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0 Follow Mick into a world of unknown as he awakens from death again in The Drifter. Powerhoof’s upcoming release has players unravelling a conspiracy while trying to understand why Mick has come back to life. Whilst the game doesn’t launch until July 17th on PC (Windows, Mac, Linux), we were lucky enough to get our hands on a small preview build.
Watch as he drifts from one life to the next!
Before you start reading you need to head to Wishlist for The Drifter on Steam. Trust me. Now you’ve done that, let’s get into this preview.
Gameplay
Albeit short and simple, The Drifter drags players into a brand new world full of mystery. After waking up in a train, Mick is ready to go meet his family in his old home town but things go awry when the homeless man in the carriage with him seems to have some sort of breakdown. As the doors to the carriage slide open, Mick and his not-friend are met by soldiers who gun down the stranger immediately.
Things take a turn for the worst when he runs for his life and ends up finding one of his old homeless friends who explains the mystery of homeless people going missing and strange shadow figures with glowing eyes being spotted.
Unlike others in the genre, The Drifter manages to keep things interesting by not making puzzles too difficult and putting more emphasis on the story that is surrounding Mick. It takes standard point and click elements and pushes them beyond the boundaries with new ways of analysing environment, engaging with characters and exploring the scenery.
I was worried that the gameplay would limit how much you could actually engage with the game. It was a silly worry. Even though I have no idea what’s really going on, I’m trying to figure out who the strange men are and why they’re chasing Mick.
Graphics & Audio
The Drifter takes pixelated graphics to create a creepy, unsettling atmosphere. It’s very similar to the stylised graphics that you find in games such as FNAF but on a grander scale. The depth allows for more detail than your typical 8-bit horror. As you explored chapter one, the game felt dirty and the graphics really work well in creating a somewhat disturbing setting. They truly excel in moments where Mick is experiencing something different to the norm. The prologue to chapter one where you find yourself in the train car and the way that the scene plays out really stands out as one of the most impressive graphical moments in the demo.
The voice acting for this short demo is very well done. I really liked Mick’s voice and the way other characters interacted with him. The atmosphere builds with ambient background noise and a dark soundtrack that pairs everything up perfectly.
After the demo, there is a collection of scenes showing what to expect from the rest of the game. Make sure you watch this! As if the game hadn’t already grabbed my attention, the promise of what was to come has made me more excited.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, The Drifter preview leaves you desperately wanting to know what happens without giving anything away. Despite its length, there is enough to dig your teeth into to keep you entertained. I’m very excited for the full release of this game and have already added it to my Wishlist for launch. I want to see what other horrors Mick will have to deal on his adventure. A cat has nine lives but hopefully Mick has at least 100 so I can make my way through the rest of the story.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this preview.
For more PC games to add to your collection, check out our PC reviews here.
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