Review - SLIPSTREAM - Try to drift, they said. It'll be fun, they said.
Since the past few years though, retro gaming fans have increasingly showed their interest for a revival of the genre, and today, we're reviewing what COULD HAVE been the best homage to Outrun, SLIPSTREAM.
And no, it doesn't have anything to do with the 1995 racing game Slip Stream.😅
| Store | Platform | OVERALL RATING: 70% |
| Buy it on Steam | PC |
+ THE POSITIVE
- Back to the 80s!- The 2D retro graphics couldn't be any better - Perfect OST for driving in the glorious sunset - Runs perfectly on a potato
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THE NEGATIVE
- Controls need to be improved- Boring after an hour |
ALL HAIL 80s ARCADE RACING
Slipstream is an arcade racer using a pseudo-3D engine with 2D sprites, just like in the glorious 80s!
It features a respectable amount of 20 tracks, and respecting the old tradition of arcade racers, take place in the most exotic areas all over the world.
(If you wanted a track based in Chernobyl, look elsewhere.)
An interesting choice: many tracks names sound like Sonic the Hedgehog levels.😄
"Ice Cap", "Chemical Plant", "Metropolis"...
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| If you don't recognize what brand is the "SAF" sign taken from, I'll ban you from this website forever.😝 |
It has 3 different modes:
- Arcade mode, which plays like the original Outrun.
Basically, you race against opponents in a seamless road trip across various locations.
You have to reach one of the various possible final destinations against a timer.
If the timer reaches zero because you're too slow, the game ends.
Thankfully, encountering periodic checkpoints near junctions will add time to your clock.
And finally, at each of these junctions, you'll have to choose between two directions, each leading to different tracks.(A very nice feature which we get in some shmups as well. For example, this stage select in Darius!)
That's the core gameplay of the very first OutRun, and Slipstream is the exact same.
Now, these two additional modes are new:
- Quick Race mode, which is a VERY nice addition which was never in the first Outrun games, which allows you to just do a single race on ANY of the available game's tracks.
You can use this mode to practice as much as you want.
- Grand Prix mode, maybe the most satisfying mode, in which you'll race on five tracks for money, which will be used to upgrade your car! Work your way up the ladder and try to be 1st on every track!
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| In Quick Race and Grand Prix mode, the clock timer is replaced by your position in the race. |
Speaking of the cars, there are five of them, which you'll drive from a third-person rear perspective. Of course, they all have their own specs and driving style, but all are good to complete the game.
They cannot be damaged from a collision, but will be slowed down and thus lose time.
GAMEPLAY - UNHAPPY LITTLE ACCIDENTS
The game has a number of problems which prevent the experience from being truly enjoyable.- IMPRECISE CONTROLS:
While controls aren't exactly "broken", they're imprecise to a point that you can't really predict how you're gonna deal with any corner.
Even after a few hours of playing, you'll still be surprised at your car's behavior, which tends to either turn too slowly, or drift too erratically. There's no in-between.
The original Outrun had even simpler yet more enjoyable "physics".
- DRIFTING TOO HARD:
When the car drifts, it "rotates" way too much, ends up taking two lanes,
causing it inevitably to bump into other cars.
Which brings up another problem...
- TRAFFIC CARS ARE WAY TOO SLOW:
Opponent cars are perfectly fine, but the various cars you'll encounter in the traffic are waaaaaay too slow.
Imagine that you approach a corner very fast. You start drifting and everything's fine.
Then you see a very slow car and manage to avoid it, going to another lane.
But then another car appears, and it's actually too late to avoid it and change lane, because it's SO slow that you're going to bump into it anyway.
This little detail could change EVERYTHING.
Message to the developer: please make traffic cars 150% faster, at least!
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| Big in Japan! Big in Japan! |
TIP!
We HIGHLY recommend to use a gamepad for playing.Although we keep comparing Slipstream to Outrun, the drifting part is more comparable to Outrun 2006, but also the whole Ridge Racer series.
And Slipstream simply doesn't compare to these classics.
GRAPHICS - WE'RE BACK TO THE 80s, BABY!
Basically, Slipstream looks like what the new Outrun would have looked if games kept using 2D graphics for the past 30 years.(although it's 2D/3D!)
It feels like you're in an alternative universe, in which you clearly see it's 2018 and you can play with HD resolutions, but you're still stuck in the 80s, in a GOOD way.
It's a real pleasure to the eyes to race across a variety of "exotic locations from all around the world, including cities, deserts, forests, mountains and beaches".
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| *Eurobeat intensifies* |
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| The developer kept improving the palm trees during years! |
Despite using 2D sprites, environments look like they have "depth", thanks to a very intelligent and harmonious use of colors.
Far from being flat, every race has lots of crests and dips, increasing the challenge by obscuring upcoming obstacles and traffic.
Even the field of view is perfectly "calibrated".
Finally, the CRT filter is one of the best I've seen in "retro" indie games.
(Not mentioning the 30FPS mode, for hardcore nostalgic fans!)
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| I'm not sure if this game makes me feel very young again or just very old.😅 |
If we really had to be nitpicky about it, I guess we could criticize the lack of dithering effect on SOME skies, which make them look too flat and bland compared to the landscapes.
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| Outrunners cars selection was the best of the whole series. |
Also, it could be interesting if the developer tried to create a "grainy" texture for the road, instead of using lines. Although lines improves the speed sensation, it doesn't look that good when you slow down.
Finally, although it's very nice to see your opponents portraits coming up during a race, a la Starfox, it would have been nice to see yourself and your girlfriend/boyfriend on the passenger seat, like in OutRun, to "humanize" the game a bit.🙂 Maybe in a future update with convertible cars?
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| "There are no bloody traffics wreckage with severed limbs everywhere. There are just happy little accidents." Yes, Bob Ross is in the game! |
MUSIC - COOLNESS, PARKER
Like the graphics, the soundtrack sounds very much like what we could have had in the 80s, but with better technologies.
Drawing its influences from "synthpop" and "jazz fusion", it's the perfect accompaniment for your intense races across exotic environments.
Although the melodies aren't as memorable as Hiroshi Kawaguchi's famous Outrun OST, it still sounds very good, and is certainly one of the best OSTs you'll hear this year.
It can also be compared to the NewRetroWave genre, but it's even better because it manages to recreate the innocent and feelgood atmosphere of the 80s, using softer (maybe analog?) synths, and some very cool electric guitars.
NewRetroWave tends to try sound extremely harsh and aggressive, while this OST just warms your heart and fills it with peaceful feelings.
You can buy the OST there.
PLANNED FEATURES
From the Steam page:
(These are not available yet, but are already under development and will be implemented soon)
- Local multiplayer up to 4 players
- A track editor
RATING BOX
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VERSION TESTED: v1.0.1
Publisher:
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|---|---|
| GRAPHICS: 93% | |
| Authentic retro feeling recreated thanks to masterful pixel art, and a PERFECT CRT filter. Every location looks like a beautiful postcard, and the speeding sensation is intoxicating! | |
| MUSIC: 94% | |
| A worthy "heir" of classic 80s OSTs such as Outrun, it also has some elements of NewRetroWave, making it pleasant for both nostalgic fans and people who like a more modern sound. | |
| SOUNDS: 75% | |
| The engines sound a bit too weak and "linear", and SFX are underwhelming. Whether you bump into a tree or a wall, it sounds usually the same, like somebody slammed a fridge with a 2x4. |
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| GAMEPLAY: 68% | |
| Alas! The gameplay is plagued by erratic controls, and an annoying slow-driving traffic which prevents you from enjoying your exotic worldwide cruise. | |
| OVERALL RATING: 72% | |
| Everything about Slipstream
has been executed fantastically, except the most important core element, the very necessary drifting. Still, any fan of the original Outrun(AND its sequels!) will enjoy it, but not for long, as replayability is pretty low. |
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