Have you ever thought what it would be like in Mario Kart or Blur if you were playing with airplanes? Well think no more, because Digital Reality made it possible, that game is called Skydrift!
It is not often when we see this kind of titles released for the Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network, and when they do it is good to know they did it right. From the guys behind Dead Block, we got this new high speed racing game that i promise you will not disappoint!
Gameplay
This is an aerial racing game and not a boring flight simulator (yuck!), on the contrary the dynamic gameplay will leave you glued to your seat! But hey that is not all, yes there is more.. You can blow up your opponents with the help of different power ups across the races! Cool isn’t?
Well if that’s got your attention let me tell you, Skydrift offers an offline campaign and multiplayer for up to 7 players, explosive action over Xbox Live Arcade for an spectacular crash-a-paloosa! Campaign is not bad, but nothing beats the challenge to play against other players, multiplayer in Skydrift is a winner!
Twin stick controls, i am not very good when it come to flight games but these controls were easy to learn, making the game an enjoyable experience.
Skydrift features 7 different stages with three different types of races:
Power Race: The charm of Power Race is the power ups; you have at your disposal, a fairly good amount of them to blast your rivals to oblivion, from defensive, repairs and offensive power ups, this is by far a favorite.
Speed Race: If you are a purist this may be the mode for you, no powerups and the races are all about speed. You will find rings along the route, which will give a good boost of speed, making the races very dynamic and exciting!
Survivor: Similar to power race but with a plus, here the last man standing wins. If you’re in last place you should hurry, if you dont eliminate a rival fast, the time runs out and your ship will be destroyed.
About powerups in Skydrift, you can hold 2 different power ups and upgrade by picking a second of the same type, for more firepower.
The way the boost works in the power race is very well implemented, you can change a powerup in your possession for speed, which will allow you to improve your place in the race.
The different powerups remind me a lot to Blur, and i feel the designers was inspired by the game; Missiles, Machine gun, Mine, Stun, Repair and Shield.
Unlockables? *Brain Explodes* Lots of them, you can unlock different planes and skins, medals, awards and what not!
Apart from a good racing game Skydrift offers great graphics, the amount of detail and variety of scenarios deserves recognition.
Flying at high speeds; through canyons with rocks falling down in your path, bridges collapsing on you in industrial areas, maneuvering inside tunnels, glaciers or within shipwrecks. It’s hard not to pay attention to all the work that the designers put into Skydrift, thumbs up Digital Reality and let me use my Hancock voice when i tell you, “Good job!”
Downside
I’m sure there are a few things i can point out in Skydrift but nothing worth really mentioning, well maybe the skins, where is the Pikachu skin on my airplane uh, uh?!
No offline multiplayer, online is good in Skydrift but what happens when a friend visits and wants to play? Nothing like humiliating your friends in a race, while enjoying nachos with guacamole dip! This feature is missed and wont be something bad to have in the game.
Extras
No gamer pictures or avatar awards. DLC available: Gladiator Multiplayer Pack and Extreme Fighters Pack
Overall
The game is quite attractive and offers enough replay value because of its multiplayer. Skydrift offers an entertaining, addictive and fast paced gameplay, that for sure will please racing fans. If the races are not your thing, the game probably will not be to your liking, but you can still try the free demo.
The game is available for Xbox Live Arcade (1200 Microsoft points) the Playstation Network, and PC. So whatever your choice is, jump into the cockpit and blast your enemies to pieces in Skydrift!
We give the game an 8.5 out of 10
~Mario
