Next month sees the celebrated release of Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox and PC, but PS5 players will have to wait until sometime later this year to experience the Horizon Festival’s Japanese debut. There is, however, another Japan-based, open-world racing game you can play on Sony’s console right now – JDM: Japanese Drift Master.
When it launched on PC last year, it promised pretty Unreal Engine 5 graphics, a manga-style story mode and a rich open world set in Japan – a long-requested location yet to be realised in a contemporary open-world racing game.
That was until Forza Horizon 6 was unveiled last year. Polish developer Gaming Factory must have cursed vehemently when it was announced.
While JDM delivered on some of its promises, it fell short of its potential. With an empty environment, unoptimised visuals and abysmal AI, the initial PC version felt incomplete, like an Early Access release.
Mercifully, Gaming Factory has addressed some of these issues in the console release. Chiefly, the map is now fleshed out with new side missions outside the main story mode, including sushi delivery missions and a nod to JDM’s now-delisted Rise of the Scorpion prologue.
Performance issues are also resolved, with a fluid frame rate in the PS5’s performance mode. Loading screens still outstay their welcome, but the titbits about Japanese drifting history are a nice touch. JDM’s fictional homage to Japan can look stunning, but the image quality can sometimes look too soft in performance mode compared to quality mode.
There’s also now a photo mode if you want to enjoy some virtual sightseeing.
Realistic roads in an empty environment
The location isn’t the largest, but the map is big enough and varied. Evoking Initial D, the twisty mountain passes are a joy to drift around, alongside highways, city streets and idyllic coastal roads to explore.
The abundance of tight, narrow paths in the claustrophobic villages lends authenticity to the setting, requiring precision to navigate. It’s a stark contrast to Forza Horizon 6’s unrealistically scaled roads, where lanes are wide enough to fit two cars.
Unfortunately, other aspects of the map still leave a lot to be desired. With no pedestrians, sparse traffic and static shrubbery, it feels lifeless. Beyond the new side missions are obligatory speed traps and landmark photo opportunities offering bonus cash rewards.
But with no collectables to find or random rivals to encounter, there is no incentive to explore. Ultimately, it’s a hollow experience.
The environment’s inconsistent destructibility remains frustrating, too. Road signs can be knocked over, yet thin wooden fences are unbreakable and might as well be solid concrete blocks. Don’t expect to smash through walls and take improvised shortcuts off-road.
Instead, the restrictive roads are reminiscent of the first Forza Horizon, making the map design feel dated. Collisions with environmental objects also highlight the lack of vehicle damage.
Catch my drift
To Gaming Factory’s credit, JDM is filled with novel flourishes you wouldn’t expect in a smaller-budget game.
Impressively, there are ten camera views, including a cockpit camera complete with full steering wheel turning and gear shifting animations, as well as a closer dashboard view. You can activate the indicators and hazard lights like in Test Drive Unlimited games, and there are also genre-specific radio stations.
The new Eurobeat-themed station is the undisputed highlight, with the pumping Running in the 90s track channelling Initial D. There are also day-to-night cycles and dynamic weather, though rain still doesn’t hit the windscreen in the cockpit view.
Likewise, the inclusion of licensed cars is commendable. Each of the 40+ cars (the roster has doubled since launch) is well-modelled, with Japanese staples such as the Mazda RX-7, Nissan Skyline R34 and Subaru Impreza. The electric Hyundai INSTEROID hatchback, unlocked as part of a special four-part campaign, was also a surprising post-launch addition.
Not every car is licensed, though, sadly, with models from Toyota and Mitsubishi replaced with close facsimiles. An authentic Toyota AE86 being absent in a game inspired by Japanese drifting and Initial D seems sacrilegious.
Available as separate paid DLC, fictional cars based on American models such as the Dodge Charger, Dodge Viper and Ford GT40 round out the car list, but they feel out of place in a Japanese car-centric game. Another six US-inspired cars are due to arrive in the upcoming American Classics DLC.
Whether you opt for arcade or simcade physics, the car handling is forgiving, making it relatively easy to catch a slide while smoking the rear tyres.
Consequently, while the core drifting is pleasant as you feather the throttle and slide around narrow passages, it always feels like assists are holding you back. This makes the driving accessible, but a hardcore simulation option that removes every assist would be welcome for those seeking an extra challenge.
Persisting problems
Unfortunately, problems from the initial PC release still persist in the PS5 version.
Split across five chapters, JDM’s much-vaunted story mode sees you play as Touma, a Polish rookie driver who joins a local street racing gang after moving to Japan, form a rivalry and fall in love with a flirtatious woman.
Beyond the opening cinematic, the story is presented like a manga comic. The illustrations are charming, but, unlike Screamer’s anime-inspired story, there is no voice acting to engage you. The presentation could have perhaps leaned more into the manga inspiration, with Auto Mobilista-style speed lines and cel-shading.
Its portrayal of female characters is also problematic. Women in JDM are depicted as nothing more than objects of desire for the male protagonists in the sleaziest cutscenes.
Some events require you to impress a woman by scoring points in a high-speed passenger ride, but it’s seemingly an excuse to showcase the jiggling boob physics.
These events aren’t enjoyable, either. They don’t reward near misses with traffic or high-speed driving, forcing you to repeatedly slide from side to side on straight roads unnaturally.
Other event types range from food delivery missions, where you are scored on style and damage, to head-to-head drift battles and drag races. It keeps the campaign varied, but difficulty spikes can be jarring.
There’s a satisfying sense of progression as you start with an underpowered car and upgrade it with aftermarket parts and performance upgrades, thanks to the surprisingly in-depth tuning system. Cash payouts are generous, too, so high-performance cars don’t feel too unattainable, yet you still have to work to earn them.
Some missions are surprisingly brief, too. One sees you chase after a store robber, only for the event to end after about 30 seconds.
AI annoyances
Unfortunately, everything falls apart whenever AI opponents are introduced. In circuit races, they blindly slam into you, randomly slow down, cut corners and weave around the circuit like they are drunk behind the wheel.
Amusingly, a photo mode glitch causes opponents to launch into the air if you take a photo before a collision is about to happen. Another glitch caused an AI opponent to blast off the starting line like a rocket, before spinning out of control and veering off the track.
Thankfully, traditional races are fleeting in the campaign. The broken AI may explain why these events aren’t available in the solo Challenge mode. That said, opponents in drift battles, which require you to follow closely behind, don’t fare much better, as they are still frustratingly slow.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master is at its best when it plays to its strengths and focuses on its signature sideways driving. Progress made since last year has resulted in a better, more expansive experience, but some of its most pertinent flaws still remain.
Nevertheless, it’s an enjoyable curiosity, serving as a stopgap for PS5 players waiting for Forza Horizon 6 at a fraction of the cost. It boasts surprisingly high production values, a strong car roster and satisfying drifting, but is let down by its hollow open world and poor AI.
Online multiplayer planned for a future Q2 update should extend its longevity. But time will tell if it can sustain a loyal player base once Forza Horizon 6 hits PS5.