Slipstream Reviews
Slipstream Blue Hour successfully reignites the magic of retro racing, inviting players to relive the joy and excitement that defined a generation of gamers. While its gameplay may feel repetitive in the long run and may not match the advancements of modern racing games, Slipstream Blue Hour is a charming and delightful tribute to the classics. With its wealth of content, fresh twists, and captivating blue hour-themed tracks, it's the perfect excuse to embrace nostalgia and embark on a thrilling journey through Slipstream's beloved retro world. So buckle up, hit the gas, and let Slipstream Blue Hour take you on a joyful ride back in time.
Not only does Slipstream play like a retro racer, it looks like one too
The gameplay feels great, with those aforementioned 90-degree drifts requiring you to dance on the analogue sticks delicately, and there’s a lightning fast pace to the action which is trance-inducing. The core course design isn’t particularly inspired – you’re either sliding or going straight, with little variation in between – but the tracks here aren’t supposed to rival the Nurburgring: this is pure nostalgia, with scorching synthesisers and optional scanlines. It’s a tantalising ode to a timeless era of arcade racers, and one we reckon even Yu Suzuki himself would be proud to put his name on.
Slipstream's retro design feels a little by-the-numbers to us (its cool 2D/3D visual effect aside), but that's not to say it doesn't pull off the mechanics well. It shouldn't be the first game in your retro racing collection with the likes of Sega Ages Out Run and Horizon Chase Turbo already available, but if you've played through those and are itching for more then you could do a lot worse than this, especially given its modest price.
There’s a lot of fun to be had with Slipstream. It’s wonderfully presented, has a good amount of content, and the racing action is fun and intense for the most part. It’s just a shame that the efforts it makes to differentiate itself from Outrun gameplay-wise don’t really have the intended effect. But if you’re after an old-fashioned racing game inspired by the classics of the 80s and 90s, this is still very much worthy of a purchase.
There's no doubt a great deal of nostalgia in the arcade racing community for the late 80s and early 90s games like OutRun, Daytona USA, the Cruis'n series, and some others as well...
There's no doubt Slipstream has issues, but the core gameplay mechanics are fun enough that you may be able to look past them as I could and enjoy some knockoff Out Run.
Slipstream is a beautifully crafted homage to classic '80s arcade racers like Out Run that manages to feel familiar yet fresh
Slipstream seemingly wants to be liked and it wants to excite and thrill its players — but as soon as you get a little too close and present any sort of indication that you might want to get to know it a bit better, it gives you a solid punch right up the bracket and tells you to fuck off outta ‘ere, loser. It is, not to put too fine a point on it, one of the biggest cockteases in the entire arcade racer genre — a subset of gaming known for drawing players in with its spectacular visuals and exhilarating speed.