Slipstream is a stylish, retro racing game with branching raceways and a tight set of drifting and slipstreaming mechanics that add a welcome layer of depth to the genre.
We covered the Slipstream Pre-Alpha Demo previously on Alpha Beta Gamer and the game has certainly come a long way since its previous build. With tighter controls and enhanced UI, Slipstream feels more and more like a wonderful love letter to its arcade predecessors. Make no mistake, Slipstream is a difficult game and it certainly does not try to cater to modern gaming sensibilities. In order to reach the maximum speed and pass each checkpoint in time, you will need to master the art of drifting around tight corners and gaining speed boosts by drafting behind cars, both of which require carefully timed button presses lest you slide out of control into oncoming obstacles.
If the game’s stellar pixel art wasn’t enough to send you into nostalgia overload, the game’s soundtrack will quickly have you itching for a plastic steering wheel and a fistful of quarters. Slipstream’s music is, in one word, smooth. If there’s one complaint to be made about the polish on the game, it’s that the sound effects need to be louder or tinnier to make themselves heard above the game’s synth-filled tunes.
Slipstream is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to buff up the game’s content for its official release. In the final version of the game, Slipstream’s developers promise to include several different car types to suit different driving styles as well as four unique game modes including a full single-player Story Mode campaign. If you’re looking to kick it old school, Slipstream encourages you to slap on a pair of parachute pants and put the pedal to the metal for a wild ride down memory lane.
UPDATE: This Beta Is No Longer Available