JDM: Japanese Drift Master

I've played the demo of this game long ago, probably a year before it was released. I've waited to buy because I knew I woudn't have time to play for a while, but with a recent discount I thought I'd give it a try. Here we are two years after the demo I played, and this game is MUCH more of a piece of crap than it was a year before even being released. When booting the game, it displays the wrong controller, telling me I have an X-Box controller (which is right), but then it displays PlayStation controller buttons. So it tells me to press X when it means A, O when it means B and so on. Very confusing, especially considsering I haven't touched a PS controller in like 25 years. I thought I'd file a bug report. It opens a webpage to fill the report, so I exit the game from the main menu to avoid wasting game time just in case I need to refund. As you'll see, it was a very good idea, but the game didn't agree with it. I file in the details, and the form asks for revision version (required). So I need to launch the game to check it. But I can't, because filing this report counts as game time, even though the game is closed. But Steam counts it running, so I can't launch it either. Can't even kill the game in task manager because it is indeed closed, but STeam doesn't know it because that bug report web page counts as game anyway ! Only thing I could do was to close the bug report page without sending it because of the missing information, after spending some time providing details, and NOW Steam knows the game is closed and will let me launch it again. Allright, no bug report then. I'm already 20 minutes in according to Steam and the only thing I did was lower the music, and TRY to set up the controller. None of that crap existed in the demo. Back into the game, my controller setup wasn't saved. But when I redid it, it saved it as "custom preset number 2", so it did save the first, but didn't keep it applied. Left the game again, returned to the game, and I'm yet again back to the default setting. Half an hour in and I can't even play the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ tutorial because this game is bugged to hell and back. Allright, I'm pissed and calling it a day, I'll just see about that later. No point continuing that tutorial race with botched controls anyway. Except... Can't use the buttons to leave the game. Start button doesn't do anything. To be fair I didn't even think about using Escape on the keyboard, if I'm playing with a controller, I expect to have full control with it. So, all I could do was Alt + F4. Screw that, I'm refunding. This game makes Dakar Desert Rally feel like a premium game, and that's saying something.

wildly inconsistent performance on steam deck. it dont deserve the playable badge. mostly fine with lowest settings in free roam but in events its a gamble, sometimes the frame dips into what i can only describe as watching a slideshow presentation. as for now ill stick to doing the delivery event farming cash as it is the only enjoyable, less punishing and light on the hardware stuff in this game so far.

Fun drift racing game set in Japan, a decent amount of cars to choose from and modify, soundtrack is good it contains Eurobeat, Drift Phonk, Japanese Rock music, Rap, J-Pop, & Electronic music. It is a bit buggy at times, I only encountered 1 game breaking bug so far, somehow in-game phone got to full screen and I couldn't close it. I like that the game has manga pages for story telling, and since its drift racing game in Japan, yes, you live the fantasy of being Takumi Fugiwara, but with sushi delivery instead of tofu

Yes, but I cannot modify the Honda Civic at all...so almost a negative review by me... Other than that, the sounds are amazing, i can blip the throttle while braking and downshifting (on Keyboard) unlike Forza Horizon 6. so much better than that crap. Story is also incredible

- Пап, я хочу Форза Хорайзон 6. - Сынок, у нас есть Форза Хорайзон дома. Форза Хорайзой 6 дома:

I am just a regular gamer who like to play racing games with a controller but I play all kinds (From NFS, F1, Dirt, to Asseto Corsa...etc), but my favorite is usually Rally games since they have real roads, extra points if it has Japan/East Asia stages. I do know how to drive but never drifted in real life so can not comment on how realistic the drift mechanic is. However, I do like the handling that cars feel heavy with limited grip on the road so you can't corner a 90 degrees intersection at 100kmh, or brake from 150 kmh just 20 meter before a huge curve expecting the car to slow down enough to make it. Drifting does bleed lot of speed which make grip build actually viable. So to me the handling is more realistic than most other open world arcade racing games. The handling definitely needs some getting used to. It was a bit frustrating for me in the first hour, but it becomes much better after some practice and car upgrades. I am only 10hrs into the game so still struggling a bit with the drift mechanics and some of the drift events. Throttle controls seem to be more important than counter-steering which i do not mind. The grip during rain is surprisingly low which makes it very challenging. The difficulty level in events vary quite a bit, some are very easy while some are very hard. The GPS is a bit broken, but that makes me actually try to read the map and remember how to navigate the world base on landmarks. What objects are breakable in the games seem a bit random which can be frustrating for some, but it just makes me to have the habit of actually trying not to hit anything like in real life. The best part about the game: the world. It is so beautifully done and makes me feel like actually driving in Japan's road. Does not matter if it is the city center, highway, small village, or mountain roads (I have been to Japan and many other countries in the East Asia in real life). There are so many small details in the world design that I know the developers did their homework on what the roads are actually like in Japan. It is not like most other open world racing game that the streets are always so big and wide with so much run off that they essentially just become a very pretty track. The beautiful world kept me engaged in the first hour when I was still struggling with the handling. I am actually enjoying just driving around to discover all the different roads and check out the scenery. Such a beautiful world to cruise around when not in racing mood. Last time I spent time exploring street to street in an open world racing game was probably back at the original NFS Most Wanted. This makes the broken GPS not an issue for me at all. If you like to try a less arcady open world racing game, don't mind spend some time to get used to the handling, and interested to explore what real roads are like in Japan, definitely give this game a shot. I can not believe this game is done by a small studio. Best open world racing game for me in the last 5 years minimum.

☑ Gameplay — ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ ☑ Graphics — ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ ☑ Drift Physics — ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ ☑ Sound Design — ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ ☑ Controller Support — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ☑ Wheel Support — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ☑ Atmosphere/Vibes — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ☑ Fun Factor — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Finally, a drift game that actually feels made by people who love car culture. JDM absolutely nails the atmosphere - mountain roads, city vibes, engine sounds, and that satisfying feeling when you connect a clean drift chain. I play both on a gamepad and on a full sim setup with a MOZA R5 + cockpit, and honestly… both are an absolute joy to play. Gamepad: surprisingly smooth and fun. Easy to control, satisfying drifting, great for casual sessions. MOZA R5 + cockpit: this is where the game becomes insanely immersive. Throwing the car sideways with force feedback feels fantastic and super enjoyable. The handling (Simcade preset) hits a really nice balance between arcade fun and rewarding control. Graphics are beautiful, optimization is solid, and the vibe of the game is just pure JDM passion. If you love drifting, Japanese cars, mountain roads, and simply having fun behind the wheel — this game is worth your time. Highly recommended. 🚗💨 UA: Нарешті дріфт-гра, яка реально зроблена людьми, що люблять автомобільну культуру. JDM чудово передає атмосферу - гірські дороги, нічне місто, звук моторів і те саме кайфове відчуття, коли ідеально проходиш серію дрифтів. Я граю як на геймпаді, так і на повному сетапі з MOZA R5 та кокпітом, і чесно - в обох випадках гра приносить неймовірне задоволення. На геймпаді: дуже комфортне керування, легко ловити машину в дрифті, ідеально для фанових вечірніх заїздів. На MOZA R5 + кокпіті: гра стає максимально атмосферною. Force feedback і контроль машини дарують реально круті емоції. Фізика - ідеальний баланс між аркадним фаном і приємним контролем. Графіка красива, оптимізація хороша, а сама гра буквально наповнена духом JDM-культури. Якщо любите дріфт, японські авто та просто кайфувати за кермом - однозначно рекомендую.