Skydrift Infinity

When it comes to aircraft within video games, it would be the general consensus that just about everything has been done. Whether that be dogfighting games, realistic flight simulations, set pieces with characters clinging to the outside of a flying plane or games where planes are just another type of vehicle to fly around in. It’s safe to say that where planes are concerned, developers have covered a lot. However, planes within racing games have been largely absent. Perhaps this is due to the difficulty of making aircraft physics marry with the high octane nature of racing games. However, it seems that Skydrift: Infinity has a solution to this problem.

This game is largely inspired by the WipeOut series. However, this game also plays like other racing games such as Mario Kart 64, Crash Team Racing, Pacer and Ballistic NG. This game aims to combine dogfighting with the fast paced nature of futuristic racers. However, is this a marriage made in heaven, or a step too far? We find out in our review of Skydrift: Infinity.

Take To the Skies

First, let’s discuss the visuals for this game. We have to commend the way that the developer has taken real-world plane models and incorporated them into a futuristic racing setting. The graphics are crisp, vibrant, very well polished and stay true to the inspiration which is obviously the Wipeout series. The tracks, the vehicles, the animations and the explosions are all visually striking, making it very easy to look at this game at face value and be drawn in by the appealing looking gameplay.

However, is the gameplay as good as it looks? In a word, yes. Let’s face it, the Wipeout series is a pretty tired format in 2021 and it’s rare that you see much innovation from that series. So when this acts as the inspiration for another title, you are bound to get something quite similar. This is true of Skydrift Infiity. The gameplay is exactly what you would expect. It’s fast paced racing that requires swift reactions and will have you taking corners at break neck speeds so nothing new there.

However, there are some unique aspects of the gameplay that help this game justify its existence. Firstly, you have the fun drifting mechanic which sounds out of place in a plane racing game but trust us, it’s a great addition. Then also, you have the powerups which allow you to attack your opponents and have them explode before your eyes in a variety of different ways. Again, it’s something that we have seen in many different games but with the dogfighting angle, this works pretty well. It’s not mind blowing but its servicable to say the least.

The Verdict

Overall, Skylight Drift is a decent racing game that offers very familiar gameplay with just enough of a twist that it still feels fresh and unique. Fans of Wipeout will really appreciate this title and those that enjoy dog fighting games like Star Wars: Squadron or EVE Online may enjoy this too.

Pros:

• Crisp, vibrant visuals
• Wipeout inspired techno soundtrack
• High octane arcade racing

Cons:

• All becomes rather repetitive after a short time
• Limited game modes