In most cases, I’m not really a fan of survival games. Horror games are even less appealing to me. From my initial observations, Pacific Drive seemed to be a combination of both of those things. However, after giving it a shot I realized that it doesn’t entirely fit into the archetype of either one. It delivers something familiar but provides a unique world full of mystery and surprises that lets you explore it in the coolest piece of junk I’ve ever been metaphysically bound to.

Abbreviated Review: https://youtu.be/vXBlHZZZepI

Pacific Drive takes place in the Pacific Northwest, specifically on the Olympic Peninsula. An elevated coastal area of the country that is densely forested and crisscrossed by a handful of winding roads navigating its mountainous tree-covered stretches. Within the game, this is represented extremely well with the atmosphere and general aesthetic of the area captured throughout the accelerated day-night and weather cycles. Yet, within its natural beauty lurks several dangers that will make you forget the views.

Taking a page from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, the world in which you find yourself is filled with various types of anomalies that have manifested within and warped the partially radioactive environment. However, rather than wielding a machine gun and battling your way through them, you’re supposed to hop into your soul-bound station wagon and haul ass to a less dangerous location. A location that you will then meticulously search to find every possible useable piece of scrap and/or trash to schlep back to your hatchback and store in your trunk for later use. This is the cornerstone of the foundation that is Pacific Drive’s gameplay. Collecting items, avoiding anomalies that either want to inconvenience or kill you and keeping your rolling rust bucket of a vehicle going down the road.

While you don’t necessarily live inside of your garbage-collecting station wagon, it is your sole lifeline for your on-and-offroad adventure. Not only does it allow you to get where you need to go faster and allow you to move between the regions, but it also protects you from all of the radioactive, electrical, and physical elements trying to halt your progress. It’s the place where you can keep the spoils of each of your runs into the Exclusion Zone and provides a platform upon which you can build some interesting makeshift technological marvels that make you a little more productive in the process.

When you first warp back to your garage respite after a dramatic sky-beam portal escape, you’ll be able to deposit everything you’ve collected in boxes and cabinets scattered around the garage. You can use the raw materials to craft more parts for your vehicle including replacements for its missing body panels and bumpers. You’ll also gain access to a fabrication machine that lets you craft blueprints to learn how to build newer and better parts like lead-lined doors that protect you from radiation and larger fuel tanks to get you further without scavenging for gas.

Just as important as crafting car parts, you can build out your garage base to give you handy tools like a repository that repairs broken parts while you’re on your next run or a deconstructor that lets you break down dysfunctional items into their core crafting components. You’ll even get a special machine that lets you apply various cosmetic features to your car like decorative steering wheels and hood ornaments. The mechanics around repairing and upgrading your perpetually breaking conveyance are just as much a part of the core gameplay as the exploration of the world you find yourself within.

While you never at any point directly encounter a living creature in Pacific Drive (unless you account for apparently sentient anomalies), you will always have three individuals buzzing in your ears about the tasks you need to complete. The story that they convey, despite being centered entirely around your actions, feels like a secondary element that you are only participating in. The voice actors do a great job and the fairly extensive text and audio lore you discover is well-made, but it was hard for me to feel much attachment to it when it makes up such a small percentage of the overall game. Most of my 25 hours were spent either scavenging for items or trying to maximize my car’s capabilities. Then, many of the moments they did actually feed me exposition, I wasn’t able to focus on listening since I was running for my life or hopping in and out of menus to try to make the most of my trash heap.

Though it does take a while for Pacific Drive’s story to come together in a somewhat disjointed way, it never really felt like a major detriment. Yet, there were some anomalies in the overall experience. The most obvious one is the repetition of going out, exploring similar areas, avoiding the same sorts of anomalies, and finding a lot of the same materials. It was compelling for about 10 or 15 hours, but as you cruise into 20+ hours, it starts feeling a bit “samey.” Even the fantastic radio soundtrack starts to get a little old. There’s also been some contentious thoughts on the save system that only saves runs when you enter a new map – which can easily stretch up to half an hour of progress that won’t be saved without moving on. I personally never had any issues with this system though and tried to block out enough time to do at least an entire run (which can stretch 90 minutes or more) each time I booted it up.

Quirks aside, even with the clunky “Quirk” system, Pacific Drive is well worth checking out. Though I wasn’t a fan of the scarier aspects, I never had that persistent tingly feeling of existential threats I typically get because most anomalies in the game are environmental. What it did create was a great connection with my vehicle as I made it more functional and capable while being tailored exactly to what I wanted. Swapping parts in and out was satisfying and keeping it all in one piece on the fly was an engaging part of the fun. When you combine that with navigating across the paved, dirt, and non-existent roads of the zone while trying to find everything you need, it culminates in a fantastic experience. Just one that I think I’ve had my fill of… for now… unless there’s some DLC…

If you'd like to see more of my reviews, check out my curator page here:Endyo's Indies, Abbreviated Reviews

In most cases, I’m not really a fan of survival games. Horror games are even less appealing to me. From my initial observations, Pacific Drive seemed to be a combination of both of those things. However, after giving it a shot I realized that it doesn’t entirely fit into the archetype of either one. It delivers something familiar but provides a unique world full of mystery and surprises that lets you explore it in the coolest piece of junk I’ve ever been metaphysically bound to. Abbreviated Review: https://youtu.be/vXBlHZZZepI [h1] Into the Exclusion Zone [/h1] Pacific Drive takes place in the Pacific Northwest, specifically on the Olympic Peninsula. An elevated coastal area of the country that is densely forested and crisscrossed by a handful of winding roads navigating its mountainous tree-covered stretches. Within the game, this is represented extremely well with the atmosphere and general aesthetic of the area captured throughout the accelerated day-night and weather cycles. Yet, within its natural beauty lurks several dangers that will make you forget the views. Taking a page from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, the world in which you find yourself is filled with various types of anomalies that have manifested within and warped the partially radioactive environment. However, rather than wielding a machine gun and battling your way through them, you’re supposed to hop into your soul-bound station wagon and haul ass to a less dangerous location. A location that you will then meticulously search to find every possible useable piece of scrap and/or trash to schlep back to your hatchback and store in your trunk for later use. This is the cornerstone of the foundation that is Pacific Drive’s gameplay. Collecting items, avoiding anomalies that either want to inconvenience or kill you and keeping your rolling rust bucket of a vehicle going down the road. [h1]Hooptie Home[/h1] While you don’t necessarily live inside of your garbage-collecting station wagon, it is your sole lifeline for your on-and-offroad adventure. Not only does it allow you to get where you need to go faster and allow you to move between the regions, but it also protects you from all of the radioactive, electrical, and physical elements trying to halt your progress. It’s the place where you can keep the spoils of each of your runs into the Exclusion Zone and provides a platform upon which you can build some interesting makeshift technological marvels that make you a little more productive in the process. When you first warp back to your garage respite after a dramatic sky-beam portal escape, you’ll be able to deposit everything you’ve collected in boxes and cabinets scattered around the garage. You can use the raw materials to craft more parts for your vehicle including replacements for its missing body panels and bumpers. You’ll also gain access to a fabrication machine that lets you craft blueprints to learn how to build newer and better parts like lead-lined doors that protect you from radiation and larger fuel tanks to get you further without scavenging for gas. Just as important as crafting car parts, you can build out your garage base to give you handy tools like a repository that repairs broken parts while you’re on your next run or a deconstructor that lets you break down dysfunctional items into their core crafting components. You’ll even get a special machine that lets you apply various cosmetic features to your car like decorative steering wheels and hood ornaments. The mechanics around repairing and upgrading your perpetually breaking conveyance are just as much a part of the core gameplay as the exploration of the world you find yourself within. [h1]Alone, With Friends[/h1] While you never at any point directly encounter a living creature in Pacific Drive (unless you account for apparently sentient anomalies), you will always have three individuals buzzing in your ears about the tasks you need to complete. The story that they convey, despite being centered entirely around your actions, feels like a secondary element that you are only participating in. The voice actors do a great job and the fairly extensive text and audio lore you discover is well-made, but it was hard for me to feel much attachment to it when it makes up such a small percentage of the overall game. Most of my 25 hours were spent either scavenging for items or trying to maximize my car’s capabilities. Then, many of the moments they did actually feed me exposition, I wasn’t able to focus on listening since I was running for my life or hopping in and out of menus to try to make the most of my trash heap. Though it does take a while for Pacific Drive’s story to come together in a somewhat disjointed way, it never really felt like a major detriment. Yet, there were some anomalies in the overall experience. The most obvious one is the repetition of going out, exploring similar areas, avoiding the same sorts of anomalies, and finding a lot of the same materials. It was compelling for about 10 or 15 hours, but as you cruise into 20+ hours, it starts feeling a bit “samey.” Even the fantastic radio soundtrack starts to get a little old. There’s also been some contentious thoughts on the save system that only saves runs when you enter a new map – which can easily stretch up to half an hour of progress that won’t be saved without moving on. I personally never had any issues with this system though and tried to block out enough time to do at least an entire run (which can stretch 90 minutes or more) each time I booted it up. Quirks aside, even with the clunky “Quirk” system, Pacific Drive is well worth checking out. Though I wasn’t a fan of the scarier aspects, I never had that persistent tingly feeling of existential threats I typically get because most anomalies in the game are environmental. What it did create was a great connection with my vehicle as I made it more functional and capable while being tailored exactly to what I wanted. Swapping parts in and out was satisfying and keeping it all in one piece on the fly was an engaging part of the fun. When you combine that with navigating across the paved, dirt, and non-existent roads of the zone while trying to find everything you need, it culminates in a fantastic experience. Just one that I think I’ve had my fill of… for now… unless there’s some DLC… [quote] If you'd like to see more of my reviews, check out my curator page here:[url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/28346672-Endyo-Gaming/]Endyo's Indies[/url],[url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/38271367/] Abbreviated Reviews[/url][/quote]