Liftoff

About

"Liftoff" is a drone racing and freestyle game that provides a realistic flight experience with its advanced physics engine. It offers a platform for both veteran pilots and newcomers to hone their skills, explore various environments, and compete against each other. The game features extensive customization options for drones and allows players to experiment with different setups.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,868 reviews

graphics160 positive mentions

optimization25 negative mentions

Liftoff is an excellent simulator for learning FPV flying, providing a realistic experience that translates well to real-life piloting.
The game features a wide variety of maps and customizable drones, allowing players to practice different flying techniques without the risk of damaging real equipment.
The community support and regular updates enhance the overall experience, making it a fun and engaging tool for both beginners and experienced pilots.

The tutorial system is frustrating, with constant interruptions and a lack of clear guidance for beginners, making it difficult to learn effectively.
Performance issues, including long loading times and frame rate drops, can hinder the gameplay experience, especially on lower-end hardware.
Some players find the physics to be unrealistic, describing the flight experience as 'floaty' and not accurately reflecting real-world drone behavior.

graphics
296 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
38%
8%
The graphics in the game receive a mixed but generally positive reception, with many users praising their quality, realism, and detail, especially in 4K resolution. While some players note that the graphics can be demanding on hardware, leading to performance issues on lower-end systems, others appreciate the ability to adjust settings for smoother gameplay. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point of the game, contributing to an immersive experience, though there are occasional criticisms regarding specific elements like map design and graphical glitches.
- “Graphics are great, maps look amazing and a map editor is included.”
- “The graphics are stunning when camera sound is off, terrific use of shadows.”
- “I love the graphics of liftoff and the game runs very smoothly.”
- “Everything else is just bad - maps are too small, graphics are very meh and it's barely playable on controller.”
- “The graphics are not great.”
- “I have just paid for this simulator and my graphics are horrible and I can't even look at the main menu, I really hope this is not a waste of my time and money!”
optimization
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
47%
27%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant performance issues, particularly on macOS and lower-end systems. While some players experience smooth gameplay on higher-end rigs, others struggle with stuttering and low frame rates even on powerful setups. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance performance consistency and usability across various platforms.
- “For me this is the best FPV simulator game, runs smoothly even on a weaker PC.”
- “Liftoff allows you to build and modify your drone, simulating real-life scenarios where tweaking components can significantly impact performance.”
- “Performance is good, I'm having stable 60 fps on 'good' graphical settings.”
- “I hope you have a good computer, because they did a terrible job of optimizing this simulator for performance.”
- “The performance is horrible (even on really good rigs) and the menu takes ages to load.”
- “This game is in bad need of better optimization; the fact I have a $1,500 Ryzen PC and a $1,200 Intel-powered laptop and they can barely handle 60fps on low settings is a joke for 2020.”
gameplay
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
5%
The gameplay in Liftoff is widely praised for its realistic flight mechanics and physics, making it an excellent simulator for both beginners and experienced pilots looking to refine their skills. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics, diverse maps, and the ability to practice without the fear of crashing real drones, although some note occasional performance issues and a desire for more varied content. Overall, the game is considered fun, challenging, and a valuable tool for learning drone flying techniques.
- “The physics and dynamics of gameplay and maps are dope.”
- “Honestly, the mechanics are very realistic and it's beginner-friendly, so 100% if you want to get into FPV, no doubt this is the simulator for you!”
- “The gameplay is super realistic and translates amazingly well to actually flying.”
- “While it serves its purpose well, there's not a lot to do in terms of varied content or gameplay.”
- “This results in non-fluid gameplay, and honestly it made me feel nauseous at times.”
- “I would not mind more playgrounds and some sort of control over some physics or the gameplay, but I don't really feel like I need to add anything else to the long list of creative criticism the devs already have to work on to get something great.”
music
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the flying experience, with many users enjoying the chill and relaxing vibes it provides. However, there are frequent complaints about the limited selection of tracks, leading to repetitiveness, and a desire for more variety or the option to import personal playlists. Overall, while the soundtrack is a highlight for many, its lack of diversity detracts from the experience for some players.
- “Fun game and great music.”
- “The music is also really good.”
- “An amazing soundtrack is also included for those who like to vibe as they rip a pack.”
- “Barren maps, silly music, completely unoptimized.”
- “Feels like I listen to the same 4 songs on repeat constantly.”
- “Only downfall is the music tracks get really repetitive, so fire up your own music.”
stability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
74%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with numerous users reporting significant bugs such as clipping issues, freezing during loading screens, and unexpected race resets. While some players experience smooth performance on high-end systems, others encounter frustrating glitches that can disrupt gameplay. Overall, the game shows promise but suffers from stability issues typical of early access titles.
- “Seems well optimized and runs great.”
- “Runs great natively on my MacBook Pro M1 Max (Metal) as well as on my gaming PC.”
- “Although this is important, it is not buggy, and I had no issues even on the less-well-tested Linux platform.”
- “Menu is buggy; tutorial pretty empty; you can get stuck under every single map and you can go inside every single object (ramps, seats, trees, panels), it's like a 'no-clip' which lets you go in but not out.”
- “Sadly, sometimes the loading screen freezes and I have to force quit.”
- “Even with high-end GPUs, you still get random frame rate glitches that will cause you to crash.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The game lacks a traditional narrative, with users noting that it feels more like a skill-based simulator than a story-driven experience. Players emphasize that the focus is on mastering drone flying techniques rather than engaging with a storyline, making it comparable to games like "Temple Run" in terms of narrative depth. Overall, the absence of a story is a common point of frustration among users.
- “🔲 Epic story”
- “🔲 Like playing 'Temple Run' for the story”
- “☑️ This game has no story.”
- “There is no story, no unlockables; this game stays fun as long as you like flying drones.”
- “Game is okay, but trying to get these updates is a different story.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
33%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, noting spontaneous laughter and enjoyment from funny skins and moments, such as humorous tutorials and quirky map designs. The active developer team is also recognized for their lighthearted approach, contributing to the overall comedic experience, despite some frustrations with navigation controls.
- “It's the first time I've caught myself smiling and laughing spontaneously while playing a video game.”
- “Funny simulator with several amazing maps.”
- “From beginner experience, it was painful to get through the tutorial (funny, because the tutorial should be the place where you actually feel comfortable to get in touch with the controls for the first time).”
- “The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
- “I expected more clever humor, but it was mostly just cringeworthy.”
- “The attempts at humor are so bad that they become painful to listen to.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
22%
33%
Overall, the game offers strong replayability, particularly through its competitive elements like personal best times and multiplayer options. However, some users feel that the limited number of maps and modes detracts from its long-term engagement potential. Enhancements in customizability and additional levels could further improve replay value.
- “The 3 lap races let me compete against my personal best times, which make for great replay value and shows me when I am improving.”
- “Bottom line: looks great, best replay value of those I've tried, and great exposure to beta flight and lingo for newbies.”
- “The multiplayer surely adds to the replay value, but even without, flying a drone will always remain a challenge; it is more of a simulator than a game, it is a tool to help you get better.”
- “Could use more maps and customizability for more replayability.”
- “The multiplayer surely adds to the replay value, but even without it, flying a drone will always remain a challenge. It is more of a simulator than a game; it is a tool to help you get better.”
- “Only 2 levels are playable and only acro mode is flyable.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
80%
Reviews indicate that the monetization strategy of the game is viewed negatively, with users criticizing the lack of content updates while still offering paid DLC, which some perceive as a cash grab. Despite this, some players feel the initial purchase is justified, appreciating the app's quality and its promotional value for related products.
- “The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel exploitative, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers cosmetic items for purchase, but they don't impact gameplay, which keeps the experience balanced.”
- “The developers have done a great job of providing free content updates alongside optional paid DLC, making it feel like a good value.”
- “I consider the lack of content updates but the continued paid DLC to be 'monetization'.”
- “This is Rotor Riot's cash grab.”
- “Pretty nice app, good advertisement for Vortex itself.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and challenging, particularly in the initial stages, where navigation and controls can be frustrating. While some users express a willingness to persist through the grind to improve their skills, the overall sentiment leans towards the experience being overly cumbersome, especially with the track editor.
- “First 20 minutes: unbelievably tedious.”
- “Bright 'light theme' with thin small lettering is hard and tedious to navigate.”
- “Also, the track editor is incredibly finicky and tedious to use in my (admittedly limited) experience with it.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Users express mixed emotions regarding the game's emotional impact, highlighting its potential for skill development and practice with the DJI FPV drone. However, the non-fluid gameplay can lead to feelings of nausea, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Definitely one of the better sims out there for learning to fly as well as touching up on skills.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere in Liftoff is highly praised for its vibrant community, where experienced pilots engage in competitive discussions while supporting beginners. Additionally, the game's visual design and realistic drone physics contribute to an immersive experience, complemented by outstanding map designs.
- “I love the atmosphere of the community, where pros fight head to head about the best lap time while beginners learn and get help and hints from more experienced pilots.”
- “Liftoff has an amazing atmosphere with its visual appearance; the drones fly as they would in real life, and the maps are simply outstanding work.”