreciate that the game is free to play and doesn't pressure me into spending money to enjoy the full experience.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, with constant prompts to spend money on in-game items that should be earnable through gameplay.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra.”
- “The game is riddled with microtransactions that disrupt the experience, pushing players to spend money to progress or enjoy the full content.”
character development
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The character development in the manga is positively noted, with users appreciating the appealing character designs, suggesting a strong visual representation that enhances the overall narrative.
replayability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game is generally considered to have no replayability, indicating that players do not find sufficient incentive to revisit it after completing it once.
- “There is virtually no replayability in this game.”
- “Once you've completed it, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel pointless.”