Do you miss the olden days of ‘80s racing games? Back when Outrun was the pinnacle of racing and Need For Speed and Test Drive ruled the computer scene? Well you’re in luck because indie developer ansdor and publisher Blitworks did too and they have just released Slipstream, a fantastic retro racing game!
In case you hadn’t guessed by now, Slipstream is a racing game. The game is inspired by vintage 1980s and 1990s racing game mechanics and it certainly wears its heart on its sleeve in that respect. You’re here to race and race you will with a wide variety of environments, tracks, and cars to choose from. Slipstream features 5 different cars with varying stats. The game also features a number of interesting modes, mixing up the gameplay and allowing for a number of different playstyles. On top of that, there are a whopping 16 tracks, 15 rival drivers, and 6 different modes to the game. That’s a heck of a lot of content!
Gameplay is fairly straightforward in Slipstream but one of the key focuses is on drifting. The drifting mechanic requires you to let go of the gas, tap the brake, and then hit the gas again. It’s a simple combination but the sheer number of drifts in the game makes things pretty hectic pretty fast when you’re constantly hitting buttons and trying to steer through challenging curves! On top of that, there’s the game’s namesake, the slipstream. Want to get a boost and catch up? Hang behind another car until the word slipstream builds on the bottom right hand corner and then blast forward at a high rate of speed, capitalizing on the physics of high-speed travel. It’s a neat mechanic, even if it’s sometimes hard to pull off with all the twists and turns in some tracks. And there’s still one more mechanic at play here, the rewind.
In Slipstream, much like Outrun, you can hit walls and trees and such on the side of the track and crash. Unlike Outrun, Slipstream has a very functional rewind button that you can use to reverse your race failures and redo them! However, there’s also a timer set to it so you don’t spam your way into first place every time. Drifted a second too late? Rewind. Hit a car and let the rival pass you? Rewind. It’s a fun addition to a challenging game and it certainly doesn’t hurt that the devs made it look like an old VHS tape rewinding!
It sounds like a light, fluffy game, but be assured it’s not. Slipstream feels blazing fast and the visual effects and drifting make racing come alive! The hills, dips, twists, and turns fly by at a blistering rate and it’s fairly challenging just to get around random traffic! Fortunately, the devs thought of this as well. There are multiple options for difficulty in Slipstream and additionally options to make drifting automatic instead of manual at the cost of a slight speed loss, much like the difference between a real automatic and manual transmission. It’s a neat idea and adds both to the accessibility of the game and the amount of choice you have for playstyle.
Those aren’t the only things going on in Slipstream though. In addition to learning how to drift, you’ll also be racing the aforementioned rivals. In some cases these are friendly races where either you or the rival win. Others are eliminations where you must beat them to progress. Grand Tour mode features rivals and branching paths through 5 stages with a timer countdown much like an arcade version of the game. Single race is fairly self-explanatory and features customizable settings as well as the option to choose any track in the game. Grand Prix is a bit more complex with 5 races, season scores, income, and car customization options and it’s definitely a challenge. Cannonball is something like Grand Tour, but with customization, and Time Trial is a 3 lap time trial. The final mode, Battle Royale, is an elimination race and each stage knocks out the last driver until like Highlander, there can be only one. Oh, and don’t forget the inclusion of local multiplayer for up to 4, a records area and a trophy list!
That’s a lot of modes and a lot of content for a little game…and that’s not all! Remember how you used to get to pick your music tracks in Outrun? Well, Slipstream has 11 cassettes to choose from in the pause menu and you can simply pause and swap tracks at any time. They all have a sort of ‘80s electronic flair and some are fairly catchy too. Naturally, the graphics also mirror this vintage ‘80s-‘90s aesthetic and the whole game exudes a fun, light atmosphere, even in the darker tracks such as the chemical plant. The pixel art is gorgeous and the 2D simulating 3D is quite effective, especially at the high speeds you’re usually moving at. Slipstream is simply a fun, pretty racing game that’s intuitive and well-designed on every level!
With all those modes and all the positives going on, the only thing that’s really missing is a wider range of vehicles. It’s a shame this is a small indie project in some ways because the licensing for cars is ridiculously cost prohibitive and it certainly would have been cool to have a variety of real models available with some slightly more detailed models. The cars in the game are fine and they look decent, but there’s definitely a bit of room for improvement there. Realistically, that’s not a complaint but more of a wishlist for a game that does everything right.
Even the options in Slipstream are excellent, allowing user control of almost everything from the VHS rewind effects to the amount screen shake and screen tilt. Even the game speed itself is adjustable, as is the amount of analogue response, the units of measure (for those who don’t use metric) and taunting messages from the rivals that might distract some players. ansdor has thought of pretty much everything here and it’s a spectacular effort to bridge as many pitfalls as possible in making one of the most fun indie racing games in years. Simple and effective is a great strategy and that’s exactly what you get with Slipstream!
If you’re a racing fan, love indie games, or just like pixel aesthetic, Slipstream is likely to scratch that vintage itch for you. This is one fun game that you can play in either a relaxed setting to decompress or grind your teeth challenging the hardest modes on the hardest settings. There’s really something for everyone here and at the very reasonable price of $10, Slipstream isn’t going to break the bank either. This is a wonderful indie throwback to the racing games of yore and with all the variety, fun for pretty much everyone! Don’t hesitate to go check it out and if you want, head on over to the official website here to see the game in motion!
This review is based on a digital copy of Slipstream provided by the publisher. It was played on a Nintendo Switch in both docked and undocked modes and played equally well in both. Slipstream is also available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on Steam and GOG.