Drifting Lands

 PC
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. COGconnected
    Jun 18, 2017
    85
    if you’re a fan of looting, shooting, and scooting, I can’t recommend Drifting Lands enough. It’s an absolute blast to play, has a ton of content, and comes in at a very inexpensive price point that should make any miser feel like they’ve gotten their money’s worth.
  2. Vandal
    Jul 9, 2017
    80
    This is one of the most innovative shoot 'em ups we've played in a while. Maybe it lacks a better level design, but the concept is good, the execution is good and it's very addictive.
  3. GameSpew
    Jul 6, 2017
    80
    Drifting Lands takes two fantastic genres and marries the best aspects of them together with flair, creating an original and massively addictive experience that deserves to be on your radar.
  5. Gaming Age
    Jun 23, 2017
    75
    Still, there’s definitely things that work in Drifting Lands, and I’d love to see this idea refined a bit more down the road. I think a lot of the ARPG mechanics are solid right out of the gate, but I wish the shoot-em up side of the game was just a little flashier, more diverse, and overall just more enjoyable to play. I’d still recommend checking out Drifting Lands however, it’s a neat concept and there’s enough here that you’ll easily squeeze some enjoyment out of the components that work.
  6. PC PowerPlay
    Aug 17, 2017
    70
    Drifting Lands is a genuinely fun shooter/RPG hybrid brought down by a forgettable story and repetitive structure. [Issue#264, p.68]
  7. Meristation
    Jul 26, 2017
    70
    Drifting Lands looks like the classic bullet hell in terms of control and sensations, although it adds personalization and leveling elements that give it its own personality. However, the result is not as good as it should be, becoming repetitive and offering an improvable level design. Even so, fans of the genre will be able to take a look without fear.
  8. Multiplayer.it
    Jun 28, 2017
    65
    Unfortunatly the nice ideas aren't enought to save Drifting Lands. Despite good GDR elements, SHMUP gameplay isn't as its best and enemies and stages are completely forgettable.
  9. 4P.de
    Jul 7, 2017
    62
    Conceptually this mixture of bullethell-shmup, sidescrolling action and a Diablo’esque loot system is interesting. The execution doesn’t live up to it, though.
  10. TheSixthAxis
    Jun 20, 2017
    60
    Sadly, a rather major flaw in Drifting Lands’ level design really brings down a game that is mostly well crafted. Looting has all the well-thought out tropes that similar games have in spades. It’s just a shame that each level is essentially a miniature horde mode rather than featuring proper level design, and that the number of levels could have been cut drastically to make for a more coherent experience. These hang-ups sadly prevent me from recommending Drifting Lands for diehard fans of the genre, but it’s otherwise an alright effort.

User Reviews

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User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. atomlord
    Jan 2, 2018
    6
    Очень однообразная игра. Все виды основного вооружения открыты в самом начале, далее меняются только циферки урона но интереса в прокачке нетуОчень однообразная игра. Все виды основного вооружения открыты в самом начале, далее меняются только циферки урона но интереса в прокачке нету никакого т.к. противники прибавляют в броне еще быстрее. Рутина + хардкор. Только для любителей жанра.… Full Review »
  2. Sjalka
    Jun 29, 2017
    5
    The good:

    - simplistic but nice visuals all through the game - clearly recognizable enemy types - a very good UI that allows no confusion    The good:

    - simplistic but nice visuals all through the game
    - clearly recognizable enemy types
    - a very good UI that allows no confusion
    - a good "skill" system

    the bad:
    - flawed randomly generated loot that turns out to be vendor trash 99% of the time, regardless of "rarity level"
    - some skills are CLEARLY better than others or even almost mandatory (like auto-retreat)
    - Huge amount of customization at first turns out to be mostly for show. It almost all comes down to 3 simple stats and a few percentage bonuses.
    - the weapons in particular are a HUGE disappointment. Out of about a dozen different weapontypes, i find only 3 remotely useful. In the end i only use either lasers or Railguns. I would have wished for the option to either be allowed to switch to an alternative weapon during the levels or mix and match mechanics of two weapon types.

    neutral:
    - the story is forgettable and the storytelling feels like an afterthought

    other thoughts:

    This game fails hard where it wanted to shine - i think. There is no urge to grind for "the perfect loadout", No will to "play just another level for the chance to get a really outstanding item".

    Items seem to be tailored to the players level - that means once you get mostly appropriate items - 99.999999% of any further drops become useless. To compare - in Diablo (which the game was advertised to be compared to) - there is a chance to get items that singlehandedly elevate a mediocre character to a very powerful one. In Drifting Lands ... i do not think there is anything like that.

    I only managed to get to Grade 3 though ( out of 12 mind ) - so you HAVE to keep in mind that i only just scratched whats beneath. - but in several hours of gameplay - i have found no items that was really outstanding. No weapon with a unique effect (as in graphics, damage or way it fires) - i found uniques - but they are usually normal items with 1 characteristic that you cannot find on rares - and they usually break when you retreat.

    All in all - at THIS moment - the game is a disappointment, not because it is particularly bad - but because there is a lot of potential that is not used.

    I can give it a 5/10 for being about average. Compared to the countless other side scrolling shoot em ups however ... it is very hard to compete or find a place. I'd go so far to say that is is a VERY good mobile game - but quite underwhelming for PC.    … Full Review »