Absolute Drift is a relaxing yet challenging arcade driving game, suitable for short and long sessions, that finds a fitting home on the Switch. By Toby Arguello 6 minutes ago Absolute Drift: Zen Edition from Funselektor Labs Inc. Slides onto the Nintendo Switch five years after release and feels right at home. In Absolute Drift, you will master the art of drifting. Practice your skills in Free-Roam and compete in drift events such as Driftkhana and Mountain Drifting. Note: This version contains all the.

The hit PC drifting game Absolute Drift finally arrives on the Switch at last. This self proclaimed zen game is something really special and presents a welcome challenge. Get ready for precise driving and lots of crashing/practice in this arcade style driving game focused entirely on the automotive art of drifting. Do you have the finesse to be a truly zen driver?

Gameplay

While Absolute Drift may appear simple at first, it's surprisingly challenging and sophisticated. Your goal is to make your way through what seems to be a toy car track in your drift car, completing various tasks and courses as you do so. There are a variety of approximations of real life cars to choose from, which will certainly appeal to gearheads.

The driving mechanics are something quite special. Most racing games that have a drifting component make the experience really exhausting and complicated but Absolute Drift goes in a wonderfully different direction. Holding a slide in most racing games (Need for Speed and the like) feel either impossible or cartoonishly easy but it’s simple and responsive in Absolute Drift. It's still challenging and practice definitely makes perfect but once you get a feel for it, even the trickiest maneuvers will become child's play. The best way to describe it is a driving game that plays like a 'SoulsBourne' title; you'll crash a lot (a whole lot) but get a little better each time.

Lastly, the offset overhead perspective is a little odd at first but once you get past the initial awkwardness it feels natural as well. Absolute Drift is like what you imagine while playing with Hot Wheels as a kid, arcade driving in its purest form.

Level Design

Most of the levels are designed to help you hone your drifting skills: instead of racing other cars, you have to complete various tasks on each racecourse that correspond to a different skill you'll need to develop to master this game. The overworld has a surprising exploration element and rewards you for completing all the hidden tasks with new areas to explore and cars to drive.

Graphics / Art Direction

The graphics and art style match the 'zen' theme this game employs perfectly. Absolute Drift looks like some kind of surreal toy car track and this aesthetic is just as simple and effective as the rest of the game. It gives you just enough and nothing extraneous.

Final Score: 85%

Absolute Drift is something special: it breaks the mold of most driving games and what you wind up with is a game that's fun and challenging but never feels unfair or overly technical. The simplicity is where it really shines: the controls, graphics and concept are all bare bones and better off for it. In a nutshell, Absolute Drift is the epitome of 'less is more'.

Thank you for checking out our Absolute Drift Switch review, thank you to Game Drive NL for providing the review code and thank you to our $5 and up Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

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Absolute Drift: Zen Edition (Switch) Review

by Joshua Garrison - December 2, 2020, 4:59 pm EST
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The race of a thousand miles begins with a single drift.

Absolute Drift is a mellow experience with an emphasis on patience, practice, and perseverance. Unlike a traditional racing game, speed isn’t of the essence here, and players will need to take their time in order to succeed. With mottos like “the one who finishes first probably wasn’t drifting enough,” it’s clear that those at Funselektor Labs prioritized a calming, technical experience.

The car in Absolute Drift controls like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and it’s no wonder why there are so many tutorials and entry stages for players to get through before hitting the tracks. The game is deceptively simple, using only two buttons and the left stick. But trust me when I say that there’s enough complexity to require a strong amount of dedication. Instead of just holding a button, this game relies on breaking, accelerating, and counter-turning to properly master the drift. It certainly isn't easy, and even after my time with it, I'm far from being an expert. Yet, the design never feels annoying or obtuse, instead presenting a challenge to master and overcome.

The main attraction in this game is the Free-Roam mode, which provides five worlds to explore. Each world has a series of trials to overcome in the open world and events to compete in on the tracks. Ticking off the challenges is incredibly satisfying, and they can range from jumping over buildings and drifting underneath awnings, to doing a donut around a specific box. In events, which consist of Driftkhana, Drifting, and Mountain Drifting, there are also checklists of tasks with the goal of improving your drifting skills. Some will require certain maneuvers to be done a specific number of times, while others are more traditional, such as the high score requirements. While there’s plenty of reason to replay stages multiple times, more casual players who simply want to beat every area regardless of completion percentage will find that Absolute Drift is a bit lacking in content. It’s completely understandable given the game’s focus on honing the player’s skills, but it’s still a bit disappointing. There’s no multiplayer in the traditional sense, but instead high scores and ghost times are the main centers of competition. Online leaderboards are sorted by both rank and friends, so even if you and your buddies aren’t demons on wheels, the game encourages hot-blooded rivalries.

Absolute Drift’s presentation is second-to-none and does an amazing job of whisking the player away to a calm, undisturbed paradise dedicated solely to drifting. Considering the gorgeous locales, beautiful trail effects, and soothing soundtrack, “Zen Edition” is a more than fitting subtitle. The musicians C41 and Nyte have provided over 40 songs to accompany the game, and each one is absolutely stellar. I’ve found myself listening to the game’s soundtrack on loop in my free time because I just can’t get enough of their percussion-heavy electronic stylings.

Absolute Drift: Zen Edition is a cozy, tranquil game with a single mission: to provide the perfect experience to facilitate the player’s growth in skill. It succeeds flawlessly in this mission but could still use a bit more content for those who don’t want to dedicate themselves to becoming drift masters on the same few tracks.

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Summary

Pros

Gorgeous aesthetics and killer soundtrack
High replay value
High skill ceiling and plenty of challenges

Cons

A bit skimpy on content
Lack of multiplayer for competitive players
Sound effects sometimes cut out or repeat

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