Slipstream
- May 20, 2018
- ansdor
- 8h median play time
Slipstream is a terrific game, and cheap to boot. It is the ultimate evolution of the super scaler tech of my youth.
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Slipstream" is an arcade-style racing game inspired by the visuals, music, and cars of the late 80s and early 90s. Its standout features include stunning gameplay, amazing graphics, and a spectacular soundtrack. The game offers local multiplayer for up to 4 players, with 20 different tracks and 6 game modes, including Grand Tour, Cannonball, and Grand Prix. The pseudo-3D game engine with 2D graphics offers an authentic retro feel.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Slipstream captures the nostalgic feel of classic arcade racers like Outrun, with beautiful pixel art and a fantastic synthwave soundtrack.
- The drifting and slipstream mechanics are satisfying and add depth to the gameplay, making it rewarding once mastered.
- The game offers a variety of modes, including Arcade, Grand Prix, and Quick Race, providing plenty of content for players to enjoy.
- The AI can be frustratingly aggressive, often leading to collisions that feel unfair and can ruin a player's race.
- Some players find the controls to be unresponsive or awkward, particularly when trying to execute drifts and navigate tight turns.
- The game lacks online multiplayer and customization options for cars, which limits its replayability and personal connection to the vehicles.
- music263 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its synthwave and vaporwave tracks for enhancing the nostalgic arcade racing experience. While some players find the soundtrack to be a perfect fit for the game's aesthetic, others feel it lacks the energetic vibe typically associated with racing games, describing it as too chill or mediocre. The option to add custom music has been highlighted as a positive feature, allowing players to tailor their experience to their preferences.
“The music is wonderful, with plenty of synthwave tracks composed by effoharkay.”
“The soundtrack bangs, the art is awesome, and there's plenty of silly drifting.”
“The music, atmosphere of the game is awesome.”
“One of the main drawbacks for me is the music; it’s mediocre and it doesn’t capture the vibe for me.”
“The songs are meh and get repetitive; the menu theme is the best one, makes me want to stay in the menu and not actually play this mess.”
“The music attempts to cash in on the already dying vaporwave scene and absolutely fails to create any unique and catchy songs.”
- gameplay193 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this racing game is centered around well-executed drifting and slipstream mechanics, which provide a fun and addictive experience, especially for fans of retro arcade racers. While the controls are tight and the visuals and soundtrack are praised, some players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, with the slipstream mechanic often feeling underutilized. Overall, it offers a nostalgic arcade feel but may not satisfy those seeking more complex racing mechanics.
“The drifting mechanic is easy to learn, difficult to master.”
“The controls are tight and do exactly what they need to do, and the titular slipstream mechanic adds just the right amount of complexity and lessens the flaws of the original outrun series without diminishing the original's core appeal.”
“The gameplay is fun but challenging.”
“It feels like there is something missing from the gameplay.”
“The gameplay is repetitive; it's just drifting left and drifting right, ad nauseam.”
“The slipstream mechanic isn't as useful as you think it is.”
- graphics189 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their beautiful retro aesthetic, effectively capturing the essence of classic arcade racers while also feeling modern. Many reviewers highlight the vibrant colors, smooth animations, and the nostalgic 80s and 90s vibes, with some appreciating the option for graphical filters to enhance the experience. However, a few critiques mention that the visuals may be too polished for a retro homage, and some players desire more depth in gameplay to match the stunning visuals.
“Graphically it’s very appealing and impressive for a singular developer, it feels both current and retro at the same time.”
“The graphics are beautiful, stunning even - and harken back to the arcade racing games, like Daytona.”
“The aesthetics are amazing, the music is even more ideal, it's absolutely hypnotic to watch, and the dev is actively involved in getting regular patches and updates out.”
“Graphics are very meh and so is the music, avoid!”
“The default graphics are way too clean for the era this pays tribute to, but happily there is a pixel mode which makes the tracks match the cars and eliminates any doubt about them capturing the aesthetic.”
“A lesser nitpick, but the graphical filters in the settings menu make the game unplayable.”
- optimization11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, optimization feedback for the game is mixed. While some users report smooth performance and impressive visuals, others experience stuttering and crashes, particularly on Linux or with older hardware. Random lag issues have also been noted, suggesting that optimization may vary significantly based on individual system configurations.
“Amazing visuals and art, with fantastic performance.”
“The performance of the game has been great with my 5-year-old system, no stuttering, FPS drops, errors, or crashes so far.”
“And, most importantly, it backs this up with solid gameplay, ease of use, and slick performance.”
“On Linux, the game will start stuttering with increasing frequency, and eventually crash.”
“The only problem is that for some unapparent reason, I get random lag constantly, and I know for a fact it isn't my PC specs, so it must just be some optimization error with my PC components.”
“I turned on some eurobeat and my performance increased tenfold.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the multiple modes and potential for 100% completion, others feel it lacks variety and depth, limiting long-term engagement. Upcoming features like local multiplayer and a track editor may enhance replay value, but many still wish for more content to keep them coming back.
“This game has everything you could expect from a game with an aesthetic like this; nice music, nice stages, weird characters, secret stages, and a good level of replayability if you want to achieve 100% completion.”
“Awesome throwback racing game, full of vibrant environments, multiple game modes, and loads of replayability.”
“With multiple modes, there's plenty to do and it allows for a fair bit of replay value.”
“If you go in with these expectations, it’s fun for a few hours, but it doesn’t hold much replay value and it makes me really wish that more arcade-style racers were still being made.”
“The game makes up for it with beautiful graphics and a great soundtrack, but I just wish there was more replay value.”
“Beyond that, it doesn't do much to set itself apart, and a serious lack of variety in all departments cripples it in replay value.”
- stability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report smooth performance and no crashes, some experience significant issues, particularly when using a controller, leading to freezes that require a forced shutdown. Additionally, there are mentions of bugs and glitches that can affect gameplay, though many still find the game enjoyable despite these problems.
“I highly recommend this game; it runs great, the racing is fun, and you can customize the difficulty with a bunch of modes to choose from.”
“It runs great through Proton as well; I didn't have a single crash or bug while playing, and it gives enough reasons to keep coming back.”
“It's great fun; it runs great, and I didn't experience any crashes or bugs while playing.”
“Sometimes buggy and very difficult even on easy.”
“The game runs well until I pair a controller with my computer, at which point the game freezes to the point that I have to sign out of my Windows profile so that the program can be forcefully closed.”
“Bugs and glitches.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its nostalgic and dreamy quality, enhanced by an incredible synthwave soundtrack. Reviewers appreciate the level design and the seamless integration of music, atmosphere, and gameplay mechanics, creating an immersive experience.
“Combined with the incredible synthwave soundtrack, the atmosphere of Slipstream is nostalgic and dreamy.”
“The music and atmosphere of the game are awesome.”
“The music, atmosphere, and mechanics all feel great.”
- story3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Users appreciate the nostalgic feel of the game, reminiscent of classic arcade racing titles that prioritize fun over narrative. However, there is a desire for a more structured experience, such as a story mode or driver levels, which was initially mentioned in the game's Kickstarter campaign.
“Maybe some kind of experience-driven levels or a story mode to go through.”
“Maybe some kind of experience driver levels or a story mode to go through.”
“Another tidbit I noticed is that on the Kickstarter page, it states that a story mode was planned.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by witty remarks from rivals, who are exaggerated caricatures of 80s pop culture figures. Additionally, the intentionally poor visual effects, such as a pixel filter that obscures gameplay, add a comedic layer that enhances the overall experience.
“The rivals throw funny comments at times and are depicted as caricatured versions of 80s public figures from films and other media.”
“Either hard to see, migraine-inducingly blurry, or best of all the pixel filter, which hilariously compresses the game to the point you can barely see the turns in the upcoming road.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the game's focus on quality and passion over aggressive monetization strategies commonly seen in AAA titles, highlighting it as a refreshing change in the current gaming landscape.
“In the current climate of AAA game devs being run by corporate ghouls who endlessly prioritize monetization over game quality, it's so refreshing to play this passion project that obviously has had a lot of work put into it.”
“In the current climate of AAA game developers being run by corporate ghouls who endlessly prioritize monetization over game quality, it's frustrating to see how this game falls into the same trap.”
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without constantly being bombarded by prompts to spend more money.”
“It's disappointing that a game with such potential is marred by a monetization model that prioritizes profit over player experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is praised for its exceptional design and rich references, contributing to a deep and engaging narrative experience. Players appreciate the complexity and depth of the characters, enhancing their overall immersion in the story.
“The character development is exceptional, with each character having a unique backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making choices that truly reflect their growth and struggles.”
“The attention to detail in character design and development is impressive, allowing players to form a strong connection with each character.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect enjoyable, particularly highlighting that pursuing achievements and completing the game to 100% is fun and not tedious.
Critic Reviews
Slipstream Review
Slipstream’s retro design feels a little by-the-numbers to us (its cool 2D/3D visual effect aside), but that’s not to say it doesn’t pull off the mechanics well. It shouldn’t be the first game in your retro racing collection with the likes of Sega Ages Out Run and Horizon Chase Turbo already available, but if you’ve played through those and are itching for more then you could do a lot worse than this, especially given its modest price.
70%Slipstream Review
Slipstream is a game for those who fondly remember Outrun.
70%Slipstream Review
Slipstream expands on the time-tested Outrun formula and dips it in a synthwave-flavored coating. Its gameplay might seem simple at first, but it provides a challenge that harkens back to the days of the quarter-munching greats.
80%
