Star Drift Evolution
- August 27, 2021
- Catze
Get on Steam"Star Drift Evolution" is a top-down arcade-style racing game with intense drift-based gameplay. Choose from a variety of ships and engage in various modes such as time attack, league, and online multiplayer. Upgrade your ship and perfect your drifting skills to climb the leaderboards and become a racing legend.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Star Drift Evolution offers a satisfying blend of arcade-style drifting and skill-based racing, making it easy to pick up yet challenging to master.
- The game features a wide variety of vehicles and tracks, each with unique handling characteristics, providing a rich and engaging gameplay experience.
- Local and online multiplayer options enhance the fun, allowing players to compete with friends or against global leaderboards.
- The physics can feel inconsistent, particularly with collisions, leading to frustrating moments during races.
- Some players have reported issues with keyboard controls, finding them less responsive compared to using a controller.
- The AI can be slow and unpredictable, which may disrupt the flow of races and lead to chaotic situations on the track.
- graphics19 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming low-poly style that evokes a retro aesthetic reminiscent of Nintendo 64, while maintaining clarity without blurry textures. Users appreciate the clean and stylish visuals, which run smoothly even on low-spec hardware, though some note inconsistencies in graphical quality across different elements. Overall, the minimalist design is well-received, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience.
“The graphics are clean and stylish, sharing a similar low poly look to Art of Rally.”
“Gorgeous retro graphics.”
“Beautiful tracks, cars, visuals, easy to learn how to drift, etc...”
“The visuals are a bit plain, and a lot of the audio sounds like the developer just picked the first sound he found on freesound.”
“You can totally see that it's made by a super small team; the UI is fine but could use some work. There are some inconsistencies in the graphical part, like on dirt you get some beautiful low poly tire smoke, and on the road where you would expect the same with a different color, you get a way more generic looking realistic smoke.”
“If you have slowdown in split screen, just turn down the graphics and it doesn't look much different.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its fun mechanics, satisfying drift controls, and a well-designed physics model that enhances the racing experience. With a variety of cars and tracks, along with multiple camera options and multiplayer modes, players find it both accessible for newcomers and challenging for seasoned gamers. Overall, the game delivers a rewarding and engaging racing experience that stands out in its genre.
“Very fun mechanics and handling model, and physics, bumping cars, fitting tracks.”
“51 varied cars, 75 globe-trotting tracks, a sharp 90s throwback style, robust gameplay, lots of camera options, split screen and online multiplayer... this is one of those rare situations in which you get exactly what it says on the tin.”
“Getting the hang of the game initially was a bit challenging, I wasn't exactly sure how hard you're supposed to go at it; when to handbrake, when to regular brake and when to just ease off the accelerator, but working out how all the mechanics interplay with the different cars and road surfaces is really rewarding when you eventually start pulling off seamless drift after drift with your eyes fixated on the road ahead and your palms sweaty against the controller, your mind in a kind of zen-like state of focus.”
“Sometimes the car will just barrel roll for no good reason (some kind of game mechanic in the air).”
“Getting the hang of the game initially was a bit challenging; I wasn't exactly sure how hard you're supposed to go at it, when to handbrake, when to regular brake, and when to just ease off the accelerator. However, working out how all the mechanics interplay with the different cars and road surfaces is really rewarding when you eventually start pulling off seamless drift after drift with your eyes fixated on the road ahead and your palms sweaty against the controller, your mind in a kind of zen-like state of focus.”
“Are you a gamer, and not a mechanic?”
- music13 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's music has received positive feedback for its solid electronic soundtrack, which complements the skill-driven gameplay without being distracting. Players appreciate the hypnotic rhythms and melodies, with many noting that the soundtrack enhances their overall experience. Suggestions for improvement include the option to incorporate personal music playlists, but overall, the audio quality and variety have been well-received.
“The music is on point for such a skill-driven game.”
“Accompanied by the stylized looks and the soundtracks, you just enjoy getting it right more and more.”
“Great game to shut your brain off to chase personal bests while listening to music.”
“Suitably hypnotic in its simple rhythm and melody and never distracting (bar maybe one song that has an annoying vocoder speech part), and I like how the playlist is never interrupted by events like finishing/restarting a race or exiting to menu.”
“A nice addition to the game here might be the ability to point to a folder of songs on the computer and have the game cycle those in place of the included playlist so players can bring their own soundtrack.”
“The game has a solid electronic soundtrack as well.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing team dynamics, quirky AI names, and the fun of unconventional track-car combinations in multiplayer. Players find the game to be a lighthearted experience, fostering friendly rivalries and creative gameplay that adds to its charm. Overall, it offers a blend of humor and enjoyment, making it a great casual racing game.
“Personally, I find the teams mode especially funny; it manages to balance team assignments quite well.”
“And doing unusual track-car combinations in multiplayer can be hilarious as well :)”
“I enjoy the fully customizable camera, the AI's hilarious names, and the creativity on some tracks... they are kind of cool, especially in the special career.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's generous reward system, which allows for progression without excessive grinding, particularly for those with prior racing experience. While some expert-level challenges may require more effort or specific car choices, the overall experience emphasizes skill over grinding for upgrades, making for a more relaxed career mode.
“The difficulty is balanced nicely (e.g. if you've played racing games previously and are reasonably good at them you will pick up the novice level awards fairly easily - expert however requires grinding or in some cases finding the right car).”
“Thereby, you can progress through a laid-back diversified career without grinding - it is about skill, not about upgrading cars.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game features a commendable monetization model with absolutely no microtransactions or in-game purchases, embracing a traditional "play to win" approach rather than a "pay to win" system, which is increasingly rare in modern gaming.
“Absolutely no microtransactions, which is a rare thing these days.”
“No stupid 'in-game purchases', just old school 'play to win' instead of 'pay to win'.”
“Absolutely no microtransactions (which is a rare thing these days).”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is highly optimized for ultra high refresh rate monitors, offering a seamless and engaging experience with well-designed menus and unique maps. While the driving mechanics strike a balance between realism and casual play, some users reported occasional stuttering in online multiplayer. Overall, the optimization enhances the gameplay with thoughtful details and excellent camera control options.
“Very easy and fast to pick up and play, very well optimized for ultra high refresh rate monitors. Tons of maps and a good amount of vehicles with clearly shown differences to help understand the pros and cons. Excellent camera control options and well-made menus compared to many horrific counterparts in the same genre.”
“Maps are actually very unique and fantastically laid out. Driving is not too realistic to break the casualness, yet not too arcade-like either. Lots of small details to perfection, like adjusting the red to green light time when resetting a race, allowing you to save a second or two every time you reset.”
“The game offers a super exciting way to have a challenge by automatically choosing the closest opponent based on skill, making each match feel dynamic and engaging.”
“Online multiplayer also works quite well, but from time to time I experienced some stuttering.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is enhanced by a daily quest track, providing players with ongoing narrative engagement and objectives to pursue regularly.
