Inertial Drift – FRESH ARCADE RACER – Review

Many new racing games focus on bringing us a realistic, simulated take on the motorsports genre. So it is always welcomed when a developer tries their hand at creating a title with unique racing mechanics. Inertial Drift comes in to do just that! Focusing on the drift side of racing, which seems to be overlooked in many other racing titles, Inertial Drift gives us a new arcade style experience that will be sure to entertain for hours on end.

Gameplay Mechanics

Inertial Drift sets itself apart from most simulation racing games by using a unique twin stick approach to drifting. This title combines the use of steering with the left analogue stick with a drift mechanic which is activated by tilting the right stick either left or right. At first, this can feel a little clunky, but upon adjusting to this play style, it is not long before you will find yourself speeding around corners with your car at an almost 90 degree angle to the road.

The basics of the drifting mechanic can be summarised by one simple point, the further you push the right stick, the further the car will drift out either side. However, there is more to it than just that. The vehicle chosen for a race determines the drift difficulty. Some vehicles will swing out evenly the further the right stick is tilted, whereas some others may swing out immediately. Some of the higher power cars require players to brake as they tilt the stick to put the drift into full affect. Be careful here however, as pushing the stick too far could lead to your drift car spinning off the track, which can cost you vital seconds that you need to beat the time trials, or lose a race against other drifters.

This game does require a fair bit of time to learn and understand the core mechanics, as well as apply it to the different cars available. Each vehicle does feel quite unique to control, whilst still conforming to the core twin stick drifting mechanics.

Game Modes

There are many game modes available in Inertial Drift, each bringing to the forefront their own unique challenges. Like many traditional racing games, this title features arcade, grand prix and story/career modes, with the added bonus of both local split screen and online play also.

What is Inertial Drift’s Story mode like?

The narrative is very lacklustre! It features clunky and poorly written dialogue between characters. I found myself wanting to skip through most of it so that I could just get to the racing. However, pushing through the story is definitely worth it, because not only do you get to race on a variety of courses through a variety of race modes.

You can also compete against other notable racers that are mentioned throughout the narrative. This is mostly important because it is the first step to being able to unlock these racers for use in the other game modes. The other benefit of playing through the story is to be able to learn and understand the various tracks to take your drifting skills online!

Inertial Drift Challenges

Challenge mode is a fantastic addition to this title. It is the main way that you can unlock other drivers’ cars that you have competed against in the story mode. Each racer allows you to take control of their car and complete a distinct challenge to unlock their vehicle for other game modes.

This mode features the Endurance race type. Players have to travel a certain distance whilst keeping their own timer from reaching zero. There is also the Drift game type. The Drift mode requires players to earn a certain number of points from drifting to win the race. These various challenges can be very fun to complete but will require a number of attempts to win over each vehicle.

Decision

Inertial Drift really delivers that over-the-top drifting action, and is an absolute blast to play. On top of that, Inertial Drift features an incredible cell-shaded, cartoon-y art style that is easy on the eye. Whilst the scenery looks fantastic, it never distracts from the race at hand. This game also has a free demo called Inertial Drift: Sunset Prologue, so you can get a taste of this racer without even pay anything!

Review by Samuel Incze

Inertial Drift was reviewed using a download code provided by PQube. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.

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