Release Date: 29/07/2015
Played On: Win
Available On: Lin / Mac / PS4 / Win / XBO
Time Played: 3h
Progress: Completed everything at least once
Developer: Funselektor
Publisher: Funselektor
There are some genres that I never expect to surprise me, but that's okay. When it comes to sports and racing games, there isn't a lot of room to move, as we all have some kind of understanding about what we're going to get. So when a little racing game comes along and finds a unique identity between arcade and simulation, it deserves to be noticed.
Absolute Drift is definitely noticeable, with its striking good looks and focused gameplay. As soon as you see a screenshot or a clip of this game, it's instantly recognisable, which is an achievement in itself. Don't get me wrong, I love all the super realistic simulation racing games as much as the next guy, but they often look similar due to their adherence to authenticity.
Arcade racers often have a lot more personality as they're not trying to go for that real-world analogue. However, they often lack substance and nuance, and I usually find them a bit of a bore, as all you need to win is a working trigger on your gamepad. While arcade racers offer more variety in mechanics and wacky systems, the trade-off tends to be depth and quality when compared to the big hit sim titles.
The surprising thing is that there aren't a lot of games that sit in between the spectrum of arcade and simulation. I suppose it's not an easy balance to get right, as well as being arguable at the best of times, depending on how serious you want to get about simulations. I'll admit that games like the DiRT series are probably quite arcade-y, even though I place them more on the simulation side of the table, which seems odd when compared with heavier sims like Project Cars or Gran Turismo.
It can get a bit murky when trying to fit every racing game into one of two categories, and I think most of the difficulty comes from our own skills and engagement with each game. If I don't get very invested in a racer, I'll probably put it in the arcade category, while the ones I spend hours upon hours perfecting and completing are always more of a simulation. In this way, you'd be forgiven for thinking of them as casual and hardcore, instead of arcade and simulation. However, I try to avoid the casual/core dichotomy as it brings in connotations of judgement and hierarchy, which I'd rather not encourage.
Wherever you think any racing game fits on the spectrum, Absolute Drift makes a compelling case of sitting firmly on the fence between both worlds. Thankfully though, these developers have managed to balance both sides into an enjoyable mix, rather than dooming two halves to never becoming a whole.
The first thing that drew me to Absolute Drift was its striking aesthetic. It doesn't always work, but I'm a big fan of minimalism when it's used effectively and with purpose .I'm also a bit of a sucker for monochromatic colour palettes, but that's probably just a taste thing, as it doesn't automatically translate to greatness. Either way, this is a game that definitively announces itself with a clean and purposefully tailored look.
All the geometry in Absolute Drift is made up of simple shapes that are detailed enough to indicate what they represent, but ultimately flat and untextured. Navigating the open world environment soon becomes second nature as different areas of interest are clearly signposted with standout red or blue colouring. The simplicity of the palette means that you don't spend a lot of time thinking about how to get around, or where to go. Instead you get to focus on driving well and completing objectives.
Across the map are a bunch of events that you can enter, providing the actual racing portion of the game. Each event takes you to a closed track and tasks you with beating the clock and scoring points for style. We'll talk mechanics in a bit, but these events are where the expected progression takes place, and beating them unlocks new areas to explore, and new vehicles to drive.
Each open world section of the map also has a list of objectives to complete. If you've ever played the free-roam sections of the DiRT games, then you know what to expect here. There are poles to donut around, corners to drift through, and many more ramps and areas to visit and perform stunts. It's a nice way to fill out the game and give you something to do between events, especially considering that some of the more spectacular stunts are found in this mode.
Eventually though, you'll unlock all the areas, all the events, and every car available in the game. In fact, it's not that difficult or time-consuming to get to the end, but that's not really the point of Absolute Drift, which focuses more on mastering the mechanics, than simply placing in every event. There's even a beautiful budda statue book-ending the game with words on the zen found in drifting. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but at least there's something to tell you that this is not a game about winning races, when the real challenge is within us all along.
Achieving true zen mastery of the drift mechanics in Absolute Drift might actually require years of meditation and practice. I'll happily admit that my own skill level was seated firmly in the beginner section of the curve, but that's where I find myself in most racing games after all. There were times when I felt like a god as my car drifted sideways and slid smoothly through a turn, but more often than not, I began a turn and was suddenly facing a wall.
Although I struggled to find a reliable groove in most cases, the physics and mechanics of Absolute Drift always left me feeling like it was my own fault. Thanks to a clear understanding that I was in control at all times, I never got frustrated at the game for pulling the wool over my eyes.
The cars feel like they have weight as you zoom around the tracks and open world, which is kind of rare to see in a top-down racer. I often find that the further the camera is from the car, the lighter it feels in motion, but not here. Acceleration feels powerful and cornering comes with momentum, pushing and pulling the car one way or another.
One of my favourite elements of Absolute Drift is the tire tracks left by your vehicle wherever you drive. Even when twisting and turning in the air after a big jump, the tire trails continue and highlight where you came from and what it looked like, It might seem a bit odd, but I think this also manages to solidify your vehicle's presence in the world and add to the visceral feedback that is so excellently achieved.
It's why nailing a perfect drift ends up being one of the most satisfying feelings you can have in a game. By the time you start getting it right, there have already been countless corners of oversteer and misjudged speed. Finally discovering that zen balance of acceleration and sideways motion, feels like dunking your hand in a sack of grain, or passing a hot knife through butter. It just feels, right.
This is where Absolute Drift nudges itself more toward the simulation side of the spectrum, as its driving mechanics are tight and responsive. The striking visuals offer excellent feedback to your inputs, while the physics have been tuned to make everything feel like it's real and has substance.
To tie it all together is a well put together audio landscape and soundtrack. The sound effects are tight and realistic; accurately representing the roar of engines, the squeal of tires, and metal bending against buildings and barriers. Throughout everything is a chilled electronic soundtrack that pumps you along at a gentle pace that keeps the excitement heightened, while maintaining the essential zen.
Absolute Drift is certainly a game that has become greater than the sum of its parts. Each aspect has been given an attention to detail and purpose that sets this little racer in a solid place between worlds. The design and minimalist approach opens it up for greater accessibility and an arcade style of attraction. While the tuned mechanics and physics system, offer a higher skill ceiling and depth for the sim fan to get stuck into.
Whether you're min-maxing the perfect line through a circuit, or just driving as fast as you can at a ramp to see how many spins you can manage before landing, this game is a whole lot of fun. The real genius of Absolute Drift though, is how it manages to please the casual and hardcore alike with its balance between both halves of the pie. This is the kind of game you can fire up for a few minutes of messing around with friends, then sit down and spend all night attempting to master each event.
By the time you're done with it, Absolute Drift will have you chasing the zen of the perfect line. All because it feels so good to slide smooth.