the WEIRD Sci-Fi Car Game I’ve Been Waiting for…
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- Опубликовано: 26 фев 2024
- Pacific Drive (PC, PS5) is an incredibly unique game in a sea of sequels and remakes. Let's chat about it.
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more singleplayer adventure games where you're stuck with one interesting car/motorcycle/other vehicle please
Maybe this with a motorcycle set in the Days Gone universe 🤔 I'm just a fan boy for Days gone and motorcycles
Hi Jake, hopefully you can talk about how Square Enix have just been retroactively censoring content for FF7 Remake, 4 years after its release. Basically, altering what was advertised long after people have bought and played it. Almost barely anybody is talking about it, as if ignoring the kind of terrifying precedent this sets for games in the future.
I could imagine a fun sailboat game like this where you have to maintain the sails and get caught in hurricanes.
Imagine a Ghost Rider game like this
@@dylanbyard4594I want the developers of days gone to make a Ghost Rider game
Honestly Jake, this is one of those quintessential games, in my opinion, that really drives the Games Industry further. I think AAA title games have mostly lost their way due to the incessant need for more money. So to have titles like this, is a godsend. I cannot understate how essential these games are to the industry and I am here for them all. 😊
Cannot OVERstate... Falcon always makes the same mistake on Gameranx lol
A statement i have heard before. The gaming industry does not innovate anymore they just remix. They see what works, steal/beg/borrow from other games elements that work and trow them together in a remix and voila new game.
This game could be a typical extraction/ looter with roguelite elements, but does it in a way thats very unique. Even when the whole looting system feels 'been there done that' its nice to see that full lockers quickly dwindle down of key materials if you stop looting every drive. So its always compelling to keep on exploring/looting to not get deadlocked in a downward spiral.
@@ronniebots9225, you mean AAA studios? The indie space has a constant stream of originality. People just need to stop supporting the AAA shenanigans and support the small and solo devs. 😎
@@GuruCubeeh I kinda disagree. There’s so much great indie stuff but tbh a lot of it isn’t actually original. I mean how many times did we get different flavors of basically the same retro looking side scroller just with different characters or story and maybe 1 unique mechanic that stood out.
definitely a PS2 era like game
Pacific Drive is like Subnautica in a car, and at the end of your loot run you always get chased by a Leviathan.
lol, great analogy with the Leviathan
I had a run, that ended in mindblowing fashion. I got ballsy with my offroad tires and decided to take a "short cut" not meaning to drive off a huge cliff. which rolled my car upside down. No problem, I used the car teleport maneuver and vuala, I fall down another cliff next to my car for 200ft or so and almost die. The storm is approaching because I activated my escape with the anchors 2-3 mins prior to my problem. Full storm hits talkin 10x rads or whatever damage, im still not back in my car.
Chugging canned foods I barely get back in the car, roll it down the giant hill i previously fell down, land upright by some miracle, and drive it home.
I needed 5 new doors, 4 new panels, 1 new headlight, 2 new bumpers, and 1 new offroad tire after all that.
But I made it OUT!
Poo poo pee pee? 💩
Yeah I’m sold
These are the stories we're all going to be having! I was in a zone with a ton of electrical anomalies. They fried the hell out of my car. It was the first leg of my journey and I ad to limp it into the next zone. Finally got it there, fixed what I could because i didn't have a bunch of resources to make new repair items, and limped it through the zone. Got back with all 4 wheels intact, but yeah, some panels needed to be fixed, and i went through about 10 pails of repair putty to bring the car back up to full health. Also had a blown spark plug. Make sure to open that hood every once in a while!
@@EricPagan-ob9ic haha love it!!
I ended up running out of chemicals and plasma, and I needed to have more unstable energy to craft stuff. So, I looked on the route planner to find a route, found the perfect place, and hit the road.
I had to pass through one junction to get to it, and holy mackerel, that junction was the near death of me. Abductors around every corner, Tourists everywhere, all in a thick fog.
Barely scraped by, and now I have to go into a highly unstable zone!!
10 panels, 6 tires, 4 lights, and 6 bumpers later, I emerge out of the zone. XD
Well said. Once you survive a run and get back to the garage, that’s when I felt the magic. Turned on my jukebox, filled up the tank, repaired all my panels, transferred all my loot and built/installed upgrades. It just felt like a chill time working in the garage on my car. It was great relaxation that also felt like prepping for war.
I've never been a car guy but this game made me literally enjoy the feeling of working on a car in a workshop so much LOL. awesome shit
@BetterChoicesNeeded same man. I would love a game by these guys that's basically reverse Hardspace Shipbreaker but with cars. People pull in and tell you what they want and you build it. Maybe you have to make sure you're stocked up on the right mats and parts. Shit, maybe it takes place in this world, but like a prequel. You play as a mechanic for ARDA during the last few years before they seal up the Zone.
Nailed it
@@kirkenstiensmonster6522 this would make for an excellent DLC. Though if this is specifically what you're looking for in a game I'm pretty sure there's a car workshop simulator game out there, not in this fantastical setting ofc but jus sayin :)
I think it is absolutely nuts that you can have this be automated with settings. This is one of the best parts.
8:01 that’s a basic psychology trick. You can identify with that sort of car because you have been in one like it and “lived in it.” A Forza car is foreign and has no real world trigger. The color of the lights was worked on for the game to recreate the sodium light feeling that people born pre-2005 can identify from those safe childhood road trips. It’s not a mistake you feel “safe” and “at home” in the car.
Well said. Great observation!
This makes a lot of sense. I pretty much grew up in an 89 Toyota Corolla Wagon. We drove all over the states in that thing, moving often as my dad was in the Airforce. Me, my Gameboy and all the Goosebumps books I could find.
I'm absolutely in love with this game.
@@kirkenstiensmonster6522 haha what a mad twist on those nostalgia feelings, that's awesome :)
@@JakeBaldino holy crap, you responded. Thanks. Elsewhere I have these sort of annoying breakdowns I see in games and the gaming industry. I mean, it’s all run by people, and if you understand people, they’re fairly predictable. Like, how the new PS president is saying he’s taking a pause to get up to date with the company. Take a look back through my comments. He’s doing what any first year after a tenure ceo has to do. Thing is mergers and acquisitions take at least three years from the first conversation to it going public. Games take about the same before anyone sensible goes public. Jim knew Phil was going to buy everything with the unchallengeable MS money, so he was going to hook and mine the exponentially larger player base PS has with live service.
Jim and Phil were going to leave at the same time, one with the unchallengeable live service powerhouse (people who play live service play those games, those upon whom the hook does work obviously never get hooked) and the other pumping out games with Game Pass.
Fast forward to now, Game Pass is slowing down and you see the shift to MS Games current plan (as I sent to you on blue sky) and live service has had the death knell. Phil is going, no announcement yet, but he’s going to do the up and sideways apparent promotion but disappearance, while Jim is retiring.
Brining us back to. The new CEO has to pivot the company away from a failed idea, idea service, and so Sony will burn the rest of 2024 on Helldivers and anything else.
Then holiday ‘24 will be the PS5 Pro. It will be marketed to those that want the best, and that’s PS4/4Pro players that couldn’t get one and ended up deciding to wait for the Pro (side note, the last gen was an experiment, the pro this time was the “two points make a line,” if it fails they won’t try it again, but it will be cause even I still don’t have a ps5).
Sony hasn’t said no new releases, they have been cagey with their words and we are not perfectly translating the subtlety.
TLDR; PS5 pro this holiday season, and the “real” first next generation will be there next March. Sony needed MS to confirm they weren’t going to update the Series so Sony can cement themselves as the console manufacturer as MS cements themselves as the publisher.
Also, when you are alone in the car, it's a place of safety that we all have experienced. Most games we will trash the cars to get us from A to B, or just for fun.
20 hrs in and it's really good! I love that they really lean into physics being integral to the experience. You probably only forget once to put the car in Park on a slope. Standing to close to the car when closing the trunk door and it actually bonks you on the head! !*chefs kiss*!
Yup. It only takes once to remember the parking brake.
I was in a zone with a modifier that made all water corrosive. When I was heading to the beam of light about to warp out, I tumbled and flipped down a cliff into the middle of a giant corrosive lake. I tried to start the engine, but I had ran out of gas. So I got out of the car and jumped on top of it to protect myself from the corrosion, and tried to grab my backup gas tank from the trunk while on the roof and refill it, but instead witnessed my car slowly melt away under my feet and you can guess what happend to me afterwards 😂
I had the acid rain storm in one take away my top storage asking with my 3 dumpster pearls I was so upset about that. Later I went back thru that area and found my liberator just chilling out. Didn't even realize that it had went missing 🤣
Pacific Drive is getting a PS5 physical Deluxe Edition release in April for $39.99, thats the version I'm waiting for. This looks really cool and definitely different. Cant wait to jump into this one, thanks Jake!
Me wanting Pacific Drive but not having a PC/PS5 and only having an Xbox Series X: ☹️
Okay that's really great news. Definitely picking up a copy.
I play it on PC and felt in such love with it that I bought the deluxe edition for PS5 as well. I like to collect these nice editions, it will be cool to have physical disc and I also want to show support to these devs.
@@Scarecr0wndoes it not feel repetitive?
@@redditmanllegnisthebirdofh9887 Depends on what you consider repetitive but I would say no because the zone is always changing, you never know what you will find and how will zone react to you.
Pacific Drive is you playing through an Altered World Event, and the car itself is an Object of Power.
It just makes sense
It’s pretty much SCP Rally yeah :p
@@mduckernzTwo references to different but similar franchises, cool.
This game is genuine such a suprise for me! Such a fun and addictive game with an amazing atmosphere. Can also be very creepy and give you extreme anxiety. The story is also very well done as I actually care about the characters in the game, and their performances are amazing. I love the discovery element too, feels like a true exploration game.
Eerie Darkness plus Somethings Moving modifier.
One aspect that I loved is the lore of the car and the player. The car is a revenant ghost that make the driver obsessed with the car. When you are playing, you end up obsessed with looting to improve the car and make it better, exactly like the lore of the game. Awesome detail!
Jake honestly I cannot agree with you more. The feeling of heading out for a run and just hoping you make it back with all of the parts you need to get the next upgrade it’s just so satisfying! I am absolutely addicted to this game! This is definitely the year of Indies.
I've been going back and forth about buying this but your rally speech at the end about being bored with most other games got me. I literally said out loud "Ok Jake I'll buy the damn game!" Thanks for the push.
I know I'm late to this video. I'm curious how you liked it?
I explained to my brother, this recipe for this game is:
-1 part Car Mechanic Simulator
-2 parts Subnautica
- Glazed with Back to the Future with a sprig of Ghostbusters for garnish.
We both were into cars when we were younger, working on our "bush bashers" old 70s and 80s cars we got for nearly nothing he finally tried it on my steam family share today actually and I didn't get my account back for a solid 6 hours straight.
I think there is good serving of gravity falls and stalker in addition to that.
One of my favorite details about the station wagon is that the time it takes to turn the ignition over is just long enough that you worry it's not going to start. And it's variable. Sometimes it's a little shorter, some a little longer. It's just an incredibly thoughtful little game, and definitely one of my favorites of all time.
I love this game. I have about 20 hrs in it and it's been nothing but good vibes. My favorite game feature is the quirk's the car develops, and the honk every time you close the hatch. It's like a booty slap lol
this game sounds like what would happen if David Lynch directed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
New sound? Hey, this is your cousin Marvin... Marvin Baldino. You know that new sound you're looking for?
... well listen to THIS!
Best escape: Was in a zone with 'fuel evaporation' hazard. opened a gate and about halfway to the extract car runs out of gas in the water, grab the can out of the back and scramble to find a car with gas left, siphon a bit, run back to the car as the red wave of the storm hits, fill her up, start the car and made it into the light with barely any health, car was mostly fine but didnt have enough fuel to pull all the way back into oppys garage lol
I’m addicted to this game, true blue exploration, there’s so much to discover, like discovery in the most pure meaning.
This is one of those few games that I actually bought and played as soon as it came out, which I really do rarely. Some games I get excited about and want to play them, but then just end up doing so years after. Like Frostpunk was one of those, which I only played like last month finally and played consistently and loved it. - But as soon as I saw this game, I was just like "Yes." and I'm glad it ended up being as good as it is. - I love how you're just thrown into this situation of "This is my life now." and you just do what you can, but without being told what to do exactly constantly, letting you figure things out on your own (although, a few things could do with some explanation), and there's many big and small things to discover. - I also love how it progresses, with the pacing being this loop of uptime and downtime, with all kinds of emotions in between, from panic to calm, to wonder, to sheer anxiety, to confusion, to excitement, and just glad to be back at the shop or out there again. - I've played it for like 30 hours so far and it has been a rollercoaster. I've been sweating a lot, because I really don't look anything up for something like this, so everything is new and uncertain. At one point I almost had a mental breakdown because of the pressure of all that was thrown at me. It's pretty crazy, but very enjoyable. And the progression of the gameplay and what it gives you as well.
That's without mentioning the whole presentation of it, with the slight cartoonish style, or "like Firewatch" as many have said (though that wasn't the first with that style), while it does also have that kind of vibe in terms of its adventure, exploring around, with this moody music and just mysterious things going in. Also inspirations from old media like The Twilight Zone, I bet, and of course all kinds of older retro pop-culture (I can tell this was made by Millennials) as well as poking fun at more current things.
But anyway, I agree, this game is not being talked about enough, while it's just solid. - Then again, let it do its thing. It doesn't need to be Helldivers or something like that, and not everyone will be able to get into how this game plays either. - But for me, it's one of those games that I always wanted. It's kinda what I wanted more out of say Subnautica, even though I love that game, it's really not perfect and it doesn't make a lot of sense. It feels weirdly "linear" and "limited" in ways, despite being this open map you can explore how you want. It all feels very static and not that dynamic. - Also the base-building doesn't make any sense. If only they had focused on customizing your vehicles more, like the Cyclops as a base, which is just very rigid and limited in what you can do with it, it would've been a different story. - But that game has its own merits. - Pacific Drive just does very little "wrong" in terms of making sense as a game and experience. It's very well thought out and balanced, which just keeps it engaging and interesting.
Anyway, can you tell I love it?... XD - I'm going to play again right now.
Yeah, I bought this for full price as well. I can't remember when I have done that previously. I mean, it might be 10 years since I have bought any game for full price.
I have now purchased two games based solely on your reviews. The first was vampire survivors (and I'm still playing that and have almost every achievement) and now this. I've been playing this since Sunday and I can't put it down!
I almost feel like immersion is the hat makes or breaks the game for you. With even half decent headphones it really throws you into the world.
This looks exactly like the sort of thing I've wanted. It's got driving and crafting and the setting just looks so good.
Finding and fixing the quirks in your car is the most unique aspect ever in gaming history…!
I'm still trying to work out my quirks - well the car not me. It says I have five but it's knowinf what those are exactly. Sometimes its obvious but others not so much.
@@MrWonderstuff Yeah I also usually have 3 or 4 at any given time. Generally speaking, if the quirk isn't immediately noticeable and annoying then I ignore them, they actually seem to resolve themselves after a while.
I was up to 9 earlier today. I got it down to 6 but one was stupid I didn't even realize it was cause it was in park 😂
@@moonknight6088there is option in the settings that let's you turn off autofixing part. Great option for when you get some more useful quirks(battery recharge, fuel refill)
The thing that contributes to the sense of being in the car for me is the huge contrast is soundscape between the interior and outdoor environments. Also, as a mechanics kid, the feeling of being in that garage way into the night is really represented well too haha
The thing that I like is that when the yellow storm comes, it usually throws an extra loot pod deep in the danger zone (purple triangle appears) you get some good loot if you make it there 😂.
I’ve been loving this game! It reminds me of the first time I played Subnautica, not because they’re exactly the same (although they do have a few similarities), but because it creates the same feelings of wonder and satisfaction as you explore and try to survive in this alien landscape.
I was pretty hesitant to watch this video in order to avoid any spoilers in regard to story set pieces or general weird anomalies found in the zone, but it's clear you took that into consideration with what you said and what footage you featured, so thanks, Jake.
Honestly I could sit in the car with the radio on while it rains for hours on end. Such a chill atmosphere
Thank you Jake for making this additional video to talk about this game! It definitely deserves to have a little extra attention brought to it, and it's always good to help shine a light on interesting indie games and give those devs a boost. I've been playing it on PS5, and while there has been some complaining about the framerate (it definitely spends a lot of time down in the 40-50 fps range, sometimes lower, sometimes higher), I've found that it really doesn't negatively impact my experience with the game (and I'm typically someone who gets very uppity about 30 vs 60fps these days ever since the PS5 started spoiling me with 60fps from a console, lol). I haven't found the brutal difficulty yet, but I think that might just be because I haven't made it far enough into "the zone". Still definitely had a few of those "by the skin of my teeth" escapes, and it's such a satisfying gameplay loop to end a run in such intense and dramatic fashion, limp back into the garage with a car that's barely holding together, and then chill for awhile fixing the car back up, replacing broken parts, diagnosing quirks, unlocking new upgrades...all while the radio is playing cool tunes in the background. It's definitely scratching some kinda itch for me!
I am kinda shocked that Jake did not mention the in game radio music that for me personally is some of the best music I've heard in video games in so long. For anyone that's playing or not I definitely recommend looking up the soundtrack. I keep my radio on in game almost every second. The only thing that it might take away from is some of the spookiness because the music can be such bangers at time and definitely not matching the mood of the chaos happening outside.
I absolutely adore this game. Everything I love in a game is present in this one and I can’t get enough.
No lie on the skin of your teeth moments of getting to the portal. One time I ran out of gas AND battery like 3 foot from getting in so I jumped out and started kicking it to move it 😂😂😂
Im still just getting started, but everything about it is refreshing, complex and well done. As a ps5 user who likes wierd games, they did a great job with the UI and controls for working on the car on console. It all works!
Don’t forget to mention there a ton of modifiers in the settings that can make a lot of the tedious stuff a bit easier. You can really set the game up to play how you want it to play. From casual to hardcore.
I would love to see these devs make a game with the mudrunner/snowrunner engine. Been having a lot of fun with it, kudos to the creators for such an awesome first game. Well worth the asking price. I own an old 4x4 and PD really nails the vibe of adventuring in the woods with an old vehicle. I want to also call out how in-depth and good the game play and accessibility options are.
Just glad to listen to you talk about video games
The significant part of the game not being talked about enough are quirks. My first 'gamer instinct' was to fix whenever any would appear, but that way I robbed myself from quite the experience.
So what happens when you don't fix em(unless it's something awful like door falling off every time you park)?
My current ritual whenever I stop, is to turn off the dome light that just switched on. Hear the honk when closing the trunk door. Give the car a good couple of kicks before going to charge up the battery.
Also my headlights flicker when low on fuel and my engine starts instantly if car is in park.
And this combo will be unique to this save file. And that's where the zone stories potential is infinite, imagine kicking the car just before exit portal with storm on the heels, because you got electric engine and needed that last bit.
I think you actually put this on my radar a while ago and it had been sitting in my wish list since then. Bought it the day it came out and man have I been having fun with this one. It defiantly doesn't hold your hand when it comes to learning some things, but it's exactly the game I've been needing lately.
loving it, just like days gone with the motorbike!
The days gone developers should make a Ghost Rider game
Was gonna say it’s like mad max lol and the magnum opus
Oh man, INSIDE! That’s totally the vibe I was picking up but I couldn’t place it until you pointed it out!
I genuinely think this is probably the first sleeper hit of the year and I will be watching this studio from now on.
Got it on preorder because I just had this feeling when I saw someone play it in early access.
It is exactly everything I hoped it would be, it’s mysterious and you form a genuine bond with working on your crappy little station wagon until it’s a veritable behemoth to tackle the zone with and has good environmental detail and story telling to boot.
A solid 7-8/10 game.
Over 30 hours and still haven't done the Midzone quest yet, I'm just enjoying pottering about the newbie zones filling up my garage with loot and getting every single upgrade I can before venturing further.
This game is an absolute joy to play! I love it so much from the atmosphere to the way the wagon has this sorta jury rigged together feel to it and the little animation that plays when you get in gives the car so much flair.
I can’t tell you how much I been driving through the underbrush singing with the radio!
This man. Spreading the good news. I adore the car, and the time I spend after every run fixing her up. One run my battery is drained, it's dark and I'm squinting thinking it's over.....a bunny attached and started charging my battery.😊
Just missing the lady saying "new blueprint acquired"
Honestly this month was amazing for video games. Pacific drive is a gem.
There's nothing like racing across the map to the exit point only to find out your car's got a weird ass quirk that prevents you from going uphill. So now you have to plan that route and enter the do Not enter zone to loop around some of the best moments in gaming.
this game gives me feelings of uneasiness that fear used to give me that I felt again when I played control and now this game the atmosphere is amazing.
It blows my mind how many people don't talk about this fantastic single player game
I'm typically not a survival game person, but this one seemed so different that I had to try it out. I'm only like 2 hours in, but I am digging it. I think one reason I don't mind this is because there are distinct "build things up" time and "explore" time. I can get my car in perfect shape, and not have to worry about it degrading as I'm working on other parts. And if I'm careful, I don't have too much repairs to do when I get back. Whereas in other survival games, everything is CONSTANTLY breaking down and nothing is ever in perfect condition. Allowing me to work on things without having to worry about something else needing attention is a nice survival game change of pace.
I'm on PC btw
This has, honestly, gone into my top 5 games OF ALL TIME - I absolutely love everything about it ❤
100% agree! I’ve been waiting on it for a while and being a massive Back to the Future fan was definitely getting BTTF vibes whilst playing it which were validated when getting the first BTTF trophy and I see there is another I will be going for. So I had to chuckle when I seen you had the Delorean in your thumbnail when it popped up on RUclips!😂 There was obviously at least one fan working on the game! I also get the same vibe when travelling and particularly when making it back to the garage after a run as it all goes quiet for a second after all the chaos! What What is it hot!?😂 But yeah the whole game is brilliant, really enjoying it, love just pottering around the garage fixing up the car before going back out on a run. They really nailed it. Let us close the back garage door though for true immersion! It truly is the new sound I was looking for!😉
I've been playing the game a lot the last few days. In terms of the difficulty, I've "died" in one run pretty early but honestly I'm a bit of an OCD prepper/collector and my run is probably taking way longer than most so I think just spending too much time prepping/bringing items has saved me. There's def been a few times where I've made it to the teleporter by the skin of my teeth even after all of that but it's a lot of fun and it's certainly original.
The toughest one that really almost got me when I went a bit too carelessly down a steep hill/mountain and flipped the car by a rock and I had to emergency teleport it like five times while chasing it down the rest of the mountain. By the time I got into it, almost everything was red and I fixed up a few parts with a bit of puddy I had and just kind of barely was able to activate the teleporter and roll into it while my care was basically entirely red and essentially on fire.
I've only made it to the later part of the mid-zone so just to be clear... there's crazier stuff ahead too, I'm sure of it.
I love it when a game comes along that takes my interest, makes me think and I really enjoy. Doesn't happen that often.
Absolutely loving Pacific Drive and diving into a supply run every chance I get. Tinkering the car in the garage with the radio on, the pressure you feel when things are getting more and more messed up in an intense zone. They did so great with the gameplay loop and the feel and connection you have to your car. Been putting on the OST when driving my own car. Huge props to the dev team for doing such a great job here.
I really enjoy watching you talk and sharing your experience about video game stuff
Thanks, Jake
Oh, the modifier when your car becomes your enemy where it just halls ass away from you and smashes into a tree. It's the worst but the best.
I went after a payload that spawned(purple Triangles) when the yellow storm was closing for the first time, I had shield and nearly ran out of battery. It seems like more than 1 payload can spawn in certain areas. Needless to say payloads have a load of loot.
Can’t imagine being done with gaming with all the bangers that have been dropping.
Thank you for your videos and your enthusiasm about games!
So glad you like this game as much as I do, Jake. It's so well put together. The loop is punishing but it's so damn compelling that I just want to try again time and tine again.
Can't wait to have at this one, reveal way back gave me solid vibes.. then was on the fence, then saw you & Ralph gush about it, last gamedev nights definitely powered by the gorgeous OST ( it SLAPS hard :) ), been a 16 year old on a Pentium having a blast on Interstate76 in the nineties.. this looks like the "closest" haha
This game has been fighting for my obsession with Helldivers for last week, absolutely love it. Glad to see you and Ralph talking about it this much. Nothing like driving for my life in half broken piece of shit car through literally collapsing reality while Liminal Drifter is blasting through the radio.
I've been addicted to this game since launch
I’m having so much fun with Pacific Drive. I’ve sunk so many hours into it. It’s a super addictive formula. I especially love the quirks- trying to figure them out is so fun.
Thanks for your in depth reviews and BYB videos as it’s helped me find quite a good bunch of sleeper hit games I wouldn’t have had an open mind for.
Im convinced that someone in the design team at some point had played Half Life 2 EP2 with it's driving sections and portal-storm related weirdness. At least that's what i was reminded of right away :)
I can easily imagine a game combining the Half Life setting with its memorable hand crafted set pieces with a procedural trip-planning loop to stich them together
I was looking forward to this game ever since I saw Easy Allies talk about their hands on experience with it. Now that I have it I am loving it so far.
One bit of advice I have is to not get overconfident. I thought I could drive during one of the numerous hurricanes you run into. I went from having a pristine vehicle to having to hunker down and plan on how to fix my two flat tires and damaged panels because I was dragged across one of those spike anomalies.
Also expand your storage so you can take more gear with you. You can run out of sealing kits fast.
I only just made it to the Mid Zone Crossing, and my save was at a WHOPPING 20 hours. Game really blew me away when i made it to the mid zone as well.
I am loving Pacific Drive, Playing on PC and I have had a few crashes but the game has always loaded me back in without losing any progress. I have been bouncing off a lot of games as of late but this one has me, Turns out you can make a great smoothie with hades, Car Mechanic sim, and Raft.
I played this back in PAX West. After official release, totally hooked with scavenging & planning my trip plan what I need to bring back. This game feels ideally on controller to be able to frantically dodge the anomalies. One mini-game I enjoy is the troubleshooter for the car. Literally scratching my head to think carefully, how to reproduce the issues the car is acting weirdly.
The craziest experience I've had is after progressing through 4 maybe 5 maps collected all the loot I need for my upgrades activate the beacon the storm is closing in and I start driving (In this zone every time you take acid damage you lose fuel) in the gloom and chaos in the storm I hit a felled tree just in front of the beacon and run out of fuel in touching distance of the beacon. I desperately tried to push the car a little further to roll into the beacon but either the hill is too steep or the game won't let you do this. I had already used my reserve fuel can to top up the tank so I had to use the emergency small fuel can. It's empty I could have sworn it was full I look around desperately using healing items and grabbing fuel out of a destroyed car just a tiny bit though. Halfway back to the car I realised my fuel can is leaking and that's why it's empty I'm out of healing supplies so I can't go back for more I have to run I'm trying get what little fuel into the car before it leaks out. Somehow I make it I get back into the car start it and drive into the beacon with a drop of fuel. it's the craziest experience I've had.
The thing about Pacific drive is what you are or aren't you willing to sacrifice as a run starts to go wrong. Flat tyres no doors, panels almost out of battery charge and fuel that doesn't make me turn back but if I lose my headlights in a perpetual darkness zone that's something I can't live without. Every time one of these things ends your run you remember to bring one more piece of kit with you and it won't be too long until you need it. The feeling of I have just the thing for this situation and feel smart for planning ahead. Also this will punishing from being a loot goblin always quit while you're ahead.
Love the game.
And yes the game gives you a feeling that you have to hurry.
But just keep your cool and stay calm. If you start to hurry things escalate very quickly.
And there is a trophy for getting in the beam when time pretty much already ran out, i was dying at an alarming rate when I hurled myself into the beam.
I usely don't care even the slightest for trophies cause they are useless most of the time but the trophies in this game are well thought out andd like the one I just mentioned you actaully feel some sort of accomplishment when you get one.
For me it is the game of the year so far.
a neat idea would be an option to export 'your' car, like with whatever cosmetic mods on it - into Power Wash Simulator, that's a match made in heaven right there :P
I want to say that i absolutely LOVE your way explaining what kind of game this is and what it is about, you took the words straight out of my mouth and this is just so 100% true, not to argue about it, great job 💪🏽
I love listening to you talk about games I know I’ll never play😭 people talking about things they love makes me happy, thank you for your contributions
I’m sold and addicted now. Great highlight on a game! I get what he means by the car experience. Something cozy yet challenging about driving at night with the dashboard lights and etc.
Without having played it yet, this LOOKS like it would be a super cool game to adapt for VR
It’s nice to see something truly compelling and different emerge among all the franchises, reboots, remasters and live service hoohah. I may not play this game, but I’m so glad it exists. Looks cool and unique - and as a PNW native, I love that it’s set in my part of the world.
Shout out Jake for continually putting good content out. Have this on my list for sure...currently playing through Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order based on your before you buy from back in the day..
Really wanna try this.
You didn't mention the car quirks, I love and hate that feature. For those of you who don't know, your car can develop some weird random quirks over time, for example, maybe if you turn on your wipers then your door opens or if you drive in reverse then your wheels could fall off, etc. You have to use this debug system in your garage to find the cause of the issue so you can resolve it. The amount of times I've had to fix my rear right door constantly opening is both hilarious and infuriating.
Been playing Pacific Drive since launch and am about 10 hours in, and having such a great time. Bit if a steep learning curve but once it grabs you it's super satisfying. So far an 8.5 for me. So glad this turned out so well.
Great discussion, Jake!
I struggled trying to get that damn trunk open on the wreck behind the garage 😂.
I got royally screwed over in the later stage of the game, car in pretty good shape maybe 10% total damage, boot full of loot, activate the portal to get back home only to get right into the portal just before the load screen transition was a nice big group of tourists. Going hell for leather there was no way of avoiding any of them so got back to the workshop with just about every panel needing a replacement
Agree 100% on all points. I don't like roguelikes generally but the sum of its parts makes PD a great experience. My heartrate goes up when trying to escape a area - especially in zone 2 where it gets even more insane than zone 1. It's quite a stressful game - you never feel comfortable just meandering through an area and rummaging through a shack you have the "is that siren going to go off?" thought nagging in your head. Planning is paramount - from planning an escape to getting the right kit for the car. The HL2 reference was interesting as I have always thought fondly of that game with the buggy sequence, getting in a out and exploring - it was the game which I, personally, thought of when I got this, so glad Jake feels the same. Jake's mention of gaming getting a little stale for some and titles like this make you reingage with the medium are a point I can relate to. Last time I felt this was Valheim. I enjoy AAA as much as anyone but there are indie games which provide a unique experience and this is one of them.
You just said the pacific drive, and good together, i agree!!! It's such a wild wierd game with a great amount of chatter (and the chatter matters)! It's incredibly good, the story/ lore is important!!!! Have you not realized the car fights you sometimes!? It doesn't wanna do what you wanna do, it's a separate thing from you trying to make you do!!!!
9:34 “To have a bunch of stuff in your trunk just feels great”. - Baldino, Jake.
really love the game like you said it is very unique and when the game started with "a failed experiment "and "quarantine zone" i knew i would love the game. love metro and stalker setting and read the metro books and roadside picknick where i see a lot of inspiration with the anomalies and zone and that in my opinion is really great.
i love the diagnostic computer so much i work as a mechanic and it reminds me of our it system where we need to code a problem with a car for warranty work like this i would love more tries but i love it.
soundtrack is insane good but some sounds in my opinion are a little bit to loud and you cant increase or decrease the volume on the jukebox in the garage.
i got 1 bug where i cant select my next target after i left one zone bc the map opened and there was only no signal so i needed to restart the game and play the map again and one graphical bug in 13 hours.
i really wish i could close the garage door but i read that i am not alone with this opinion
really good game hope it sells good and we see more of this developers
I'm about 22 hours in with this game and it's been such a great time. I picked up the little DLC pack too, these devs deserve the support. Also, I really dig the quirk system lol. This game was such a breath of fresh air man.
I’m quite a few hours in and still loving it! Definitely makes me think of aspects from Outer Wilds, Firewatch, Subnautica and now that Jake mentions it, Inside and HL2 also. That addictive “one last run” feeling is there and liking the challenge. Hope the rest of the game keeps me interested too.
Def gonna check this over out this weekend
Can confirm👍 this one really does have the feeling of that older era of games where they were trying new stuff. Also it's worth mentioning that this game plays in relatively small chunks and you'll be satisfied at the end of each chunk, which is a big plus for people who have a limited time to play games.
This game has been one of my favorites in recent memory. I love the atmosphere and the feel, the characters were really enjoyable and they all felt like real living people. I found myself sinking so many hours into this game without realizing it and I'm currently going through the game to 100% it. At first I wasn't for sure if this game would really be that difficult as I played pretty safe and the early areas didn't seem to provide that big of a challenge to me. But as I've gone and explore the 2nd and 3rd zones more in the game I've run into some very nerve racking and humorous moments. I would say the most memorable so far was when I was trying my hardest to get away from some bubble buddies and my car spun out in the swamp down a muddy hill. I ended up in the path of an abductor and it carried me with my already fast momentum through the mud and flung me into an airstrip. I went flying and my car rolled down the side of another hill and I was so scared I was going to die right there but I found it so funny watching the most unfortunate events happen one after another.
Thanks Jake! Added to my steam wishlist
Ive been referring to the genre as "Extraction LoOter" super solid game, would benefit from some patched in variety, especially structures and containers, environments are really well done tho.
Its a weird one. It's a driving sim with rogue elements, and a crafting collecting system for progression. Thankfully It's not very grindy but it can be very lengthy. Once you've done a few runs, anything interesting depends on the story maps and new environments. So my suggestion is to stick to the main quest only unless you really like the gameplay loop. I wish they had more in game assets for buildings to explore
Now it's a definite buy! Thanks for your enthusiastic review.
I'm loving this so far, getting so much Death Stranding atmosphere from it. Second run I was out of the car doing some looting and all I could hear around me were anomolies that I couldn't see and had no idea if they would agro or not, first time I've felt tension in a game in a while
This game is perfect and perfectly weird and I love everything about it EXCEPT when I unlocked the detailing station and got swarmed with 20+ LBG-you know the rest stickers. The game is set in 1998 and is all about reality and physical laws going haywire but one thing that will always be rock solid is The Message.
It really brought me out of the moment too. Completely unnecessary.