Game Reviews

Drift Girls

Star onStar onStar onStar halfStar off
|
| Drift Girls
Get
Drift Girls
|
| Drift Girls

I've already been hands-on, as it were, with Drift Girls for an AppSpy preview video.

My early impressions of it were strong. From the off it seems like a game that knows exactly what it is, exactly who it's catering to, and exactly what that crowd wants from a game about driving cars and picking up anime women.

But how does that experience hold up over the course of a week? Jump in my passenger seat for the next seven days, and I'll show you.

First impressions

It's pretty clear that I won't be playing Drift Girls in public. Its content is definitely designed to titillate those with an interest in ladies, and in a manner that while not verging into the pornographic definitely leans into the risqué.

The girl sitting beside you as you burn through city streets in your suped up sports car squeals with organismic delight when you successfully drift around a corner.

"That was incredible" she confirms, before moaning in ecstasy as you cross the finish line in front of your opponent.

Drift Girls' entire MO is the pursuit of pretty ladies and powerful cars, all the while providing a loose narrative around this manliest of manly man pursuits for men.

However, the gameplay itself is something you'll be reasonably familiar with if you've ever installed CSR Classics, Fast & Furious: Legacy, or Nitro Nation.

Drift Girls isn't a "true" racing game - you're only controlling a couple of aspects of the car's handling.

You try to get the perfect amount of revs at the starting line, you're responsible for getting the timings of your drifts right, and you get to fire off nitrous too. Those looking for something approaching Real Racing 3 will be disappointed.

What you may be unfamiliar with is the dating element of the game, which I'll tackle in a couple of days after I've had a bit more time with Chloe, the lady I'm currently trying to woo.

Day 3: Oh Chloe

You haven't experienced everything your mobile device can do until you've heard a high-pitched virtual girlfriend wish you "good morning" - accompanied by an exciting EDM soundtrack - as you load up Drift Girls in the early hours of the day.

In a similar manner to the relationships you have with dudes in the game, the relationships you have with women are grounded in conquest. Albeit the bros are beaten on the track, while the girl-bros are wined and dined and taken to the zoo.

You see dating is the other of Drift Girls's play modes, sitting right next to racing in the main menu to indicate its importance for progression through the game.

The two modes compliment one another surprisingly well too. The better your car, the more races you'll win.

Winning races unlocks access to new ladies, which you can then date to raise their Fondness Level. This in turn will increase your car's stats during races.

Taking your female friend out to dinner at a nice restaurant, or going for a walk in the park, and occasionally answering questions they pose to you, is the main thrust of the dating mode.

You can also give your gals gifts if you like. Increasing their Fondness Level to four will also mean that you unlock the option of... well... I think in The Sims it's called "WooHoo".

Though I never kiss and tell in real life, I must confess that I've definitely already done the deed with Chloe, and it was more than a bit uncomfortable.

It's all done through allusions to naughtiness, certainly nothing raunchier than a particularly mild Carry On movie, but just before the carnal act was committed she told me that I had to be quiet "if her mother called". Weird, Chloe. Weird.

If you meet certain requiremenets you can also choose to Exceed Limit with the girls, which allows you to give them pervier-than-normal costumes to wear.

In case that wasn't enough, a saucy picture gallery slowly unlocks throughout the game too.

Day 7: About to finish

It's a week after I started playing Drift Girls, and I've had a sexy old time of it.

As you progress through the single player you meet loads of different women, most of whom are well developed enough to ensure they remain at least vaguely interesting to anyone not thinking entirely with Brain Number Two.

There's a definite narrative here as well, even if it's your typical rivalry story told over and over again.

Some way along the line you also unlock the Big Race mode, which plonks you into online leagues where you compete with other players from around the world.

There are social elements, though currently they're underdeveloped. You can invite people to become your friends in the game, and send them Social Points in the hope they'll send you some back so you can purchase goodies with them, but that's about it.

As you'd expect from a game about cars and the kinds of girls who are impressed by them, money and making purchases is incredibly important in Drift Girls.

You'll be buying and upgrading parts, fitting them to newly purchased and modified cars, and throwing down real cash if you're super serious about seeing everything.

But there are plenty of opportunities to grind for currency, parts, and other items if you're willing. The special Parts Races chuck freebies your way, for example, and are usually handled easily enough by whatever you happen to be riding in.

Drift Girls would be just another CSR-alike to play, enjoy, and forget if it weren't for its dating mechanics which, while not as complicated or sophisticated as something like a Hakuoki, still add a layer of depth that's rarely seen in the genre.

Drift Girls will be a divisive game then, but it's one you should probably experience for yourself.

How are you getting on with the game? You can tell us and the rest of the PG community about your experiences by leaving a comment in the box below. Click here to learn about our free-to-play review policy.

Drift Girls

Drift Girls isn't going to be for everyone, but then again it probably doesn't want to be. If you like cars and anime babes, and aren't above a bit of lechery, you should probably go get it
Score
Peter Willington
Peter Willington
Die hard Suda 51 fan and professed Cherry Coke addict, freelancer Peter Willington was initially set for a career in showbiz, training for half a decade to walk the boards. Realising that there's no money in acting, he decided instead to make his fortune in writing about video games. Peter never learns from his mistakes.