JDM: Japanese Drift Master

AE86, Supra, Silvia, S2000, Skyline GT-R. Names that are likely to send a pleasant tingle down the spine of anyone who has ever dipped their toe in the JDM pool or read one of the many Japanese comics that celebrate the domestic car culture. Initial D, Wangan Midnight, Over Rev or the slightly more obscure, but equally charming Shakotan Boogie.

Throwing yourself down winding mountain roads under the cover of night, with Running in the 90s thumping in the car stereo, and the speedometer angrily pinging like an unnecessarily forward Jehovah's Witness at the doorbell. Yes, that was the dream for many of us. A distant one, of course, and taking part in the illegal racing scene in Japan is something that probably quite a few Westerners have had the chance to experience. At least when the sport was at its most popular.

Luckily there are alternative means of satisfying the need, and like a saviour in need, JDM: Japanese Drift Master slithers onto the scene, in a cloud of Eurobeat thump-thump and burnt rubber. A game that doesn't just try to pluck the strawberries from the pie of many past successes like Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Drift Champ or any of the licensed Inidial D games.

No, it has tried its best to distil down the romanticised idea and feeling that the road is more important than the destination, and that every curve has a soul, is a living thing to not only overcome but to master. So is JDM: Japanese Drift Master the long-awaited renaissance we Takahashi-worshipping nerds have been panting for? Yes and no, come with us and let's take a closer look.

The premise is nothing to write home about and we've all heard the legend. One driver, one car, narrow roads at night and a bunch of opponents with colourful nicknames to overcome. It's a tried and tested recipe that JDM makes no attempt to mess with. In short, it's as charming as it is predictable. You arrive in Japan as an unknown driver, brimming with confidence with a single job - work your way up in the drift world.

From small events to full-fledged races, you'll build up both your reputation and garage. It's as much Initial D as Gran Turismo and Truck Simulator thrown into the blender and run on drift mode. In short, a further development of the genre's greats from the PS2 era, peppered with modern sensibilities. The setting is simple, effective and full of love. Rice fields, dense forests, petrol stations, local Isakayas and workshops filled with smoking old men with dubious pasts.

It's a world constructed by people who actually love Japanese cars from the 90s. Not because they're the fastest, but because they sound right. Feels right. But story is hardly the primary reason to play JDM, although it does add a lot of charm. Nah, you're here to shuffle to the beat of Space Boy and dream yourself away to a Japan that no longer exists.

It's a fine balancing act between arcade and realism that lands somewhere in the murky waters between Assetto Corsa and Rallisport Challenge, accessible in an educational way that allows you to start drifting with reasonable confidence after just half an hour behind the wheel. Which also quickly becomes infernally addictive and is rewarded during the races, which are primarily about winning in style, not being first across the line.

Instead, you get points for how nicely, daringly and controlled you go around the corners, and that feeling of really managing to get a long, sweeping skid where you maintain and utilise the momentum of your car is pure zen. It's also fun how different the cars in the game actually feel. An old AE86 (yes, of course it's in the game) behaves pretty much as you'd expect, and the contrast with a heavy Toyota Chaser is palpable, as is the RX-7, which undeniably behaves like a ferocious goat.

The cars have simply been given a lot of personality, and become almost characters in their own right as you tinker with them. It's Pokémon, but a hell of a lot more entertaining.

Another area where JDM excels is in how you can rebuild and personalise your cars. Which can be broken down into molecules if you like, from exhaust systems, turbos, tyres, suspension, diffs, air filters and more. No, it's not Car Mechanic Simulator-level detail, but it's deep enough to allow you to build your car exactly the way you want it. And above all - every adjustment is felt.

Change the camber a few degrees and the car behaves differently in the next race. Throw on slicks and you get better grip. This goes way beyond just the aesthetic, and quickly becomes almost philosophical as you stand and choose from all the trimmings and parts.

The game world is a kind of distilled interpretation of the Japanese countryside - think Gunma or Tochigi, but compressed into a game map that is both open and focused. It's big enough to give a sense of freedom, but designed so that you can always find a new path to attack. Which take you up mountains, through forests, into small villages with flashing neon signs and down serpentine passes. In other words, you can tell that these are people who have seen and read Initial D far too many times - and I say that as the highest possible compliment.

There are also little moments of mundanity, moments of reflection where you stop - you can refuel, wash the car, pick up supplies, or just cruise through the night. It gives a nice rhythm to the game, where it doesn't always have to be about maxed-out adrenaline but also about, well, just driving.

Sure, this is an indie project, and it shows. The graphics are uneven at times - some environments are incredibly beautiful, especially in evening light or rain, while others feel more like placeholders, and the characters in the cutscenes aren't exactly award-winning. But they do their job. JDM is clearly one of those games where love and passion shine through and partly hide technical shortcomings. It's charming rather than ugly. Not necessarily the most polished bonnet you've ever seen, but with a rumbling magic underneath.

Of course, I have to give the music a special mention here too. No, it's not licensed Eurobeat, but the inspiration is clear, with a gung-ho vibe that takes you back to the heyday of the 90s with a perfect balance of racing anime and underground electro. Which matches the mood perfectly and works a treat when you're chasing points on a lonely mountain pass in the wee hours of the morning.

But even the sun has its spots, and I can't ignore some of the more prominent blemishes. However fiercely my fluttering heart may beat for this passion project. Bugs, yes there are a bunch of them and it can take the form of some funny muscle spasms where the physics of the game occasionally gets to completely freak out. It's far from game-breaking but something you should be aware of.

Similarly, a lot of the menus feel a bit half-baked and there is room to work on the interface, clearly. Even the optimisation is not perfect and I had a total crash of the game in any case. But, at least it didn't blue screen the whole computer, unlike F1 25. It should also be said that the AI isn't exactly the most brilliant ever and lacks personality.

But while JDM isn't the most polished game on the market, the passion shines through and there's no doubt that this is a game with soul. It's an unprecedented tribute to Japanese car culture, a love letter to all of us who get a kick out of seeing a Toyota Sprinter whizzing past on the road. Because at the best of times, JDM really is incredible, and when you're plunged into the night under the glow of the streetlamps, quietly humming Deja Vu, with your sights set on the next mountain pass. Then there is very little that trumps Japanese Drift Master.