Along with the base game, the JDM: Made in USA DLC will also be available, featuring six unlicensed vehicles that are designed to pay homage to classic muscle cars that are often seen in the American drift racing scene. The DLC will be priced at $5.99. The DLC has been available on PC and Xbox Series X/S since November, and also brought with it 30 new tuning parts.

The trailer itself showed off some of the drift racing gameplay from JDM: Japanese Drift Master, leaning quite heavily into its Japanese drift scene influences. The trailer even went as far as to feature the iconic Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno driven by the protagonist of classic drift-racing manga and anime Initial D.

Paying further homage to Initial D, Gaming Factory has also detailed the most recent major update to have been released for JDM: Japanese Drift Master on PC and Xbox Series X/S. The update brought with it five new non-licensed cars from the Akina family, as well as more tracks for the in-game Eurobeat radio station, including “Running in the 90’s” by Max Coveri and “The Top” by Ken Blast.

As you might guess from the title, JDM: Japanese Drift Master is a racing game that is all about taking on the various curves of a typical race track in the most stylish way possible: by drifting. The title even features a story that puts players in the shoes of the Europe-based Thomas, who travels to Japan after inheriting a garage in Guntama prefecture—an area based on the real-world Honshu prefecture. Thomas quickly gets embroiled in the local underground racing scene thanks to his friend Hideo, and before long, has to take on a variety of challenging race tracks that range from narrow rural roads to vast highways and the curvy roads along the sides of mountains.

Aside from the story mode, JDM: Japanese Drift Master also features an open world that boasts of over 250 kilometers of traversable environments. This open world map has plenty of variety in its own right, thanks to a dynamic day/night cycle, and various weather conditions.

Alongside driving, JDM: Japanese Drift Master also encourages players to partake in the customisation of their vehicles, from tuning their car’s performance to find the perfect balance between speed and agility, to the visual aspects, with options for colour and parts like spoilers and bumpers.

For more on JDM: Japanese Drift Master, check out our review of its launch version, where we gave it a score of 5 out of 10. While we praised the general gameplay for how good the drifting feels, as well as the visuals and art direction, the game’s AI, story and mission design left us feeling underwhelmed. Since then, however, it has seen plenty of updates that have brought in various improvements.

Set in the Honshu-inspired Guntama, the story follows Thomas, who ventures from Europe to Japan and inherits a garage left by his late father. Teaming up with Hideo, he becomes involved in the underground racing scene, building up his own vehicle and taking on heated rivals over the course of multiple chapters (told through manga-like panels).

Its other calling card is the massive open world, spanning over 250 kilometers with varying weather conditions, a day/night cycle, and various challenges to complete. While the launch version didn’t exactly set the world on fire (check out our review), it’s received several updates to improve performance and address bugs.

A new paid DLC pack, Made in USA, is also slated for November, adding six vehicles inspired by American muscle cars alongside 30 new tuning parts. Stay tuned for more details on its launch in the coming weeks.

But we couldn’t help but feel that some games this year could have been so much more in terms of the value they brought to their players but ultimately let us down. It’s time to dive into 2025’s most disappointing games – and why they made us feel that way.

Let’s get started. 

Deliver At All Costs

Developed by Far Out Games and published by Konami, Deliver At All Costs had all the makings of a fun experience made engaging via a very unique premise. Winston Green’s determination to be the ultimate courier, letting nothing get between his cargo and his destination ultimately fell flat thanks to an uninspired gameplay loop.

While the isometric graphics and unique mechanics could entertain you for a brief time once you get started, the game quickly gets repetitive, with little to no narrative context other than a few fetch and carry requests.

Limited upgrades to the We Deliver pickup truck and a lack of actual consequences for your destructive actions other than some bland police pursuits make this an unfortunately forgettable experience that is sure to lie forgotten in many of its players’ libraries once the initial thrills wear off. 

Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game

Despite an excellent visual makeover courtesy of Unreal Engine 5, a wide selection of tracks, and the legendary Ricky Carmichael taking up the in-game commentator’s mic, Monster Energy Supercross 25 wasted away its advantages with a learning curve that a significant portion of players would find daunting.

Its tutorials are ineffective at getting you into the ebb and flow of a race, a lapse that is sure to throw you face-first into the dirt in front of a crowded stadium. Milestone S.r.l. probably assumed that anybody picking up the game was already a fan of dirt-bike racing and tailored the experience accordingly.

We’re sure that fans of the sport will swear by this one but for the rest of us, this is a title that is a very ironic uphill climb.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master

This indie title from the stables (or garages?) of Warsaw-based developer Gaming Factory seemed like it would be a great drifting simulator for racing fans who like a bit of style when they turn a corner. While its in-game physics and story-based open world are certainly highlights, the overall experience was ultimately marred by several inconsistencies in the Guntama Prefecture’s streets and winding mountain roads.

Obstacles that a fast-moving car could plow through quite easily in the real world could bring you to a complete stop while irregular lighting ruins the dynamic day and night cycle, sending you tearing right into unsuspecting NPCs who just want to get home and unwind after a long day.

Its delivery missions are nothing to write home about either while errors in the kind of vehicle you will need for its many events are a constant annoyance, requiring you to reload at the last garage you were in and drive a new car all the way back to the starting point.

We recommend rewatching Tokyo Drift a couple of times while you wait for a sale on this one.

STAR WARS: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Remastered

We’ll be the first to admit that getting to revisit the origin story of Anakin Skywalker (or Darth Vader as you know him) had us pretty excited for this remake of the 2000 title from LucasArts. Getting all of its original content in one place while Aspyr’s additions like the ability to play as a bunch of enemies you beat down in your first playthrough during New Game+ was quite the attractive package.

However, an excellent visual makeover aside, all of the problems that players had with the original continue to plague the remaster, and are annoying enough to drive you towards the Dark Side of the force. It’s a baffling lack of polish that is sure to ruin what could have been a very entertaining return to Star Wars’ glory days.

Perhaps Qui Gon would be happy to let Darth Maul stab him to death if he were to try this one out.

TRON Catalyst

Bithell Games had the opportunity to bring the magic and complex political discourse of the original TRON films to a new generation of gamers in its take on the sci-fi franchise. However, Exo’s adventures and the subsequent conflict between the Automata and Core ultimately failed to impress thanks to a lackluster story and a distinct lack of utility to its many inventive mechanics.

From the Glitch system that lets you reset your state on a server to an earlier, safer time, or the lore that fails to flesh out the various factions you encounter in any satisfactory way, this is a game that could have, and should have been a whole lot better than it ultimately was – and that’s a real shame considering that it does so many things right.

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter

Although Arlo’s quest for revenge and his adventures as the Warden of the West are quite well-written and given a lot of gravitas and weight thanks to Doug Cockle’s narration, this attempt to create a side-scrolling Soulslike was ultimately let down by its tonal inconsistencies.

It was quite jarring to see a boss brutally murder innocent NPCs only for a character to make a very droll quip a few moments later. While the combat on display is certainly top notch, the healing mechanic proved to me more annoying than innovative, especially towards the story’s final sections and boss fights.

Hardcore Soulslike fans might find a lot to like in this game but for the most part, it does feel like it could be more fleshed-out both narratively and from a technical standpoint. Its world-building does deserve credit, though.

La Quimera

What could go wrong with an FPS title that puts you in the heart of a conflict between warring states in a world gone mad? A lot, apparently. Reburn’s take on a co-op experience that lets you team up with your buddies to take on a world of threats with an AI companion in tow failed to impress on any level.

It didn’t help that the game was delayed on the day of its release, a misstep that is sure to be a sore spot for the studio and anyone who was excited for the game alike. But its distinct lack of a clear and engaging narrative coupled with its lackluster combat is sure to make this one a game that the gaming world would be happy to leave behind.

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remaster

We’ve certainly been seeing a lot of Oda Nobunaga and his exploits in recent times. But younger games might have not known that the Japanese warlord was the main antagonist of a very popular action franchise from Capcom back in the day.

The studio’s remaster of 2002’s Onimusha 2 does include everything that made the original title so memorable, but fails to bring anything new to the table other than a new weapon swapping quality-of-life improvement and a couple of difficulty modes to accompany its visual upgrade.

Jubei Yagyu certainly deserved better despite his stoic and occasionally sassy demeanour making him less popular than Dante or Leon.

The Precinct

Fallen Tree’s police-sim brought a very promising start to Mick Cordell Jr’s first day at the Avernus City PD’s headquarters. However, his career soon took a very boring turn, devolving into mindless prowling along the city’s streets with only a hint of the promise he brought to table ever showing up during its runtime.

Terrible driving controls aside, The Precinct was a pretty interesting title that failed to deliver on the action-packed chases and gunfights it seemed to offer, instead focusing on the boring and dreary parts of police work. While it does shine on occasion and its main story could be interesting to some, this is a game we quickly moved on from thanks to its sloppy writing and average gameplay loop.

Splitgate 2

Its controversial marketing aside, Splitgate 2 never really reached the heights that its predecessor did thanks to being held back by a limited selection of playable classes and a gameplay loop that many players found derivative despite its intention to innovate.

Although credit must be given to its wide selection of weapons, maps, and modes, they were ultimately let down by its gameplay, which was hamstrung by the presence of only three playable classes with fixed functionalities. That’s especially saddening when one considers how many people worked on it as opposed to the original game.

Atomfall: Wicked Isle DLC

Although Wicked Isle did bring meaningful additions to Atomfall’s main story, they weren’t enough to make up for its lack of new enemy types and glaring omissions that made its runtime more tedious than it should have been.

That’s especially egregious considering how the main game always found a way to keep us on our toes, and the DLC’s new weapons, skills, and characters could not justify its lack of enough content to justify its price tag. Wicked Isle is another presence on this list that could have been so much more but ultimately failed to live up to the expectations it generated.

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest

While getting to dive back into the main game’s story and learning more about the tragic events that brought about the Beira D’s destruction was certainly exciting, Mhairi’s search for its data logger was a disappointment thanks to its shorter runtime and technical issues that actively made it far less appealing than the main game.

Although it did bring a fairly interesting narrative to the table, it was not enough to deserve the same praise that the main game earned, mostly in part due to The Chinese Room’s attempts to address the linear nature of the main game only to get caught up in pathing and other technical issues that were obstacles to obtaining the full experience on offer in the DLC.

That’s a paradox many studios would rather avoid. 

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

After 26 years of silence, Fatal Fury fans were all “REV”ved up to receive a new title in the popular  SNK franchise. Bringing innovative new mechanics and excellent visuals to the table, it’s quite surprising that KOF Studios failed to do more with a franchise that had many gamers very excited about returning to the 2D fighting experience it offered.

That was unfortunately the extent of its traction, as an uninspired RPG mode and a distinct lack of heavy hitters on its playable roster brought disappointment to its fans despite the presence of excellent fighting systems that would challenge newcomers and veterans alike.

FBC Firebreak

A co-op multiplayer shooter set in the world of Control had us immediately invested in what we assumed would be another banger from Remedy Entertainment. However, FBC Firebreak failed to live up to that hype with a gameplay loop that quickly became repetitive while its inspirations were largely relegated to the background with a few notable exceptions.

A limited selection of weapons and little to no variety in locations and enemy types marred a gameplay loop that was frantic and action-packed until it revealed a slew of unlockables that required way too much grinding for the average player.

All is not lost, however, as Remedy could bring changes that puts this exciting yet flawed shooter back on track.

MindsEye

Oh, MindsEye. We really wish Build a Rocket Boy could have made this game live up to the high expectations that we and the rest of the gaming world had for it. We once expected it to be the perfect title to ease our sorrow at the delay of GTA 6. On paper, MindsEye has everything a modern hit should bring to the table. An interesting narrative backed up by a gorgeous open-world that blurs the line between man, machine, and AI.

But Redrock’s empty streets and non-responsive NPCs worked in tandem with its uninspired mission design, lackluster story and buggy execution to rob us of what could have been one of this year’s finest titles. We wish we could say this was a bittersweet experience but we have to lean more towards the former than the latter.

Were there any games that you believe failed to live up to your expectations? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

The results are a different story entirely. Japanese Drift Master has a pretty impressive-looking world yet struggles to do anything notable with it. Mission design is full of contradictory goals and annoying AI. Progression is less about maximizing rewards and more about grinding out reputation and leveling up a car. The drifting intrigues with its fundamentals yet frustrates in their utilization. Then there are the collisions, which defy logic and real-world physics.

The story begins with Thomas, later nicknamed Toma, mourning his father’s passing. Things seem dire after he loses his license and can’t race in Europe for a year until he converses with Hideo and learns about a garage his father left for him in Japan.

"To make things worse, you can’t overlook the story either because it feeds into the mission-based gameplay loop. JDM begins with only main missions to complete and driving school available to hone your skills."

As you might expect, he quickly becomes involved in street races, gains a heated rival in Hasashi “Scorpion” Hatori, meets a mysterious masked individual, and is embroiled in an unresolved case. All in less than two chapters, naturally, but the actual missions make the narrative feel less exciting than it actually is.

At times, they tie in well enough – show up for your showdown with Hasashi. At others, less so, bordering on the bizarre, like matching Hasashi’s drift and sticking close throughout an entire race, as specified, only for him to laugh you off afterwards like nothing even happened.

The actual writing isn’t anything special and has its fair share of grammatical errors, but the art is solid. Character details and expressions could be improved in some places, but the line work is clean, and the cars are impressively depicted. Unfortunately, some speech bubbles have way more text crammed in than others, resulting in a much smaller font, and there’s no option to zoom in. Also, the manga is the only fundamental means of story-telling. Aside from appearing in cars or via in-game menus, the characters may as well not exist.

To make things worse, you can’t overlook the story either because it feeds into the mission-based gameplay loop. JDM begins with only main missions to complete and driving school available to hone your skills. As you progress, the world opens up with new mission types like underground races and additional delivery tasks. The former is straightforward enough – earn a specific amount of money and reach the end to make bank. Higher amounts mean less time, adding an element of risk vs. reward.

The delivery missions, on the other hand, are awful. I’m not against a “Get to this destination and deliver a package within the allotted time” objective, especially if it’s in fun ways (see Crazy Taxi). JDM wants you to avoid hitting solid obstacles or cars lest you damage the deliverable.

Oh, and make sure you’re drifting about to build up that style score, i.e. the exact opposite of driving carefully and avoiding traffic. The two requirements are so antithetical to each other that it’s mind-boggling, surpassed only by the fact that one solid collision can take off 35 percent of the item’s “durability” bar. Is the package attached to the hood? Slamming into breakable objects is perfectly fine, by the way.

"Amid all my complaining, I admit that drifting can feel good under the right conditions. When you hit a corner just right and balance the angle meter just right to chain a long drift, the Initial D rush kicks in."

You can also partake in challenges for Drifting, Grip, and more on specific tracks to earn money (which you then spend on more cars and parts). However, this doesn’t change the fact that most of the world feels relatively unused, which is a shame because there are some aesthetically pleasing locales, like flower gardens and castles, to admire. I’m not expecting Forza Horizon levels of open-world design, but it feels like such wasted potential when it’s not wasting my time to get to a mission.

Starting Chapter 2, my next mission involved meeting Tiger, the aforementioned masked driver, south in the prefecture. No garage to fast travel to. Thus began the long, arduous slog without any distractions along the way to liven things up and annoying bouts of traffic to prevent me from drifting around. One does become available later, but then I discovered that delivery and underground racing missions change locations upon completion, and they won’t always be close enough to a fast travel point, further adding to the tedium.

Gaming Factory recently addressed the frustrations that traffic can cause by letting you turn it off at any time. It doesn’t outright excuse the delivery mission design, but it does help. However, it also removes the last vestige of life from the open world, making me question its existence all the more.

Amid all my complaining, I admit that drifting can feel good under the right conditions. When you hit a corner just right and balance the angle meter just right to chain a long drift, the Initial D rush kicks in. It feels all the more enjoyable when going up against tougher opponents, especially since you’re stuck with an Alpha Moriyamo clunker for the entirety of the first chapter. And while more variety is desperately needed – I counted 27 cars in total – at least brands like Honda, Mazda, Nissan, and Subaru are all here.

I also like how weather and track conditions can severely impact your driving, forcing you to accelerate more carefully. The problem is that drifting, especially when you must rack up enough points, is easily gamed by simply wiggling back and forth. Early drifting competitions against the AI were a pain, especially since it makes almost no mistakes (when it’s not willfully slamming into you during races).

Then I implemented this approach, sometimes going off track in the process and racking up an extensive amount of points just for maintaining a long drift. The handling also felt off at times, with too much understeer at points, and improving acceleration and top speed resulted in my drifts consistently turning into spin-outs. Probably working as intended, but considering the game wants me to be faster and execute those drifts, it feels like a clash of styles.

The collisions are also utterly baffling at times. Veering off-angle during a drift can reduce the multiplier to 1.0 and grant significantly fewer points. Hitting obstacles sometimes has the same effect, and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes, my car would begin wall-riding like it’s Mario Kart World. Even on Arcade Mode, it’s immensely far-fetched. The collisions are also strange, unpredictable and often frustratingly weighed against you. Then again, colliding into a car in the open world so hard that it changed directions, and proceeded to drive back the way it came, was unintentionally hilarious.

"There’s still much work needed on world design, AI, collisions, and progression, not to mention adding more content, before it can truly be called a master of anything, much less my time."

Also, whether it’s a Moriyamo or a 2013 Subaru BRZ, be prepared to grind for the parts you want. Reputation must be leveled by either drifting through the world or completing missions and only then can you purchase specific parts, even if you have the cash on hand. Even more frustrating is that cosmetic parts directly tie into a car’s level. If you want to embrace a core aspect of street racing (at least, that’s what JDM tells me) and customize its looks, you better get ready to grind.

Then there’s the performance, which is a mixed bag at worst and competent at best. Despite my CPU being below the recommended requirements, I had a relatively consistent 60 FPS on High settings at 1440p with DLSS set to Quality. An attempt to play at Ultra was made, resulting in the frame rate tanking heavily during a thunderstorm. At least the flashes of lightning and rain droplets looked nice, accentuated by the city skyline at night, though the overall fidelity is above average.

There are some decently catchy tunes, especially when tuning into the rock and Eurobeat stations, though some of the lighter tracks can work wonders during drifts. They’re not particularly memorable, but at least they add some atmosphere. Why can I only cycle forward through stations and not back? Why does a particularly nice song cut off during a loading screen? Questions for another time, apparently.

I’m left dazed, confused, and a little annoyed at JDM: Japanese Drift Master. The concept felt ripe for a solid racer with a distinct style and mood, but the execution felt awkward and unfulfilling. It could shore up the driving and fine-tune objectives to deliver a better drifting experience. However, there’s still much work needed on world design, AI, collisions, and progression, not to mention adding more content, before it can truly be called a master of anything, much less my time.

This game was reviewed on PC.

The Midnight Walk

A claymation adventure with stop-motion visuals, unfolding in a dark fantasy world where you must protect a lantern being and its flame from monsters in the dark – say what you will, but The Midnight Walk offers a solid premise. Offering five tales of tense chases, puzzle solving, stealth and simply awe-inspiring visuals, The Midnight Walk launches on May 8th for PS5, PC, PlayStation VR2 and SteamVR.

Spirit of the North 2

Following the underrated original, Spirit of the North 2 again sees players venturing through a gorgeous open world as a fox. Your goal is to cleanse the guardians and defeat Grimnir, a dark shaman, but each biome promises extensive secrets, including powerful runes and abilities. For those seeking a more laidback adventure, Spirit of the North 2 launches on May 8th for Xbox Series X/S, PC and PS5.

The Precinct

Remember American Fugitive, which offered an old-school GTA-like experience? The Precinct is from the same studio, but this time, you’re a police officer in Averno City, upholding the law. It’s an intriguing twist, as tasks range from ticketing vehicles to pursuing suspects in high-speed chases. With extensive degrees of crime, the ability to call for backup, and a living sandbox, The Precinct may live up to its inspiration when it launches on May 13th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

DOOM: The Dark Ages

Perhaps the month’s biggest release, DOOM: The Dark Ages is id Software’s largest campaign yet, packed with new weapons, tools, enemies (including the cosmic horror variety), and mechanics. Between the sandbox nature of some levels, oodles of secrets, heavier story focus with sleek cutscenes, more extensive difficulty options, and the incredible gameplay loop, it could end up an all-timer. The Dark Ages begin on May 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC alongside Game Pass.

RoadCraft

After Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, Saber Interactive is taking the franchise in a different direction with RoadCraft. As part of a disaster recovery company with heavy machinery, your job is to repair bridges and roads, remove debris, and much more to effectively save the day. There are over 40 vehicles to operate and eight maps available, but best of all, you can haplessly coordinate with up to three other players. RoadCraft arrives on May 20th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Battle Destiny Remastered

Gundam games can be hit or miss, but you can’t deny the sheer thrill of not knowing what’s cooking next. Bandai Namco’s next release is actually a remaster of the Japan-only PS Vita title, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Battle Destiny, with high-res visuals, difficulty adjustments, new control settings, and a revamped UI. However, the basic gameplay remains the same as players complete missions based on the anime, partaking in high-octane battles, and unlocking new suits. It’s out on May 22nd for PC and Nintendo Switch.

Blades of Fire

With Souls-like mechanics, a massive fantasy world to explore, and in-depth blacksmithing mechanics, Blades of Fire is proving more than just a spiritual successor to Severance: Blade of Darkness. Available on May 22nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, players control Aran, who ventures through the world, battling the forces of Queen Nerea to end her tyranny. This requires forging one’s own weapons, carefully tempering stats to fit your preferred play style, unlocking new recipes, and using the right tools against specific enemies.

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny

After Onimusha: Warlords returned from the dead in all its HD glory, it’s now the sequel’s turn. Jubei’s journey through Feudal Japan will retain the same level of challenge when it arrives on May 23rd for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. However, you can up the difficulty further with Hell Mode, where a single hit kills. For the more quality of life-minded, you can now access various mini-games from the beginning; auto-save is supported; and you can now control when Onimusha form is activated.

Deliver At All Costs

Even without Konami publishing it, Deliver At All Costs looks like a delightfully chaotic action title with an incredible atmosphere. You play as a delivery driver, Winston Green, transporting all kinds of bizarre packages (including a bomb) by any means necessary. Pilot various vehicles or travel on foot, tear through fully destructible streets and escape angry citizens across three Acts in 1959. Deliver At All Costs is available on May 22nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC and will also be free on the Epic Games Store for a week.

Elden Ring Nightreign

Few developers could pivot from an immensely successful open-world Souls-like action RPG into a spin-off with battle royale and rogue-like mechanics, but this is FromSoftware. Nightreign sees you venturing into Limveld, an alternate dimension version of Limgrave. After three days and three nights. And facing multiple bosses. And dealing with a moving ring of death. Even if it’s not an offline experience, it’s still unmistakably FromSoft and promises plenty of hardcore Souls-like action when it launches on May 30th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC.

Revenge of the Savage Planet

As a sequel to Journey to the Savage Planet, your purpose is simple: Take revenge on the greedy corporate heads. There are multiple planets to explore this time with numerous locations, flora, fauna, and more, and co-op is fully supported for another player. With new gear and extensive exploration options, Revenge of the Savage Planet looks to expand on everything that made the original so great. It’s out on May 8th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC.

F1 25

It wouldn’t be a year without the usual slate of yearly EA titles, and F1 25 from Codemasters is no exception. The jury is out on how everything will feel, especially after last year’s divisive handling changes, but Braking Point returns with more player agency and drama, and My Team 2.0 promises new Owner Perks for greater specialization. F1 25 launches on May 30th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, so there’s plenty of time to learn more.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master

If Tokyo Xtreme Racer wasn’t enough, JDM: Japanese Drift Master may be the ticket. Launching on May 21st for PC, it depicts Japan’s street racing culture with an extensive open world to explore (dynamic weather and day/night cycles included), extensive customization of real-world brand cars, and, of course, plenty of drifting. There’s even a story depicted through manga with over 40 events.

Sonic Rumble

The good news: Sonic is getting a new game. The worrying news: It’s a party battle royale title developed with Rovio of Angry Birds fame. For now, the visuals look bright and appealing with up to 32 players partaking in modes like Co-Op Battles to fight the Death Egg Robot or Run Battles with the classic Sonic mechanics. There’s potential, but we’ll see how it pans out when it launches on May 8th for iOS, Android, and PC.

The trailer specifically focuses on how a player can go about tuning their cars to offer the perfect blend of control and chaos that ends up providing a satisfying drift. While upgrading the car’s internal, the narrator notes that, when the highest-tier version of a part has been installed, players will also often get access to further tuning options.

This is then shown off by not only showing off how the car’s height can be changed thanks to advanced suspension parts, but also how advanced axles can allow players to have more control over the angles of their wheel’s alignment. Referred to as camber, the narrator notes that, in this instance, they are going for a negative camber in a Nissan 350Z’s front wheels, while the rear wheels will be more centred.

While the negative camber allows the car to turn more easily in the midst of a drift, the centred camber of the rear wheels allows for even greater control because the entirety of the tire is gripping the road.

When it comes to visual customisation, JDM: Japanese Drift Master seems to have plenty of options available, from the hood, to wheels, to even the side mirrors. Players will also have plenty of choices to make when it comes to spoilers, be they more subtle or oversized monstrosities.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master also allows players to customise the internals of their cars. This includes the steering wheel, the gear shifter, and even the seats. As the narrator notes, “internal parts are equally important in building the car’s vibe.”

JDM: Japanese Drift Master is under development for PC, and will be available through Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG. The title was originally slated for release on March 26, but has since been delayed to May 21. The studio revealed that the decision to delay the game was made due to it wanting more time to polish up the gameplay and having taken feedback from its fans into account.

The driving game takes place in the fictional Japanese prefecture of Guntama. It will offer players a wide-open world with more than 250 km of roads to race and drift through. The world will also feature plenty of landmarks that players can drive to, including the Daikoku parking area and Himeji Castle.

When it comes to cars, JDM: Japanese Drift Master will feature plenty of licensed ones from companies like Mazda, Subaru, and Nissan. More cars are also going to be added to the game after its release.

The gameplay in JDM: Japanese Drift Master has been described by Gaming Factory as being a simcade racer. This means that the title will offer a mix of arcade-styled fast-paced driving as well as some more realistic aspects in order to make the game’s drifting mechanics feel more satisfying.

Regarding the reason for the delay, the development team says it wanted to “ensure that the product you buy not only meets your expectations but exceeds them. We want you to have a seamless experience from the get-go, and the additional time will help us polish the fine details of the game.”

It praised fans’ “dedication, critical feedback and words of encouragement” and believes this should be “duly rewarded.” While it puts the “final polishing touches” on the title, it will offer more information on features (like the tuning system) leading up to launch.

Focused on Japanese street racing, JDM: Japanese Drift Master is pretty ambitious, promising over 250 kilometers of open roads, dynamic weather, and a day/night cycle in the fictional Guntama, Japan. Licensed brands include Mazda, Subaru, Nissan, and even Honda, with paint and tuner shops for customizing looks and performance.

In terms of events, players can look forward to drifting, drag racing, and various quests. There’s even a story with over 40 narrative events and manga-style pages. Stay tuned for more details and gameplay ahead of its launch.

That said, there are some excellent racing games coming this year, and the list we’ve provided here – which, for the record, is ordered via least to most anticipated – arguably displays more promise than 2024. Note though, racers we’d expect to see new entries for – namely F1 25, MotoGP 25, and possibly RIDE 6 – have been left out to give space for some lesser-known titles to shine.

Endurance Motor Series

Experience the slow-burning drama of endurance racing in Endurance Motor Series, upcoming from studio KT Racing who’re deviating from their usual fayre of WRC and MXGP games (glossing over Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown) to put you behind the wheel of the world’s most hardwearing motorcars. However, honing your stamina for long-distance racing is only half the experience. In a unique twist, in Endurance Motor Series you can virtually hot desk between the car and the pit wall, modifying race strategy via abundant data sources including a neat weather radar.

Taking place in the fictional Japanese prefecture Guntama, JDM: Japanese Drift Master will feature an open world with more than 250 km of roads to race and drift around in. Among other things in the world, it will also include landmarks for players to visit, like the Daikoku parking area and Himeji Castle.

JDM will also include a host of licensed cars from companies like Mazda, Subaru and Nissan. Gaming Factory has also stated that it will be announcing more cars coming to the game in the coming weeks. The title is fully entrenched in Japanese street racing culture and will include appropriate cars that players can also modify both visually and for the sake of better performance.

While full details about the sorts of customisation possible in JDM are currently unknown, according to the studio, it will include various upgrades, from a new ECU to a bōsōzoku exhaust, allowing players to tune their tricked out cars to their heart’s content. Players will also be able to adjust between making cars more prone to drifting on roads, or whether they will have better grip on corners.

In terms of racing gameplay, JDM has been described by Gaming Factory as a simcade racer, which would put it in line with titles like the Forza Horizon series. The genre traditionally blends elements of realistic driving with more arcade-styled gameplay, allowing for a good mix between tuning vehicles for actual effects, while still having accessible gameplay where a single mistake won’t cost players the entire race.

The studio has also announced that JDM will feature presets to support various peripherals, including driving wheels for fans of more sim-styled racing. Along with this, it will ship with key binding features that will allow players to use just about any peripheral they might have.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master will require PC players to have at minimum an Intel i5-7400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 CPU, an Intel Arc A580, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 or an AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB GPU, and 8 GB of RAM. The recommended specs bump up the CPU requirements to an Intel i5 10400F or AMD Ryzen 5 3600, the GPU requirements to Intel Arc A770, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or Radeon RX 6700, and RAM up to 32GB. The game also needs 16 GB of storage.