Inertial Drift

Inertial Drift's innovative racing mechanics take drifting to a whole new level.

Taking a healthy dose of inspiration from Ridge Racer Type 4, Inertial Drift is a unique arcade racer with an exquisite core mechanic.

As a result, the experience as a whole can come off as a bit shallow, but at least it's pretty. The game's gorgeous cel-shaded cars and atmospheric environments do a lot of heavy lifting when the actual racing starts to drag. If you can work yourself into the zone and you're prepared for an often stiff challenge, Twilight Rivals is simply more of what Inertial Drift does well.

Inertial Drift is an acquired taste. Its interesting control method eventually pays off and feels rewarding when you simply complete a course unscathed, but none of its modes are meaty enough to provide an solid package overall. If you're the type who has no issue with racing over and over again to perfect your skills, this could be a game for you. Fans of more conventional racers, however, may want to drift around it.

Inertial Drift is an interesting racing that shows there's some new things to do in the racing genre, unfortunately content wise can feel a little short and some ideas definitely needed more time in the oven.

In Inertial Drift, you don’t need to know the difference between a crankshaft and a camshaft! Getting into that perfect racing line and being able to weave in and out of traffic without getting a time penalty is of no use. I cannot understate just how much I enjoy playing Inertial Drift: Twilight Rivals Edition.

Inertial Drift: Twilight Rivals is undoubtedly the best way to experience Inertial Drift. This is a game that is relatively easy to pick up, very difficult to master, but remains utterly compulsive.

Inertial Drift: Twilight Rivals Edition has all the same issues we had with the original release, such as poor options for those who want to race online, but thanks to the addition of another campaign and a selection of cars and tracks, those who loved it before are likely to love it even more. It’s those who have not yet played Inertial Drift that will perhaps get the most out of this new PS5 edition, however. A host of improvements mean it has never looked or played better on console.

Inertial Drift is a unique racing/drifting racer, but it feels counter-intuitive. While the game does have a reasonable amount of content aside from the drifting mechanic, it takes a while to get used to and the A.I.’s frustrating difficulty makes it a hit or miss. Personally, I found myself frustrated more than anything. I applaud the developer for taking a chance, but unless you plan on spending hours on end on this game, it’s a pass.

Overall, the gripes with Inertial Drift that I had hold it back from realizing its full potential. Nonetheless, most issues can be overlooked when the sheer enjoyment you'll feel hitting the perfect drift line is undeniable. With a robust amount of content and a rarefied local multiplayer, this is an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.