Four years after its initial PC release in 2018, Slipstream sped onto PS4 and Xbox One last year, boasting a retro art style inspired by classic arcade racers like the seminal OutRun. While it was backwards compatible on PS4, Slipstream never had a native PS5 release – until now.
Slipstream out now on PS5
Joining the PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC versions, Slipstream is now available to download on PS5, retailing for £7.39/ $9.99 USD / 8.99 on the PlayStation Store. If you already own the PS4 game, you can download the new PS5 version for free.
While there are no visual changes between the two versions, it’s great to see the underrated indie racer get a native PS5 release with a separate trophy list.
Developed over four years by Brazilian developer Sandro Luiz de Paula (ansdor), Slipstream uses a custom-built engine to recreate the sprite scaling graphics of classic 80’s and 90’s racers like OutRun on modern platforms. The result is a visually striking game with a focus on drifting and slipstreaming opponents to get a speed boost before the time runs out.
Blue Hour expansion
The PS5 release also includes the free Blue Hour expansion. Released back in the summer to celebrate Slipstream’s fifth anniversary, Blue Hour brings two new game modes, three cars, and five locations: Marseille, Pompeii, Transylvania, Granada and Edinburgh.
These new tracks utilise an enhanced game engine with atmospheric fog effects and a new dynamic lighting system that illuminate the car’s headlights on the track in real-time. Whereas the original game was inspired by 16-bit era games, the Blue Hour expansion looks like an early 32-bit 3D game. Accompanying the Blue Hour locations are five new electric music tracks inspired by Ridge Racer Type 4 and WipEout.
“The blue hour is a brief period of the day, after the sunset but before the night, when the sky takes on a deep blue tone. It's long been appreciated by painters and photographers because of the beautiful and unique properties of light during this time,” said Slipstream’s creator ansdor.
“The fading light from the sun illuminates everything softly, and the deep blue sky creates a great contrast with the usually yellow-ish urban lamps. It's a moment of natural beauty that happens every day. And as times of the day have always been a theme in Slipstream, in this expansion I joined forces with Effoharkay and took the opportunity to explore it a little more.”
If you love retro racers with arcade-style handling and sprite-based visuals, we highly recommend taking Slipstream for a spin.
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