Sling Drift

There are some games you pick up and find nearly impossible to put down again, and then there are other games you pick up and wonder why you ever even bothered. Sling Drift falls squarely in the latter category, because there's simply very little to like in this racing-themed reflex game. For starters, although the controls are about as basic as they come, they're not very responsive. The key to victory is timing, knowing when to tap on each turn's anchor point and when to let go to keep the car going straight down the center line. The problem here is that it feels like there's a slight delay between when you tap/release the anchor and when it actually responds. Sure, it's possible to get used to the delay in time, but it's always going to be distracting, like watching a movie with the dialogue just out of sync. Also, due to the layout on the screen, sometimes tapping on an anchor point blocks your view of the car, making the game even harder.

Problems with Sling Drift continue beyond the gameplay issues. While monetizing a free-to-play game is to be expected, Sling Drift isn't subtle about it in the least. Considering the time it takes to get used to the controls and the frequency of the in-game advertisements, you could easily spend as much time forced to watch commercials as you do playing the game. This can be disabled for a fee, which thankfully isn't too expensive, but the same can't be said for the game's "VIP" service. As a VIP, players get a few exclusive cars, which are little more than mild cosmetic additions, and some extra daily gems. For this nominal bonus, players opt in for a weekly, automatically renewed subscription that winds up being a huge cash grab with little return for the player. Save yourself the headache and the cash, and avoid this racer.