Absolute Drift Packs More Insane Content Before Big Release

Last year, we gave you a brief intro to Absolute Drift, and the response was incredible. You shared your screenshots, opinions and support for the indie developer behind the game, helping to get it Greenlit on Steam. For anyone who hasn’t seen the game in action, check out the video below and then try it for yourself with the downloadable demo.

As you may have already noticed, the concept is basic. The design is clean, and there is nothing graphically intense that would distract from the gameplay. Using only a few colours and some mellow music, the mood is set for a relaxing drift session. A top-down view of the areas with auto adjusting views make it easy to see your car and where it’s headed. The game controls are so easy to understand: steer left, steer right, accelerate, reverse and handbrake. Not so bad at first, but then comes the scoring.

When you begin the game, it walks you through the controls and gives you simple instructions on how to advance to the next level. You’ll need to learn how to drift between objects, perform jumps, spin within certain boundaries, drift close to targets and so much more in the open area before attempting to take on the bigger challenges. Maintaining longer, continuous drifts very close to walls and objects will earn you the most points.

There are three game modes and three open challenge worlds in the game. Developer Dune of Funselektor Studios, explains each:

The Overworld - This is basically like the playable menu in the Absolute Drift Prototype, where you drive around and go into levels - except that it’s 50x bigger and contains a variety of challenges and themes. There are currently three worlds and you must complete challenges in a current world to unlock the next one.
The Driftkhana Game Mode - The Driftkhana game mode is a two-minute score-attack mode. Points are given for drifting and for performing skill-based manoeuvres. This was previously called Gymkhana, but I decided to change it to Driftkhana because the scoring system was changed to include drift points. And it also sounds cooler.
The Drift Track Game Mode - The Drift Track game mode is a score-attack where you must complete three laps of a race track. There are bonuses such as the Clipping Point, which are obstacles that you must drift close to which give you points based on proximity and speed. These are used in real drift competitions.
Mountain Drift Track Game Mode - Same scoring system as the normal Drift Tracks, except that you only have one run up or down.

Anyone who played the demo with us last year knows how difficult and addictive the game can be. For those who are watching the video thinking “I got this,” I challenge you to download the demo and see if you still feel the same way. If you’ve found your new purpose in life is to master this game, go ahead and pre-order it or keep an eye on its Steam page for the release date. Absolute Drift is scheduled for release by July of this year.

Now, who’s ready to become a Beta Tester? We have 10 spots available only for Car Throttle members who are willing to test out the game and report any bugs to the studio. You will have access to the game months before it goes public (giving you time to get crazy good at it before your mates do). Here’s what you need:

1. A computer. Nothing fancy required. See the Steam page for system requirements if you’re worried.
2. A comment on this page letting us know you want in.

That’s it. We’ll choose 10 readers at random who will be contacted through the email address provided in their CT account. Beta keys will need to be entered through Steam. If you don’t have a Steam account, you can register for free. The test session will begin within the next two weeks, so we’re giving you until Saturday, 28 March, at 10pm GMT to enter.