KartRider: Drift, a free to play game across multiple platforms
KartRider:Drift is a game made by Nexon Korea – a studio that specializes in making games that mimic Nintendo’s ever popular Mario Kartfranchise.
One of the first new cross-platform games of the year, KartRider:Drift is a game made by Nexon Korea – a studio that specializes in making games that mimic Nintendo’s ever popular Mario Kartfranchise. Drift is a continuation in that trajectory as it offers players a free to play game that is both good looking and in some ways an improvement on Mario Kart.
The skills and abilities you unlock in KartRider: Drift are quite fun and most of them require you to be quite strategic as you race. Using them as intended requires you to both race and master aiming at high speeds, a combination that’s both chaotic and challenging. One of my favorite skills is the “magnet” which is extremely effective when your competitor is far ahead as it not just pulls them towards you but also speeds you up towards them, shrinking long distances in a matter of seconds.
However, the same skill is nearly useless if used on a competitor in your vicinity. Similarly, the use of the “rocket” needs you to aim at opponents precisely and while getting it right is a bit challenging at first it can clear clusters of racers instantaneously if aimed at the right location. If a variety of unique skills is what you desire then KartRider: Drift has the right mix of the classics and unique new ones.
In terms of gameplay, the game has some wonderful looking tracks and a great soundtrack to complement the unique setting of each track. However, the tracks are too short and most of them have just one large turn. It almost seems a waste to call the game Drift when significant stretches of the racing is in straight lines. The drift mechanism is inconsistent and I was always over drifting no matter how subtle I was with the controls. In my experience, the controls on mobile and touch platforms seemed even more inconsistent as I felt the game wasn’t reading the pressure I was applying accurately.
A racing experience that is enhanced by its unique skills and cross-platform play, KartRider: Drift is let down by its short tracks, poor drift controls and predominant straight-line driving. This is not a game where racing skill matters too much. However, KartRider: Drift could be a great way to experience arcade racing for first timers, I doubt you will keep playing this one for long.
