Death Drive

++ Charming visuals, great monsters + Good voice acting + Interesting premise + Free

Death Drive is a visual novel about a man fearing for his own sanity, and scared of the possible consequences for those he encounters. But when he sets out a long drive, he picks up an attractive and enigmatic hitch-hiker called Helia (or perhaps more accurately, she picks him up), and their joint journey becomes increasingly dark and fantastical. The artwork is excellent, as is the voice acting for Helia, and although there are some very violent and gory scenes as the game progresses, in my view they are all in keeping with the story-line rather than being gratuitous. I usually find horror games too disturbing or sickening to play, but I stuck with this one because of its overall quality, and to see how the different endings & choices would pan out. There are achievements for game progress, for each of the four possible endings, and for some optional choices made during the game. This is a free game, but I bought the artbook DLC, to learn the developer's insights into the evolution of the look & feel of Death Drive, and, more importantly, to show my support and thanks for the development team's efforts.

Very nice, short game. Storyline seems simple and fine, but actually gets better with replays. Technical aspects a little lacking, such as saves, but its good despite all that. I might have a thing for eldritch concepts now though...

Аркадные гонки с элементами экшена и хоррора: игрок мчится по зловещим трассам, уклоняется от ловушек, сражается с соперниками и использует оружие на автомобиле, чтобы прийти к финишу первым. Атмосфера сочетает адреналин скорости с мрачной эстетикой. Плюсы: динамичный геймплей — гонки насыщены событиями: столкновения, ловушки, оружие и бонусы не дают расслабиться ни на секунду; атмосферный дизайн трасс — мрачные локации (заброшенные шоссе, туманные леса, проклятые города) усиливают хоррор‑составляющую; разнообразие вооружения — можно устанавливать на машину пушки, шипы, мины и другие гаджеты для атаки и защиты. Минусы: высокая сложность — частые смерти из‑за ловушек и агрессивных соперников могут утомить, особенно на ранних этапах; однотипность режимов — основной упор на классические заезды, не хватает нестандартных испытаний или сюжетных миссий; перегруженный интерфейс — во время гонки на экране много индикаторов (здоровье авто, оружие, мини‑карта), что мешает концентрации. Итог: понравится фанатам аркадных гонок с примесью хоррора и экшена — впечатляет скоростью, мрачной атмосферой и арсеналом автомобильных гаджетов. Может разочаровать из‑за жёсткой сложности, ограниченного числа игровых режимов и избыточного количества элементов интерфейса в разгар заезда.

Fantastic storytelling.

[h1] Will you fall to the enticing surface or see it through for its deeper meaning? [/h1] This is the language this game speaks in for the most part. This game treats you to beautiful metaphors & stimulants of different types & forms & then it speaks through them so will you hear what the game has to say? Or will you get distracted by the stimulants? From the get go & on the game's Steam page here, you're promised the company of an interesting goth girl (Hilya) & thrilling mysterious elements of Lovecraftian & psychological horror. What initially attracted me was the latter (the Lovecraftian themes) rather than the former. However, as I sat with the game & had a heart to heart talk to it as I read it, what I realized had me decide to play through it a few more times to hear more of what it had to say through different routes & endings. On a surface level reading & on a first impression, you may think this game is a shorter Saya no Uta minus the pdfile vibes. However, as you go further into the game, you realize, this game has major core differences when compared to Saya No Uta. This VN is less about you romancing the monster & more about taking a look within. Hilya is a pretty interesting & well made character. She's fully voiced acted & the art is pretty good specially in regards to facial expressions which is a solid combination that brings the character to life. She's also her own independent character, she's not there to cater to the player nor the MC but to slowly express her own presence within this space that is Death Drive. Hence, she's not only interesting on a surface level nor outer appearance but even more so what she represents & the idea of the character herself. The MC is also very interesting eventhough the MC is not shown except in first person & is not voiced either which can be more immersive since you as the player get to read the MC's lines as yours while Hilya talks in her own voice making the dialogue feel more surreal but this is not a dialogue you're having with Hilya. This is a dialogue you're effectively having with the game & let's leave that thought hanging without spoilering anything. The whole journey & the game in general turned out pretty interesting & thought provoking & I have wrote more of my thoughts regarding this game [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/3454520/discussions/0/561409599920493305/] here [/url] which I recommend you do not read till you've played through the game since it contains spoilers. Overall, this game made me feel I'd love to go on a death drive one day as well & it was a great experience & the fact its free is just crazy. My only complaint is that the game felt somewhat short & it left me wishing for more reflective journeys on this death drive [b] so over all, I give this a solid 9/10 [/b] but honestly for me, it felt 10/10 because, it sure is nice to find a VN that can actually talk or bite back every now & then y'know. 🤧

Пришел ради альтушки - остался ради истории.