Pacific Drive, the upcoming road trip survival sim, has been announced for PC and PS4 this February 22nd
Taking place in the retro-futuristic Olympic Exclusion Zone, Pacific Drive follows a sole survivor driving through a ruined SCP-style zone brimming with strange monsters and cryptids as they slowly build up their cars and unravel the truth behind the zone’s downfall.
In terms of story, Pacific Drive appears to be a surreal analog horror, with its story told through twisted tapes that have had their audio warped to terrifying inhuman degrees as the zone’s survivors decry the government’s secrecy or their ill-gotten drives for power.
Even if its narrative remains mostly under wraps, Pacific Drive was unafraid to show off its driving, scavenging, and mechanic gameplay around upgrading a beaten-down station wagon into a back-to-the-future-esk hypercar while evading the ruined zone’s horrors.
Between gathering “parts, secrets and occult energy cores with which to activate the portal back to everyday reality,” RockPaperShotgun discusses the battle royale-style race to escape an imploding map, potentially racing against other players or cryptids to exit the zone.
While it’s unclear whether Pacific Drive will embrace its driving elements and host races against other players, the Slay the Spire-esk map shown in the trailer hints at some of its roguelike features of gradually making your way Northwords to escape the Southern storm’s wall of death.
Besides driving, PC Gamer details the player’s navigation on foot in some sections, chiefly with a crowbar in one hand waiting for a Half-Life headcrab or other mutated creature politely asking for a bop on the head.
While whether the game will have combat from installing a vicious plow or Gatling gun is uncertain, it’s clear there is a great deal of first-person interaction with the car going on to modify and upgrade the car’s parts while sourcing abandoned facilities for research and scrap.
Though it boasts a strange set of giant blobs and puppet-strung monsters, Pacific Drive’s trailer reveals a fascinating assortment of impossible hazards and obstacles. From floating rocks, earthquakes, and death walls to requiring more technical driving to navigate safely.
Overall, Pacific Drive is shaping up to be an exciting new driving roguelike sure to excite Lethal Company fans looking for a scrap-gathering gathering road trip or roguelike fanatics who want to out-race some monsters.
Is Pacific Drive a Racing Game?
While most of its elements seem to be centered around gathering scrap and upgrading your car, including the giant wall of death at the zone’s bottom, it seems to imply Pacific Drive will incorporate some driving elements to keep its players on edge.
Though there has been some mention of a Battle Royale system, RockPaperShotgun notes, it’s still unclear whether Pacific Drive will embrace multiplayer elements and turn its promising horror survival adventure into a wacky eldritch race akin to Bloodborne Kart.
All in all, players can check out the driving adventure this February 22nd and take their beaten-down station wagon into the impossible horrors of the Olympic Exclusion Zone.
Further Reading
Want to stay up to date on Pacific Drive? Check out the articles below for the latest indie news and announcements.
Cozy Games Are Becoming A Problem
Inscryption Developer Announces New Game Ahead of the Game Awards
PS Plus December Adds Indie Open World Adventure Sable
- Best Games Like Hollow Knight - February 25, 2024
- House Flipper 2 Review – In This World, It’s Clean or Be Cleaned! - January 1, 2024
- Dredge The Pale Reach Side Quests Guide - December 18, 2023