I don’t believe anyone is keeping track of what ‘the best [genre]’ game is, but for now, JDM: Japanese Drift Master is one of the better drifting games at this moment in time (as is #DRIVE Rally), but not the best. It’s still (unofficially) in Early Access, and while the roadmap is ambitious, there’s a lot of fine-tuning needed to bring this game to its full potential.
That Early Access statement is mine, not Gaming Factory’s, as the game has officially been released, although it lacks the polish that would define it as ready. The fundamental car modelling and choice available is a highlight, as is the overall presentation. The rear spoiler/chase cam is a particular standout and easily one of my favourites in a racing game.
Unfortunately, the difficulty level and overall controls are the biggest downer. After an initial tutorial that showcases the speed and handling potential one can do in a Silvia, you’re thrust into an old-school Gran Turismo driving lesson/training session and a bizarre Initial D-like delivery mission to spam and earn dosh to buy/upgrade your wheels.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review
This negativity can be remedied with some eye candy, and JDM: Japanese Drift Master has officially licensed vehicles – some of the best, including the classic R34 GTR and the amazing RX-7, though adding an RX-8 is the juicy carrot I wanted to see, as it means test driving it digitally before eventually buying one IRL.
Ok, this isn’t the best environment to test drive a car you want to own, but it’s almost the closest thing to it. The car modelling and, in particular, engine sounds are fantastic. One of the few titles to nail this type of roster was the low-key Tokyo Highway Challenge on the Dreamcast, but driving up and down Wangan was tedious, as were the challenges.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master is visually alluring, featuring bright cherry blossoms, vibrant torii gates, and twisty, winding mountain descents. It’s certainly scenic, but it’s massively clichéd. I was expecting to see samurai populate the streets, pedestrians banging taiko, and, pending official licensing, Pikachu flying a kite shaped like a koi. I’m not sure if this is the developer’s idea of what Japan looks like or what its audience expects. Judging by the phonk tunes, I’m not the target audience.
Deliver This With Style
Oh, but I am! As I said, the RX-8 is on my list to buy as my daily driver (money to burn?!), and the car selection is entirely my thing – as is the locale. Hell, the phonk in the game is pretty decent, as well as the other radio stations. I didn’t recognise anything, but it was all good. It also has some of the best engine sounds for the genre.
While there are arcade and simulation configurations, steering wheel options, and a car door that allows you to wind the windows down and smell the mountain air available to purchase through Temu, the difficulty curve was a bit too steep.
Returning to that Initial D starter mission, you’re expected to reach the destination most stylishly while preserving sushi (not tofu), which is not counterproductive, as you need to take risks stylistically. After all, this is a drift game, not a circuit-based racer. These elements contradicted the objectives, and as a result, I often had to retry a race in the very early game, which is quite rare for me.
Slide To The Left
My thoughts on the difficulty, excluding the obvious skill issue, are centred around the scoring system and environmental objects. In the former, modifiers will flash up, such as Need For Speed or Forza, where maintaining a slide will score big and clipping midway through will render it obsolete. Fair, but I’m still trying to find the right balance between the arcade and realism factor. For clarity, I prefer an arcade experience. Drift21 and Absolute Drift handle the realism better.
As for the objects, this refers to the gaming world of trees and signage. Where in Promise Mascot Agency, one can drive through signs and most trees, you’ll come to an abrupt halt when clipping inanimate objects in JDM: Japanese Drift Master, where the odd breakage would be better suited. Not necessarily for easy, cheesy wins, but immersion and a slightly believable world. I lost count of where a simple clip would cost me vital points or invaluable time.
The developers are actively improving the game, and despite its current flaws, I’m confident that JDM: Japanese Drift Master will be a top title, as it’s a passion project. Note that ‘will be’. That’s not something one should say about a game in full release, but it’s not quite there yet. On the other hand, it wasn’t affecting my Steam Deck as the preview build did, and the cars are brilliant, seriously. You’ll note that I haven’t touched upon the manga panels, nor will I comment on them. At all.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review Summary
Right, you bunch of reprobates, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll note that I’m funnelling towards the positive. JDM: Japanese Drift Master has mixed reviews at the time of writing, and I get it. However, touching upon that Early Access reference again, the game is still in development (despite the official release), and I’m confident that this will be improved.
Surprisingly, I like this, but the difficulty needs to be acknowledged. If the developers are reading, could we also have car damage, similar to Burnout? Asking for a friend…
