Sunset Drive 1986

About

Sunset Drive 1986 is a single player casual racing game. It was developed by Mehmet Uluç Şahin and was released on January 20, 2021. It received positive reviews from players.

"Sunset Drive 1986" is an arcade driving game set on an endless highway, featuring customizable garages and car interiors, upgradable cars, and a variety of game modes. The original retro soundtrack, inspired by 80s synths, complements the nostalgic 80s theme. Players can enjoy a relaxing driving experience or upgrade their cars for high-speed action with flowing highway traffic and high-tempo music.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 97 reviews

music8 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game offers a nostalgic retrowave atmosphere with vibrant visuals and a solid synthwave soundtrack, making it enjoyable for fans of the 80s.
Gameplay is simple and relaxing, allowing players to customize their cars and garage while providing a chill driving experience.
Despite its limitations, the game can be addictive, especially when aiming for high speeds and completing missions for upgrades.

The game suffers from a lack of content and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay that can become boring after a short time.
Many players have reported technical issues, including sound bugs and crashes, which detract from the overall experience.
The driving mechanics feel basic, with little differentiation between the available cars, making upgrades less rewarding.

music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
52%
13%
The music in the game has received a generally positive reception, with many players praising its fitting synth-wave and retro vibes that enhance the driving experience. While some users noted a desire for more variety and options in the soundtrack, the overall aesthetic and thematic alignment of the music with the gameplay were highlighted as strong points. However, a few complaints about sound bugs and repetitiveness were mentioned, suggesting room for improvement as the game continues to develop.
- “Love, love, love the artwork and music, and would gladly pay for it!”
- “Aesthetics and music are spot on, exactly what one would have expected when getting the game.”
- “The music, synth was so great in the 80s, driving on endless highways like in Outrun, the gameplay itself being into the thrill of avoiding other cars at high speed.”
- “Music is ass”
- “Although I really liked the soundtrack that this game offers simply because it obviously matches with the game’s entire theme, I will have to mention that we have multiple sound bugs.”
- “Of course, 'sunset drive' is still in early access; perhaps my complaints are unfounded; it is possible that more variety in terrain, music, and game modes are forthcoming.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
The graphics of the game have received high praise for their vibrant, neon-drenched aesthetic reminiscent of 80s art, with many players expressing a strong appreciation for the visual design and overall atmosphere. While some users noted that the graphics can be adjusted for older computers, the visuals are generally described as sharp and engaging, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. However, a few critiques mention that the graphics alone may not justify the game's price, as the gameplay experience is somewhat limited.
- “Love, love, love the artwork and music, and would gladly pay for it!”
- “I'll be honest; I bought 'Sunset Drive' for its visuals, and as such I feel almost ashamed to complain about anything else in the game because, at least graphically, the game gives me exactly what I expected from it: a neon-drenched environment that looks like van art.”
- “'Sunset Drive's' graphics are undeniably sharper than 'Outdrive's', of course, and seeing the lights reflect off the hood of the car was surreal and beautiful.”
- “If you have a computer like mine where it feels like it was made in 1986, then you may need to turn the graphics down, and the engine sounds are really bad, so turn it down to 1.”
- “The visuals do look decent, but I am not a huge fan of these old VCR effects.”
- “---{graphics}---”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable due to its nostalgic visuals and pleasant steering mechanics, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking depth, leading to a quick loss of interest. Many users noted that the game offers limited content, primarily consisting of time trials and basic mechanics, which can be frustrating, especially during onboarding. Overall, while it serves as a decent time killer, players feel it lacks sufficient incentive to keep them engaged long-term.
- “Fantastic time killer, visuals are addicting as well as gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is highly enjoyable with cars that have a very pleasant steering (roll) effect.”
- “The music and synth were so great in the 80s, driving on endless highways like in Outrun, with gameplay focused on the thrill of avoiding other cars at high speed.”
- “This kind of game was cool as Rad Racer for NES decades ago, but there's no incentive to keep playing, and even then the gameplay is mind-numbing and gets old fast.”
- “"Sunset Drive's" gameplay is similarly limited, largely consisting of time trials as you race down the highway swerving around traffic.”
- “Very frustrating onboarding and disappointing game mechanics.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
60%
30%
The game's story revolves around completing various missions that serve as achievements, allowing players to earn money for upgrading their cars and garage. The missions start simple but become more challenging, enhancing the retro racing experience across multiple game modes. Overall, the narrative is centered on progression through mission completion and vehicle enhancement.
- “The missions are a little bit like typical achievements, like driving distances without crashing or overtaking combos.”
- “You have to complete different missions in order to make money, and with that, you can upgrade your car to improve it and make it even better.”
- “Complete missions and earn cash to upgrade your car or decorate the garage.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game shows potential but requires significant optimization to address fatal errors and improve overall performance. While it utilizes Unreal Engine 4 effectively, users feel that further enhancements are necessary for a better experience.
- “The game makes use of Unreal Engine 4 and it actually is pretty well optimized.”
- “Definitely needs some optimization, and if the fatal error issues are fixed, it could be a really good game.”
- “Definitely needs some optimization and fix the fatal error issues; it could be a really good game.”
- “If optimization and fatal errors are fixed, I could change my recommendation to a yes.”
- “Needs some optimization.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is generally acceptable, with minor audio bugs reported and occasional crashes, particularly related to hardware issues like underclocked GPUs. However, players have noted that extreme gameplay scenarios, such as maximizing upgrades and manipulating gearbox ratios, can lead to significant glitches, including the game failing to load the environment.
- “If you get all the upgrades and play on a straight road with traffic disabled, and tweak the gearbox ratios just right, you can go so fast the game itself glitches out, fails to load the road in front of you, and your run ends.”
- “Bugs, glitches, and crashes are a significant issue.”
- “In around 3 hours of pointlessly driving around the future-past, I experienced some minor audio bugs, no glitches, and 2 crashes due to an underclocked GPU (had to put back to stock settings).”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is polarizing; while some users appreciate the well-executed vaporwave and retrowave aesthetics, others feel it lacks originality and depth, describing it as a soulless imitation despite its additional features.
- “Vaporwave atmosphere well made with great visual effects.”
- “Retrowave styled atmosphere.”
- “Feels like a soulless copycat: more features, but the atmosphere is totally lost.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users highlight that the game offers infinite replayability, suggesting that players can enjoy it repeatedly without losing interest.
- “Infinitely replayable.”
- “The game offers countless choices that make each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “With multiple endings and diverse character paths, I find myself coming back for more.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with users labeling it a cash grab that lacks genuine gameplay, instead relying on pre-existing game assets to extract money from players.
- “As an actual game, this is trash; you just look at the scenery and steer left or right. It's hard to even call this a game. This is a fake game, just a cash grab. The developer was trying to get your money for someone else's game assets.”