JDM: Japanese Drift Master – PS5 Review

Whilst I watched a lot of Motorsport, drifting’s not really something I click with. Sure, getting sideways looks cool and disciplined but I’ve never seen it as efficient. That said, in the right set of circumstances, I’ll burn rubber on virtual tarmac. JDM: Japanese Drift Master is picking an obvious influence for it’s story and setting and developer Gaming Factory have certainly done a commendable job.

Taking place in an open-world, the career mode follows in the footsteps of a foreign arrival as he starts to work his way up the racing ladder. The narrative is told in manga panels that, whilst lacking in the real detail those comics can trade in, does lend a vibe that I wish was more consistent across the whole package. That style seeps into the character art and intro but the gameplay is presented as a cleaner, more western look.

Not that it’s bad. I think the car models, roads and environments look bright and colourful. The winding Japanese landscape is populated by plenty of Sakura trees, temples, Tori gates and forests. There’s a great variety to it and it makes the longer drives feel like a genuine journey. The map is a manageable size. It’s not as overwhelming as a Need for Speed or Forza Horizon setting but I also spreads the activities in a fairly even manner.

The main missions pick a little of everything. You have circuit races, some of which are decently approximated versions of real tracks. You’ve got drag races which test your ability to time shifts and warm your tyres. There’s point-to-point excursions much in tune with the Touge drifting the game really wants to emulate. I think it mixes event types well with objectives varying from coming in home first to maximising your point score.

Point scoring is entirely focused around getting your vehicle sideways. You have two handling presents to choose from but I honestly find their differences too subtle. I spent a lot of time in Simcade which, theoretically requires a more nuanced approach. I do find it bites back more than the arcade handling but they can both punish when you completely lose grip. I think the real difference between the two is stopping power. Brakes feel a bit more effective in arcade, although I might’ve just got better at recognising distances.

Drifting can be easily initiated and the map does love switchback hairpins. The open-world gives you plenty of space to practice and, despite offering clutch drifting, the more vanilla method of getting lateral does enough for me. Holding and stringing drifts together will help boost your multiplier which becomes crucial in the latter stages.

With some events being more about style than speed, I found running off into the distance could be detrimental. Being around your rivals allows for acts of sabotage or at least a chance to observe how they’re doing. Some events do force you to follow the car ahead closely, requiring a more balanced approach. That change in mentality does make for an interesting experience, even if the opposition were prone to self-destruction.

I think the handling is consistent, although the lack of force feedback from the road surface can be a little disconnecting. It’s something I got used to but for a game all about understanding grip, I would’ve liked that extra sensation just to help find the limit. Of course, that limit will change depending on your vehicle and the selection on offer is pretty good. Damage is off the menu but heavy crashes are given a mildly disorienting camera shake. The tyre smoke of the opposition is nicely rendered but it’s much less pronounced on your vehicle.

The majority of them are licensed and mostly from Japan. Crowd favourites like the Subaru Impreza and the Fairlady Z make appearances. Some American muscle cars are also available as DLC. They look out of place but do help bolster the roster. Not that I’d call it slim by default. I think there are certain expectations when it comes to Japanese tuner cars and those are well met. Given the handsome event payouts, I didn’t have trouble getting the vehicles I needed to progress in the story.

I can attest to the accuracy but I do like the engine noises. The Mazda RX-7 sounds especially throaty and it does help make horsepower feel like a hell of a drug. The music enamoured me a lot less. It’s not bad but I’m not a big fan of the electronic soundtrack. It’s not quite the cheesy Eurobeat I was hoping for. You can switch the radio off but I do need the accompaniment.

The cars can be tuned for three specific jobs. If a circuit race is upcoming, you might one to tune it towards grip whereas drift presets would allow for a slippier car. I think these settings do a good job of getting a novice to the right spot. I don’t tend to tinker with settings when I’m playing games and this does feel accessible.

Whilst it does miss some finishing touches, JDM: Japanese Drift Master manages to put put together a lot. It’s not the biggest map but it feels bright and lively, despite a sparse traffic density. The scoring does focus exclusively on drifting but it can be a satisfying act. The home stretch really demands an understanding of the multiplier and how to make the most of every slide. The story passed me by but the manga presentation did give it some charm. It’s not the longest racer but it does deliver some fun.