If you are a racing games fan, you might have heard about Japanese Drift Master, and if you love drifting, then this game has been on your wishlist for a very long time.
Set in the Land of the Rising Sun, JDM takes you to the birthplace of drifting and allows you to do what many can only dream of: drifting on the beautiful streets of Japan. It's you, your car, the road, and the breathtaking landscape of Japan. What more can a drifting enthusiast ask for?
But while JDM is an immersive and incredibly looking game, it's not perfect, as nothing is. There are a few features that need to be tuned, just like you do to your car when you need more speed or grip.
It's a game that is going to be loved by a set of players, while others will enjoy it but won't get infatuated by it. But what makes JDM special, and what are the features slowing it down? This review will answer all of those questions.
A Visually Breathtaking Racing Game
JDM is an anthem to Japanese pop culture, with the landscape being heavily influenced by many aspects of it, especially anime. It's an anime representation of Japan, with beautiful landscapes, vibrant cities, and peaceful rural locations.
If you are a fan of the animation genre, then you will love the visuals in Japanese Drift Master, including the cars. Those who were expecting a more realistic depiction of Japan might feel slightly disappointed, but there is no denying the game looks amazing.
The game is so immersive that exploring the Guntama prefecture is something you will do subconsciously. A few times, I found myself simply enjoying the landscapes and taking in every single detail of the environment.
Drifting Like There Is No Tomorrow
Drifting is obviously the main aspect of JDM. I mean, it's literally in the name, Japanese Drift Master. So, I think it's only right that this was the feature, or group of features, that I focused the most on.
Subsequently, this is the most scrutinized part of this review. But in the game about drifting, it couldn't be any other way, as this is what makes or breaks the game. It can be the difference between JDM being worth it for you or something you pass on.
As mentioned above, the drifting in JDM will feel incredible for some, and okay or even subpar to others. Many factors contribute to that, such as auto countersteering. You can feel that JDM has a lot of auto countersteering, which is not what you want if you are a simulation driver, especially an experienced one.
It makes it so you can´t actually perform the drifts you want, at least in most cases, as those are not the types of drifts you should be doing in JDM. This can be frustrating and kill the immersion.
In a way, drifting on JDM is slightly different than on real life, as it's more about mastering the mechanics of how to drift in JDM, than learning how to perform real-life-like drifts in the game.
If you are new to racing games, this won't be a problem for you; matter of fact, you might actually quite enjoy it, as it makes things significantly easier. On the flip side, it's not an incredibly realistic experience on how to drift, so you probably won’t fall in love with the game.
So, while it's easy to drift on JDM, if you are looking for a more realistic experience, then this might not be the game for you. But there is nothing like trying, so.
The point system is a solid feature, but it does need a few improvements. First, you don't really get penalized by leaving the track, and that's something that needs to be implemented. There are a few shenanigans, let's put it that way, that allow you to increase your score, and they need to be fixed.
Another aspect of the game that can also be significantly improved is the collision system. In some cases, it feels almost non-existent, but the team has said they are working on improving it, so that's good news.
A Simple Yet Entertaining Story Mode
The JDM story mode or campaigning won't win an Emmy Award for best writing, but it manages to be interesting enough to keep you entertained and somewhat excited to see what happens next.
It's similar to Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift or some racing anime. The protagonist is a great diver, battles other drivers to prove he his the best, to impress the female characters, and to "win" them over.
The missions are very straightforward, with most being just about drifting, as you would expect. But the missions are slightly different, as you use different cars, race in unique tracks, and there are plenty of distinct challenges you can take on to impress some of the characters in the story.
The campaign length is not too short or too long, it's exactly what it needs to be. It also helps you master the drifting mechanics in the game, explore the open world, and try out most of the cars on JDM.
Great Customization and Licensed Cars
Speaking of cars, JDM has a total of 27 licensed cars, which is actually quite impressive. Yes, it doesn't have an insane amount of vehicles at your disposal, but the ones that are in the game are licensed, which is a great touch in my opinion.
It also offers you a very detailed customization feature, which allows you to change so many things in your vehicle that it can make it confusing to new players. But these are the types of problems I like to see racing games have.
So, the customization aspect is certainly something that favours JDM, and can make the game very attractive for players who like the option to change every single detail of their car.
