Sideways

Deceptively deep lil game, absolutely enjoyable though, hitting a drift feels satisfying AF. Hate the barriers either side of the track however xD

This game has incredible potential, but it also shows a few common signs of game-dev syndrome. Basically several things are either unclear to new players or the difficulty is difficult to judge because the dev is so used to their own controls. The Bad: - The first 6 times I installed the game it gave me serious visual bugs upon running it. Like bad glitching, and I could barely navigate to the settings because the resolution was so low. Also, some resolutions are listed twice, not sure what that's about. - drifting was difficult for me to learn. It's explained once in a tutorial page that cannot be accessed once you go past it, and the actual game mechanic is never mentioned (that the car counter-steers for the player automatically) - The points system for the campaign maps is never explained. Why do some drifts count and others don't? I have scored more from whipping a circle in place with the e-brake than some actual drifts. - Gyro, the ONLY setting that affects your controls, presumably related to the aforementioned auto-counter steer, is also never explained. There is a caption, but it makes the assumption that the player knows what gyro is/does in the first place. - Menu-ing has some mishaps. Not a big issue, but it can be annoying when (at least on road #3) I try to restart a road before finishing it and get sent to the main menu. Also the tutorial page mentioned previously. Should be a quick fix, knowing unity has ways to make it easy. Also please make the B button actually go back. - Especially with the latest reel on the instagram account for this game, it seems like there are different surfaces that roads can be made of. Either I suck butt, or this should explain why I do so much better on the campaign roads compared to the free-roam. This is never mentioned in the game to my knowledge. - Railings have hitboxes for the posts. This not only makes the free-roam map slow down the game sometimes, it also make crashing (even a slight touch) WAY more punishing than it needs to be. You can touch a railing and be instantly stopped to a standstill, or worse, flipped around. - The reverse gear is super weak and slow. This is really only used to recover from crashing and it takes FOREVER. The Good: - Once you learn how to play a little bit, this game gets FUN. It is super satisfying to nail a turn and seeing improvement in car control is awesome. - Really good features without being too much. Points-based campaign, chase sequences, and time-attacks are all unique enough to be fun in their own right while also matching what the game already is. - The aesthetics and included options are beautiful. Car sounds are perfect, I love the brake-light tail, and it all just works together. - The developer seems very passionate about creating a good intial-D inspired experience. As a huge fan of the show, I'm all for it, and I hope that the dev can keep it up to make a polished game. In short, this game is awesome but it's difficult to get started in without already knowing what's going on. It can take a little getting used to, but once that's done it is super satisfying. Super excited for future updates.

For the small amount I've played I think this is a really cool game especially for the on sale price. My only real complaints are not being able to change my shift buttons (I use B and X on Xbox controller for a lot of racing games) and not being able to change the volume of the ui when navigating sound otherwise very cool game.

This is a sleeper, deserves more players. It's pretty dope.

Amazing game with so much potential. Love the style of the game. Makes me feel like I'm in Initial D anime lol. Can't wait to see what else is to come with this gem.

steering is far too slow and the game feels clunky. for 11 bucks I expect more polish. Only thing i feel It has going for it is its graphics.

This is a really fun game and honestly a good break from all the realistic looking graphics racing games or sims and this is just perfect for people that just wanna take a break from anything slow things down and just chill and drift the soundtracks although only a few is amazing the graphics are very nostalgic feeling maybe even add a crt effect for fun? Anyways the gameplay is still a bit raw though like the car frequently turns upside down and spin out. The customization although limited are pretty good maybe add a livery editor idk just saying. The UI is very clean but still lacks that soul that for example night runners and need for speed series have. Overall its a good game just a bit undercook 8/10

If you're looking for a game that is all about mastering the art of drift, this is the game! There is a sweet science to drifting and this game will hammer it into you. There is definitely a learning curve to it, but oh man, once you get the hang of it and start clearing those corners, its a great feeling! I wish there was a cloud save to it as I play this on pc and steam deck so that I don't have to regrind all the unlocks. That would be my only nitpick.. For new comers, if a update was pushed out where there is a interactive tutorial, that would ease them into this game more. This game is definitely a hidden gem!

First saw this game on TikTok before it was even released. I loved the vibe and music so I had to get it. Nice touch with whatever car you are using appears on the main menu. The only issue I have is with display resolution on an ultra wide, but that could be my fault. The gameplay is unique, but still arcade like. Playing on manual using a controller is a must. Its also available on Apple App store which is fun as well, but is much more difficult. Would want to see adjustable bindings so i can change the gear shift buttons and such. Oh and having an option to adjust grip levels would be really fun and really bring this game up. Right now its a little fast paced, but if we could slow it down, and with these visuals and music this could easily become a great chill out game. Havent tried online yet, I want to finish the "career mode" first. Overall would recommend getting. Nice work.

Sideways is a really fun arcade driving game. The cars feel dynamic and responsive, and the physics are surprisingly coherent while still keeping the gameplay fast and entertaining. I also really enjoyed the vehicle customization, which gives you more freedom to make the car feel like your own. Overall, the game is simple to pick up, satisfying to play, and has a lot of personality. I highly recommend giving it a try!