Midnight Driver

About

Midnight Driver is a single player and multiplayer arcade racing game. It was developed by NakteIam and was released on December 20, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Dive into the golden era of Japanese street racing. Choose from a list of iconic cars and perfect your driving skills in beautiful mountain roads. Challenge your friends and rivals in downhill or uphill battles. At night, the streets are yours.

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70%

Audience ScoreBased on 172 reviews

graphics20 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a unique art style that captures the essence of Initial D, making it visually appealing.
Gameplay is enjoyable, especially in multiplayer, providing a fun experience for fans of drifting and arcade racing.
The handling and physics are well-designed, offering a satisfying driving experience that allows for both grip and drift styles.

The game lacks content, with no AI opponents or ghost cars for practice, leading to a repetitive experience in single-player mode.
There have been no updates since 2021, raising concerns about the game's future development and potential bug fixes.
Controls cannot be remapped, and there are limited graphics options, which can hinder the experience for players with different preferences.

graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
48%
7%
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback for their unique art style and clean visuals, with many reviewers rating them around 9/10. However, there are concerns regarding optimization, as some players experience performance issues and a lack of customizable graphics settings. Overall, while the visuals are appreciated, improvements in optimization and control options are needed for a better experience.
- “The graphics are beautiful and the game looks very good; the playstyle is very arcadey but still fun to play. It is a nice game to zone out with.”
- “Graphics rating: 9/10”
- “Clean graphics, good selection of cars, decent mechanics, though the game feels a little empty in its current state.”
- “The controls can't be rebound, and the graphics options are set to an ultra-to-low scale with no ability to change individual settings to suit your individual PC.”
- “I really want to support this game and I know it just came out yesterday, but the game needs some serious optimization. I love the art style and graphics, but I'm sure it should be able to run on at least a GT 1030 at 60 FPS minimum. Please optimize the game a bit more; it's so fun, but I run it at 20 FPS!”
- “- random graphical and optimization issues”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The gameplay is generally praised for its enjoyable multiplayer experience and smooth mechanics, blending simulation and arcade styles reminiscent of Initial D and Gran Turismo. However, some players feel the game lacks depth, citing the absence of a manual transmission option and a more immersive first-person camera as notable shortcomings. Overall, while the visuals and physics are well-received, the gameplay is seen as needing further refinement to enhance the racing experience.
- “Great gameplay especially with friends.”
- “And the mechanics feel like a blend of Initial D, with a more sim feel to the former, and Gran Turismo, with more of an arcade feel to the latter.”
- “Smooth gameplay.”
- “I find it very odd that a game heavily inspired by Initial D (literally both car and tracks) has no actual manual mechanic. If this game is truly about getting the fastest time on a track or racing, there should be a manual mechanic and a better first-person camera.”
- “Great visuals and physics are already here; we just need a manual mechanic and better code for the 'turn around'.”
- “The mechanics feel like a blend of Initial D, with a more sim feel, and Gran Turismo, with more of an arcade feel.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally considered fun, but it suffers from notable stability issues, including bugs that can prevent cars from moving in multiplayer sessions and uncontrollable drifting. While these problems are acknowledged as part of the early access experience, they are not deemed game-breaking by most users.
- “Seems fun from all the trailers, but extremely buggy even in early access, and most of the time drifting is uncontrollable.”
- “A bit buggy; sometimes your car doesn't move in other people's games.”
- “It's a bit buggy, but nothing too game-breaking.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, reflecting the passion and quality behind its development. Reviewers note that it creates an engaging and enjoyable environment, complemented by satisfying driving mechanics. Overall, the atmosphere significantly enhances the gaming experience.
- “The fact that the game is a passion project really shows in the quality and atmosphere.”
- “It's got a nice atmosphere to it and the driving feels nice.”
- “It has a great atmosphere!”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players are expressing significant concerns regarding the game's optimization, noting that despite its appealing art style and graphics, it struggles to run smoothly, with some experiencing frame rates as low as 20 fps. Many believe that the game should be able to achieve a minimum of 60 fps on lower-end hardware, such as a GT 1030, and are calling for urgent optimization improvements.
- “I really want to support this game, and I know it just came out yesterday, but the game needs some serious optimization. I love the art style and graphics, but I'm sure it should be able to run on at least a GT 1030 at 60 FPS minimum. So I ask, please optimize the game a bit more; it's so fun, but I run it at 20 FPS!”
- “I really want to support this game and I know it just came out yesterday, but the game needs some serious optimization. I love the art style and graphics, but I'm sure it should be able to run on at least a GT 1030 at 60 FPS minimum. So I ask, please optimize the game a bit more. It's so fun, but I run it at 20 FPS!”
- “- random graphical and optimization issues”
- “- random graphical and optimization issues”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Players appreciate the existing music in the game, describing it as "vibey," but express a desire for more variety and options to enhance the racing experience. Overall, while the current soundtrack is well-received, there is a call for additional musical elements to further enrich gameplay.
- “The music in this game creates a vibrant atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The soundtrack is incredibly vibey, perfectly complementing the gameplay.”
- “I appreciate the potential for more music options to elevate the racing experience.”
- “I see a lot of potential in this game, and while the devs have done an absolutely fantastic job, there are still many things I would like to see, such as car tuning and/or coloring, as well as some music to race with.”
- “The music in the game lacks variety and doesn't enhance the racing experience.”
- “The soundtrack feels repetitive and doesn't match the intensity of the gameplay.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with users consistently highlighting its heartfelt storytelling and artistic presentation, resulting in a perfect score of 10/10.
- “Easy and heartfelt, 10/10 in the artistic department.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game currently offers limited replayability, with users noting that there are few incentives or variations to encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “As of now, that's all the replayability the game offers.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game to be a delightful way to unwind and enjoy lighthearted moments with friends, making it an ideal choice for casual gaming sessions.
- “It's honestly really fun to jump in when you don't know what to play and just want to do some relaxing or funny things with your buddies.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism for being overly focused on advertising, leading some users to feel that it detracts from the overall experience.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, particularly due to the need to repeatedly play the same tracks to earn in-game currency for unlocking new content. This repetitive gameplay detracts from the overall enjoyment and can feel tedious.
- “I'm not a fan of paying for tracks (in-game money) because it just leads to grinding out the same tracks over and over.”