- Publisher: Kepler Interactive , Ironwood Studios
- Release Date: Feb 22, 2024
- Also On: PC, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
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- By date
- Unscored
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Feb 20, 2024Developer Ironwood Studios’ first go at the rogue-like genre has not only come out fresh as it gets but also put such a unique spin on a classic crafting/survival formula that I sincerely hope the term “road-lites” takes off. Hardly a pothole was hit riding along the anomalous, unstable ridgelines, with a perfectly-tuned balance of cautious material gathering, intense and atmospheric car treks, and wild sci-fi worldbuilding. I was absolutely enamored by the “car”-acterization of the humble station wagon that’s your mobile base, with the Quirk system being a highlight of the various gameplay mechanics that made Pacific Drive’s number one character stand out, just as it should.
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Mar 6, 2024Pacific Drive is one of those amazing games that I’ve fallen in love with despite it doing so much I’m inclined to loathe. It’s brilliant in its externalization of survival gameplay with a car that acts perfectly in its dual role of burden and bearer. Its humor, style, and a luxury assortment of modifier settings have kept me spellbound. I can paint my car pink. Game of the year contender.
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Feb 26, 2024Pacific Drive is a punishing roguelike at times, but the thrill of each run provides plenty of variety and excitement in how you approach it.
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Feb 22, 2024For their first outing as a studio, Ironwood Studios has provided a beautifully styled roadlike that captures the thrill of driving in a supernatural setting. With a fantastic cast to support the journey, an addictive gameplay loop, wonderful sights to behold, and creative obstacles to encounter. Pacific Drive has the potential for Indie of the Year.
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Feb 20, 2024After four years of development, the good people at Ironwood Studio join forces with Kepler Interactive to launch Pacific Drive. A very personal title with a brutal charisma that proves once again that small studios still have a lot to contribute to the videogame industry.
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Mar 5, 2024Pacific Drive is a truly atmospheric experience that gives off that ‘’mystical adventure into the unknown’’ vibe. The family wagon which you drive becomes immediately iconic, and even with its roguelite structure, it provides a truly immersive experience that will keep you on your toes as you explore the Olympic Exclusion Zone and its mysterious landscapes.
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Feb 20, 2024For a debut game, my sincere applause to Ironwood Studios. Not only they have taken roguelite formula to new highs, integrating driving, deep survival mechanics and a captivating science fiction story, which gives sense to their original world. Despite the bugs or the fact that the roguelite formula doesn't appeal to you, it has "something".
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Mar 4, 2024Pacific Drive is an intriguing blend of science fiction storytelling and simulator gameplay mechanics. If you typically shy away from roguelikes, this might be the one that finally nestles its way into your psyche as you tell yourself “Just one more run”.
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Feb 28, 2024Despite a few technical hiccups, Pacific Drive is a thrilling experience that is unlike anything I've encountered. Beautifully atmospheric with a really well-done story design and more than enough mental stimuli to make your mind terrified of what it doesn't see. Pacific Drive is a game about you and a questionably reliable car, and it is a destination well worth the drive.
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Feb 26, 2024Pacific Drive is a game absolutely dripping in atmosphere and excellent spooky vibes, with an exploration-to-looting-to-tense extraction-to-crafting/upgrading and back again gameplay loop that doesn't get old, and a story that is both emotional and intriguing. While pacing issues do hamper it down some, that doesn't damage the experience enough to leave it off anyone's must-play list for 2024.
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Feb 21, 2024Substantial renewal in the survival genre, Pacific Drive innovates with a precise driving system and a constantly evolving universe. Fans of The X-Files and Twin Peaks will feel an absurd familiarity from the first moments and will embark on a journey more than special towards the depths of an anomalous zone.
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Feb 21, 2024Just like the Daewoo Lanos I inherited from my sister when I eventually got my license, Pacific Drive is an imperfect but undeniably charming experience. It’s filled to the brim with sensational atmosphere, intriguing mystery and edge-of-your-seat cinematic adventure. If you can buckle up and push through the foibles of this otherwise fantastic survival ‘roadlite’, I guarantee you won’t regret getting behind the wheel.
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Mar 7, 2024Pacific Drive delivers a refreshing spin on survival horror gameplay, with its original atmosphere and inventive use of genre elements. Despite minor flaws, its innovative approach captivates players, offering a truly unique gaming experience that pushes boundaries and keeps the genre exciting.
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Mar 5, 2024An unusual roguelite, a hardcore survival game, and at the same time an unconventional driving game where going slow matters more than going fast – yes, Pacific Drive is a multi-genre beast. It offers numerous mechanics and systems, provides detailed gameplay settings for you to delve into, and gives you a lot of freedom as you explore the roads. However, its complexity causes some balance issues.
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Mar 5, 2024Pacific Drive blends survival, horror, and driving elements effectively, creating a tense and immersive experience. While its meticulous car management system adds depth, it can also make gameplay repetitive at times. Overall, it's a compelling adventure offering a constant sense of tension and survival in hostile environments.
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Mar 3, 2024Pacific Drive delivers a truly unique experience, with interesting rogue-lite elements, tactile gameplay and one of the most unpredictable and volatile game worlds in quite some time.
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Mar 1, 2024The setup is frustrating and can even feel like a waste of time, but I also appreciate how it forced me to change my expectations. Pacific Drive expects you to approach it on its own terms, and if you’re willing to do that, you’re in for quite a ride.
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Feb 23, 2024Pacific Drive cleverly combines roguelite elements with arcade driving gameplay that will delight all gamers who want to upgrade everything from tires to body panels on a virtual car. Despite the repetitive gameplay and sometimes frustrating difficulty, it is an atmospheric ride that can conjure up impressive scenery.
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Feb 20, 2024What you get out of this game will come down to entirely how much you’re willing to put into it. But if you buckle up and brace yourself for the occasional bump in the road, Pacific Drive’s innate style is more than enough to guarantee you one of 2024’s most exciting rides so far.
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Feb 20, 2024Pacific Drive takes each genre it tackles in a bold new direction, and creates something that’s not necessarily unheard of, but feels entirely unique in its design, care, and the way in which it pulls you into its world. You’ll immediately begin to care for your car as you keep it safe, and exploring the Zone consistently provides new, refreshing things to keep you engaged and daunted. Though the milder aspects can feel repetitive, it adds to a worthwhile experience that is absolutely worth playing.
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Feb 20, 2024Pacific Drive is an intriguing survival title that appeals to the player's unknown and curiosity, with unique and engaging moments. By mixing vehicles and survival, Ironwood Studios gets its proposal and boldness right.
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Feb 20, 2024Pacific Drive is an ambitious and rewarding debut from Ironwood Studios. It's an unusual combination of factors that all coalesce; roguelike exploration, deep and challenging survival mechanics, an interesting narrative to follow, and a central vehicle that brings everything together. Fiddly controls and complex UI mean it's not free from annoyances, but the pleasure found in incrementally upgrading the car and throwing it into the unknown trumps the setbacks. It might be an arduous journey at times, but it's definitely worth the trip.
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Mar 19, 2024Pacific Drive brings something new to the survival genre and does a fine job of it in itself. It is atmospheric, at times stressful and the many ways to upgrade provide a reason to keep playing. As do the story missions. But with these positives, there are also some negatives to note. For example, the duration of each run is very unpredictable which can be inconvenient for your planning and you have to go through the same areas every time you want to achieve something new. At many times the game is also too dark, making it difficult to see what you are doing, and the very bland controls can be frustrating at times.
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Mar 7, 2024Pacific Drive is a unique and original proposal in the roguelite genre, with gameplay focused on crafting and driving in an absorbing sci-fi world. Even so, it becomes repetitive too soon, with too many difficulty spikes. Clearly it is not a game for everyone.
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Feb 23, 2024Pacific Drive is an imperfect but unique journey into the unknown. It is a good survival game in which the eerie atmosphere, the customization of one's car, and the adrenaline rush of racing make one forget the flaws.
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Feb 20, 2024The journey is everything and our car is the absolute protagonist in Pacific Drive. The idea turned out to be very good, but the gameplay deserves more variety than collecting materials.
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Feb 20, 2024Pacific Drive must be given the time it deserves to understand its myriad parameters and be able to appreciate them properly. But the atmosphere and the special relationship you create with the car really elevate the experience to a thoroughly enjoyable level. Naturally striking with its attractive concept, Ironwood Studios' game compensates for a redundant gameplay loop with a unique character.
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Feb 20, 2024Pacific Drive is an intriguing experience and, despite being way more complicated than it should in some of its choices, it's a compelling game that feels like a breath of fresh air for video games' lovers.
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Mar 29, 2024Pacific Drive is a strange and unique survival experience that should receive plaudits for pushing the boat out creatively, and inserting you into an unnerving climate with a battered old whale of a hooptie to tour about in.
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Feb 20, 2024If you fight your way through, Pacific Drive is a solid survival game that only really shines with the car upgrades.
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Apr 17, 2024Pacific Drive’s item management and crafting make the game longer and more difficult but not particularly richer and rewarding. The inventory system is complex, requiring too much searching to find tools. The same goes for a GPS system that’s unintuitive.
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Feb 20, 2024Pacific Drive could one day be something special, one of those wonderful indie darlings that really puts the studio on the map. Keep an eye out for it, because this idea is just so damn cool.
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PLAYMar 5, 2024In desperate need of repair work, Pacific Drive is a patchwork of glorious, memorable moments held together by the duct tape of frustration and technical issues. [Issue#38, p.88]
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Feb 22, 2024Pacific Drive stands out for its driving mechanics, setting, looting, and progression, but it's challenging for me to recommend due to the setbacks it inflicts on the player experience and some issues with its interface. Nonetheless, the accessibility options are well-implemented, allowing for a customized experience in Ironwood Studios' debut title, which, above all, is highly original.
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Feb 20, 2024An intriguing set-up, with an impressively ominous atmosphere, is spoilt by overfamiliar roguelike elements that ruin the pacing and increase the repetition.
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Mar 21, 2024A weird game that deserves your time. Science-Fiction, crafting, survival and a car to love [Recommended]
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