JDM: Japanese Drift Master Reviews
There's certainly potential and creativity brimming in JDM: Japanese Drift Master. It's the execution needs some work, and the missions and open world do it no favors.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master shines in places like the graphics and the cars themselves. Gaming Factory has put a lot of love into this, and it shows. Especially using Polish musicians to fill up their radio stations. There are some issues, though; the story itself doesn't leave an impact, the difficulty of the AI is inconsistent, and there are some bugs. But it's all about the drifting, and that's where it makes up for it. The driving is fluid, and the NPCs can be quite challenging. However, the cars sound amazing, it really sounds like you're driving a Miata! Fans of Tokyo Drift, Initial D and general drift racing sim fans will have a ball with JDM.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master has left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it has one of the best maps I've seen in a car game and it's entertaining, but, on the other hand, it fails in key aspects: the AI is disastrous, the tests lose interest quickly, and the story is weak and falls into clichés that are redundant. It is a game of contrasts. Even so, I recommend it for being different and unique in the current panorama.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
JDM: Japanese Drift Master is an ambitious and sincere ode to Japanese drift culture, but right now it feels like an unfinished project that’s shipped without the early access caveat.
Bursting with ideas, enthusiasm, and a solid physics model, but JDM seems more preoccupied with throwing another idea in than polishing what's already there.
It may appeal to the hardcore racing game enthusiasts with a full racing sim setup, but for people who play these games on a controller and sit down to have a fun time, this game will feel mind-numbing at times. It has moments that shine through, and the arcade controls feel pretty satisfying, but it doesn't make for a great game.
At JDM, you can enjoy exotic car racing in a stylish Japanese setting, with a focus on unconventional drifting competitions. But you can also take in the interesting scenery as you drive leisurely through the city. It offers a refreshing change from the usual routine disciplines of classic motorsport. Both casual and experienced players enjoy the great driving experience, enhanced by the arcade-style or simulation setting, as well as the complex modifications and improvements to the vehicles.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
JDM: Japanese Drift Master is a new drift simulation racing game with eye candy visuals and unique car control mechanics. While the game manages to hit the spot for most drifting aficionados, it falls behind when compared to other simulation titles out there.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master offers an enjoyable and faithful experience true to its identity, with gameplay that brings back memories of classic titles where the pure joy of driving took center stage. It successfully delivers on its promises and stands as a well-executed attempt worth trying for anyone seeking a fun driving experience and a unique atmosphere.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
I would have legitimately given JDM: Japanese Drift Master an even higher score if it wasn’t for the somewhat lacklustre amount of content it offers as of now. The foundation for a truly spectacular love letter to Need for Speed Underground 2 can be clearly seen when you’re cruising around Japan with your pimped out ride. It’s an amazing game technically-speaking, it just needs more meat, some extra cars and modes. It actually feels original, and you can obviously notice the amount of love and effort put into every single corner of its map. Just add more sushi to this platter and it will become one hell of a feast.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master seems to hit all the right notes for fans of Japanese drifting culture. You'll find a refined driving model, tons of great music, beautiful visuals, and a decent story, whose manga-style presentation will either draw you in even more or completely put you off. It's a shame that the picturesque map we get turns out to have few memorable locations and feels relatively lifeless. The traffic simulation is quite average. However, these shortcomings don't change the fact that sliding through corners in JDM: Japanese Drift Master was incredibly fun for me.
Review in Polish | Read full review
JDM: Japanese Drift Master delivers a stylish and atmospheric drifting experience, wrapped in a crafted open world with solid customization options. But uneven mission design and slippery mechanics keep it from crossing the finish line at full speed. Drift enthusiasts will find fun in its corners, but those craving a deeper, more polished racer may be left wanting more.
JDM is promising to be a unique experience, but in its current state, I feel they should have spent more time developing it before release. But I have to give them all the credit they deserve because this is such a strong attempt for their first time creating an open-world racing game. They accomplished a lot and can fix all of their problems with tweaking in updates, creating a better experience for everyone. Hopefully Gaming Factory takes into consideration the negatives and improves and continues to update and support JDM, adding content with updates. In the current state, I can’t fully recommend a day one pickup in fear it may ruin some people’s experiences and turn them off to the possibility that this game will shine very brightly with fixes. Until then, JDM will be scored on its current state.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master is unfortunately a game where ambition overrides skill. Basically: it doesn't work well.
Review in Turkish | Read full review