SkyDrift

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 644 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • story
SkyDrift Game Cover
SkyDrift is a fantastic plane racing game that stands out among its inspirational peers. While a lack of local multiplayer is noticeable, it doesn't detract from the charm and balance that gives it such great potential.
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"SkyDrift is a thrilling racing game with stunning visuals, offering both single-player and multiplayer modes. Choose from eight high-speed planes, each with four skins, and use six power-ups to gain an edge in races. Your goal is to either outfly or shoot down your opponents to secure victory."

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 644 reviews
graphics71 positive mentions
story4 negative mentions
  • SkyDrift offers fast-paced, arcade-style racing with fun power-ups and a variety of planes, reminiscent of Mario Kart.
  • The graphics are vibrant and visually appealing, enhancing the overall racing experience.
  • The game provides a good sense of speed and excitement, making it enjoyable for both casual and competitive play.
  • The multiplayer community is nearly non-existent, making it difficult to find online matches.
  • There are only a limited number of tracks, leading to potential repetitiveness in gameplay.
  • The controls can be challenging to master, especially when using a keyboard instead of a gamepad.
  • graphics110 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many users praising their quality and aesthetic appeal, especially considering the game's age. While some critiques mention low resolution in certain areas and occasional graphical errors, the overall consensus highlights smooth visuals, vibrant designs, and a pleasing art style that enhances the fast-paced gameplay. Despite minor drawbacks, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing to the game's enjoyment and replayability.

    • “The graphics are beautiful, the landscape is stunning, the entire game is fantastic!”
    • “Skydrift is an aesthetically pleasing 3D aerial racer with enough details and diversity to recommend it as one of the best games for this subgenre in recent years.”
    • “The visuals in this game are top-notch; everything is usually going by in a blur, but that didn't stop them from detailing the stages well, and there's always lots to look at (and avoid crashing into).”
    • “Bad graphics, lagging too much, artifacts.”
    • “Those terrible tree graphics look hella cheap though.”
    • “Graphics - average with low resolution for some items in menus like trophies etc. In-game they are okay, but no ambient occlusion which doesn't help immersion.”
  • gameplay65 mentions

    The gameplay is generally praised for its fun and engaging mechanics, likened to a fast-paced aerial version of Mario Kart, with solid controls and enjoyable power-up systems. However, some players note issues with repetitive maps, noticeable AI rubberbanding, and a lack of depth, which can lead to a grind after a few hours. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing and entertaining single-player experience, though it may not satisfy those seeking extensive content or multiplayer options.

    • “The gameplay is great - I actually usually play hardcore flight sims - and it's cute the way this game uses some analogues to actual flight (rolling your plane to allow sharper maneuvers than simply yawing).”
    • “Skydrift bridges the gap between casual and hardcore with simple mechanics, awesome visuals, and epic dogfight gameplay.”
    • “The racing is very well balanced and the gameplay is deceivingly simple with many subtleties to master.”
    • “No multiplayer, no online, and nothing, just single-player gameplay.”
    • “Good luck memorizing them with half an hour of gameplay between each encounter.”
    • “The game proceeds to increase AI difficulty and increase the number of laps in each circuit to artificially extend gameplay.”
  • story13 mentions

    The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of narrative depth, with many users noting that it feels more like a series of racing events than a cohesive story. Players mention the absence of characters and meaningful progression, describing the campaign as lengthy but ultimately unremarkable, serving primarily as a backdrop for unlocking new planes and skins. Overall, the game is seen as a casual racing experience rather than one driven by a compelling storyline.

    • “Epic story.”
    • “By completing campaign missions, you unlock new levels and planes.”
    • “Easy to pick up and play a quick race before work or dinner; I find it a fun game for just taking a break from the other in-depth story games I might be playing.”
    • “This game has no story.”
    • “There's no story; you don't even need to finish first in an event to progress to the next. By the time you've completed the first 10 or so of the campaign races, you've already seen all six tracks.”
    • “The campaign is lengthy enough, but nothing spectacular: no story or real progression, just pick your plane and finish the next race to earn more plane unlocks and skins.”
  • music13 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising the awesome soundtrack and its ability to enhance the gameplay experience. While some describe it as a guitar-driven style reminiscent of rock n’ roll racing, others suggest it may not be a must-have for an OST collection. Overall, the soundtrack and sound effects contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, adding to the excitement and intensity of the gameplay.

    • “Oh, and I forgot to add that the soundtrack is awesome.”
    • “The best part is the music and cool level design with some neat special effects.”
    • “Everything just feels right in Skydrift: a variety of planes to choose from with varying stats, an array of weapon pickups (all with an equal role to play), a dramatic soundtrack, satisfying difficulty levels, tight controls.”
    • “The soundtrack resembles Rock n' Roll Racing's style, if that means anything.”
    • “Pro tip: mute the game music and listen to the Hives' 'Black & White' album while playing.”
    • “Fun, tough, and has a badass soundtrack hidden away in the Steam folder.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting severe stuttering and frame rate issues, particularly due to a locked frame rate of 25 or 30 fps. This results in uncontrollable gameplay and crashes, detracting from the overall experience despite the game's appealing visuals and imaginative scenes. The abundance of particles is also noted as a contributing factor to the performance problems.

    • “I imagine that, like any racing game, lag can have a huge impact on racing performance.”
    • “Horribly optimized.”
    • “This is due to the fact that the rendering engine is apparently locked to 25 or 30 fps, which leads to enormous stuttering of the background when turning.”
    • “The serious stuttering almost makes it unbearable as the frame rate drops far below the already locked 30 fps, and the plane becomes uncontrollable, causing you to crash and lose your position.”
  • stability7 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with most users noting that it runs well and is mostly bug-free. However, some players have experienced significant screen glitches after a few races, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game is praised for its performance, a few bugs remain that could impact gameplay.

    • “The game is good, controls work, the game is 99% bug free.”
    • “Game looks and runs great overall.”
    • “Looks great, runs great, great sense of speed :-)”
    • “Able to play some of the tutorial, but then the screen severely glitches out.”
    • “Would have been a good game, but the screen glitches up after a race or two.”
    • “It's a bit buggy.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some users appreciate the well-designed tracks that encourage repeated play, others find the single-player experience becomes repetitive and is hindered by the lack of online and local multiplayer options. Consequently, many feel that once the campaign is completed, the replay value is significantly diminished.

    • “The tracks themselves are well designed and offer great replayability.”
    • “Infinitely replayable.”
    • “No way to reset and low replayability.”
    • “No one is playing this online, therefore once you play through the campaign, the replayability is limited... too bad.”
    • “But single player gets repetitive quickly; it lacks replayability, and not having a local multiplayer mode really kills it.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing rivalries with AI pilots, particularly one named Manuel, which adds a comedic touch to the experience. Players find the online multiplayer interactions especially entertaining, contributing to an overall lighthearted and funny gameplay atmosphere.

    • “You create some rivalries in the process with some AI pilots (there is even one named Manuel, a Portuguese name), which is so funny and annoying.”
    • “It is extremely funny to play online with your friends.”
    • “This game is just quite funny!”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express that the game evokes strong emotions, with moments of near victory leading to genuine feelings of frustration and sadness, highlighting the immersive experience of striving for success.

    • “The times I got shwacked 3mm in front of the finish line made me cry real tears.”
    • “Made me feel like a real flying ace!”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game can become tedious quickly, especially when playing solo or with friends without the prospect of new players joining.

    • “Gets tedious quickly.”
    • “If you're playing with friends and know that no one else will be joining the game, it can get tedious.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the Red Bull Air Race game is noted for its minimal use of advertisements, which is unexpected for a title associated with a major brand.

    • “For a Red Bull Air Race game, there is surprisingly little advertisement in this game.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
10-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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