It is nearly impossible to find an exceptional motorsports game. Most of them try to incorporate everything into a single title rather than focus on a specific niche. This notion is where the adage about being a Jack of all trades but a master of none stems from.
However, Drift Runner is one of few games that try to be outstanding in the drifting world. Having a cool name for a game is one thing, but delivering the most realistic drifting experience is a different story altogether.
Real-World Locations
Drift Runner is a product of Road Burn Pty Ltd, also responsible for Burn Out Masters. The company tries to simulate real-world locations such as the LZ Compound, Keep it Reet at Calder!, Klutch Kickers Tournament, or the Luke Finks Archerfield Drift Park.
These locations, competitions and events are a step in the right direction, but I couldn’t help feeling like they could add more of them. I would be elated if I could see challenging tracks like the iconic Mount Haruna (Gunma Prefecture, Japan), Transfăgărășan Highway (Romania), and Tail of the Dragon (North Carolina-Tennessee, USA). The drifting tracks are some of the revered courses among drifting enthusiasts, and it could be the closest experience to walking a mile in the shoes of a professional drifter.
Custom Build Your Car
Drifting is an art form, and the car configuration preferences can differ from one player to the next. I tried drifting with muscle cars, which is a hard task considering their weight. However, I did appreciate the wide variety of vehicles available.
I also noticed the ability to get behind the wheel of a Pro Drifter’s car, which felt like a nice bonus. This feature is helpful for novice drifters who want to get the feel of a Pro Drifting car before tuning a stock vehicle from scratch. The revving sound of the Pro Drifting cars is average at best, but it can be challenging to achieve real-life revving sounds, even on iPhone products.
Take Control
I thought Drift Runner would have a standardized control setup like most racing games, but was surprised to find that you can tweak them to your preferences. You can start simple and work towards advanced controls as you polish your drifting techniques. However, drifting with the handbrake was a challenge because the car felt stiff and hard to steer around corners.
The drifting experience also felt somewhat static in some instances. The perfect drift should account for the car’s suspension too, and the Road Burn Pty Ltd developers could earn bonus points if subsequent updates also focused on improving the suspension features. The current dial-in features offer height, tilt, offset, and camber configurations. Even so, it could be better with a detailed framework for parts such as springs, shock absorbers, and chassis setups.
The Drift Runner Community
As far as the sense of community is concerned, Drift Runner does offer a multi-player feature. This also links to Discord where you can compete and communicate with other online gamers. I found the chat function ideal, especially for individuals who prefer to communicate via text as opposed to verbally. Drifting battles with real players are always fun because you learn new tricks. The community is welcoming, and I got pointers on my handbrake turn and clutch kick techniques.
You can also look for Drift Runner fan pages on social media. I found a couple of them on Facebook where other gamers are more than happy to talk about drifting or offer nuggets about the art form. You can also find more fan pages on popular social media platforms like YouTube or X.
Value for Money
Drift Runner is free on the Apple Store, but there are in-app purchases. This is a typical move to get gamers hooked on the game. You can build your profile slowly through winning challenges and tournaments or opt for the game coins to scale your growth. The developer’s game plan is to make the in-app purchases affordable to attract players and eventually recoup with more players spending more money.
The only way to gauge Drift Runner’s worth is by looking at it holistically. The variety of cars helps keep things interesting. A drifter would rather drive a stick than an automatic because of the availability of gear shift, pedal and hand brake controls. The title delivers on this front, and you can experiment with brake-based techniques like braking drift, E-brake drift, long-side braking, as well as clutch-based techniques.
