Grease Monkey Games, a small mobile games developer based out of Melbourne, Australia, have recently announced that their new game, Torque Drift, will be hitting beta very soon. The game looks to be a blend between arcade and simulation, all centered on the world of drifting.
Even with the likes of the Fast and Furious franchise, a la’ Tokyo Drift, we haven’t seen all too many games focused solely on drifting. Instead, the sport of drifting is often incorporated into other racing games. Grease Monkey seeks to change that with both single player and multiplayer available in their game.
Throughout racing game history, we have seen drifting slowly incorporated in racing games with titles such as Burnout and Need for Speed. But rarely have we seen a game devoted to the sport itself, one that delves deep into the mechanics and technical aspects of the sport. It seems quite odd that we haven’t had drifting focused games, considering it seems to be something players love to do in all games that allow it.
While a game focused on just drifting is enough to raise an eyebrow, the idea of a AAA racing game on mobile goes to show the leaps and bounds that have occurred in mobile gaming over the past few years. The developers are promising “console-quality graphics” and an intuitive control system that will delight racing fans worldwide.
As drifting fans ourselves, we have gone into this creation as fans, looking to create something that’s fun and true to the sport.
— Arran Potter the Director of Grease Monkey Games.
Admittedly, the game, in its early trailer and screenshots, is shaping up nicely, but one does get concerned about the controls on a touchscreen device. When I reached out the PR rep about the controls and the overall quality of the game, CEO of Vicarious PR Michael Brown’s response was simple:
Mobile games have come a long way from what they used to be. The technology is changed constantly which allows developers to ramp up quality, content and design. Torque Drift is going to be the drifitng game that sets the standard for some time to come.
Luckily, it won’t be long to see the game in action; the developers announced that open beta for both iOS and Android devices has already begun. Players can sign up on their website.
Once launch comes around, Grease Monkey has promised that a host of content and real-world drivers and their cars will come to the game, so if you are a big fan of the scene, that is sure to be a nice treat.
No firm release date has been given, but the developers have said that a soft launch should be hitting within the next few months. Only time will tell if Torque Drift does become the next mobile racing game standard, but even at this early stage, it certainly has potential.
If Torque Drift manages to be a hit with both fans of the sport, general racing fans and potentially gamers who don’t traditionally enjoy racing games. It could be the tip of the iceberg for future games focusing on drifting as its very own thing and not as an attractive sideshow to a traditional racer.
