Drift 21

Build your dream drift car, change parts, boost performance and show off your skills taking part in demanding challenges that will test your drifting abilities. Play in solo or compete with other racers in multiplayer mode, to establish who is the best drifter!

drift 21

Back in 2020, we tried out one of the first builds of Drift 21. The game was plagued by quite a long development period and the fans were losing hope. During our initial tests, we were blown away by the huge amount of initial content, but some things were missing. Now the game has officially been released and we take a closer look at the finished product. If you love working on cars, love drifting, and are looking for a game where you can do all the work yourself, then this game might be perfect for you.

At first, there was no story at all, the game just functioned as a sandbox for the player to freely build and try out vehicles. Now in the full release, you have a career mode where you must build up your reputation from scratch by creating drift cars for well-established brands and drivers. These missions are fun but become really boring as they are always the same (build vehicle X stage 1 through 3). Every part is available for purchase from the start, so you can immediately build that 1000+ HP drift missile if you have the cash. The story arc in the career is a nice addition when all that drifting and racing gets boring. It has you building vehicles for others which you get to keep. It keeps the gameplay mixed and you can even use your own cars for the missions. The ultimate goal is to get every vehicle to stage 3 and become the ultimate drift king.

Probably the best upgrade since the Early Access build is the improved handling. Back in the early build, you needed a Stage 3 drift monster and even then it would be really hard to keep your car drifting. The handling felt like it was all over the place and it was generally annoying in the alpha. Now, every car handles well and with a bit of skill, you will pass the challenges with ease.

BySteve Noah Published on December 18, 2020ShareTweetCommentAfter months of development and testing, 505 Games has added multiplayer mode to DRIFT21. Currently in Early Access on Steam, DRIFT 21 allows gamers to tune the drift car of their dreams.

Still in its early stages of multiplayer mode, the team created a practice mode, which acts as a lobby for players. In these sessions, up to six players can move freely around the map, create tandems, racing to accumulate drifting points, while engaging with other racers via text chat.

In most modern-day racing games we expect some kind of drift mechanics, but for Drift 21 that is the sole purpose of the game, and while on paper that might seem mundane, there is actually a lot more to Drift 21 than meets the eye.

We've rarely seen drifting grace the spotlight in gaming outside of just being another mode in our racing sims, but Drift 21 strives to change that. Released in Early Access this month, the project is dedicated to the motorsport and features an impressive line-up of licenced vehicles and Ebisu circuits, considering its relatively small-budget status. With the project being so early into development though, does it currently warrant the attention of drifting fans?

We are sure motor enthusiasts will have a ball here as there is a comprehensive Garage Mode where you can build your car from scratch using a toolbox of 750 parts. Instead of simply selecting upgrades from a menu, here you need to strip down your car and manually install components yourself, making you feel much more involved in your ride's development. Even if your knowledge of assembling drift cars is limited, things are made simple as you can highlight all missing parts and be taken straight to the warehouse store.

Players can enter the driver's seat using a mouse and keyboard, or a gamepad, and support is available for select steering wheels (Fanatec, Thrustmaster, Logitech). We used an Xbox One controller during our playthrough and found the core mechanics of driving to feel instinctive, although it did take some time to get accustomed to executing drifts. Thankfully, there is a Free Mode here, where you can get to grips with the controls and have the freedom to skid across the grass and slam into the track barriers as you hone your craft.

At present, Drift 21 features three offline modes and these are the aforementioned Free Ride, Solo Run, and Time Attack game types. Time attack sees you whizz between checkpoints, but as it features a point requirement, you'll need the handbrake on when manoeuvring corners. In the Solo Run, you're tasked with racking up as many points as possible by completing specific objectives at points on the track. Speed Zones, for example, award points based on your speed and Clipping Points require you to pull off drifts using both your rear wheels.

It may be a while before this drifting sim soars across the finish line and there are still many improvements we'd like to see to make this one worthy of a purchase in Early Access. The vehicle and track selection is currently limited and there is no way at present to engage competitively either online or in split-screen. We do, however, think the Garage Mode showcases a lot of potential and we were impressed by its polished visuals and licenced content. It's one to keep an eye on then.

Take part in demanding challenges that will test your drifting skills. Prove you're the best drifter andreach for the winner's golden cups. Earn as many drift points as you can in a single run, face time challenges and gymkhanas.

Ben AKA "KameTrick" brings the drift motorsports lifestyle to aspiring drivers and fans through education, entertainment and coaching, with the goal of growing the drift community in both real cars and driving simulators.

Take the car to your garage, where you can make major modifications to it. Replace engine, suspension and exhaust parts yourself to achieve the right performance for your driving style! With visual tuning - change body kits, paint color and decals - you'll create a drift car that's one of a kind!

Visit the mecca of drift!Improve your drifting technique on perfectly recreated tracks of the Japanese EBISU complex! Get your first skills on the Driftland and School tracks to repeat the legendary Minami jump!

Custom your dream drift car!Engines, suspensions, wheels: more than 1800 replaceable components are available in your garage. Change specific parts to make the performance of your vehicle tailored to your driving style. With visual tuning - by changing body kits, paint colour and decals - you'll create a drift car that's one of a kind!

Show off your skills!Take part in demanding challenges that will test your drifting skills. Play in solo or compete with other racers in the multiplayer mode, to estabilish who is the best drifter!

Become a drift legend!Tune your dream drift car, change parts, boost performance and show your skills by competing with other players in multiple breathtaking challenges!A Unique fleet of licensed cars!

Racing games have always held a special place in my heart, and while I may not be the biggest fan of drifting, Drift21 looked like it had a lot to offer for someone like me who enjoys the occasional racing sim and owns the car featured in its key art. When I first checked out Drift21's Steam page I was expecting something along the lines of Forza or DRIVECLUB. A racing title that's a little more arcade than simulator with a more grounded overall presentation. What I got instead was a drifting sim that while difficult at first, ended up being one of the more challenging yet rewarding racing games I've played this generation.

As the name implies, Drift21 is a drifting game first and foremost. You're not earning any power-ups for completing slides or depending on NOS to get you from 0-60 in 1 second. Drift21 offers players a more grounded experience that definitely appeals to the same fans of iRacing and Project Cars over someone who prefers Asphalt 9: Legends and the Forza Horizon series. The downside to this level of simulation is that the barrier to entry is a bit higher than your standard arcade racer like Initial D.

Drift21 is definitely not an easy game if you don't know what you're doing. However, thanks to achievable goals and an instant restart button, it's easy to avoid discouragement while trying to understand how Drift21 thinks my BRZ should act while moving sideways. While I found it difficult to play on a standard PS4 controller without an auto transmission enabled, I did have a better time using my Astro C40 and I would only assume this game was meant to be played with a full wheel and pedal set-up. Regardless of my personal control issues I quickly found myself genuinely enjoying Drift21's current limited early access offerings and after about 25ish minutes of slamming into the wall of the first turn and spinning out on to the grass, I was able to execute tofu delivery driver like drifts and tear up Drift21's limited track selection.

Drift21 in its current form at the time of this article features 4 tracks, 3 track modes (time attack, solo run, and free play) and 3 of the most recognizable drifting cars at the moment, The Subaru BRZ, Mazda MX5, and Nissan Silvia S15. As a Toyabru owner myself I was shocked at the level of detail Drift21 has with how the BRZ drives and looks in the inside (even down to the 6.1mpg you get when you participate in "spirited" driving). There's definitely a level of care and craftsmanship here that you don't see too often in smaller racing games throughout all of Drift21. From the real-life tracks and cars to the staggering 750 parts you can add in your car, to the overall presentation and accurate driving physics. I never felt like Drift21 was lacking in any department considering it's still in Early Access. In fact, a new track was patched in while I was working on this preview. 041b061a72