Slipstream

The gameplay feels great, with those aforementioned 90-degree drifts requiring you to dance on the analogue sticks delicately, and there’s a lightning fast pace to the action which is trance-inducing. The core course design isn’t particularly inspired – you’re either sliding or going straight, with little variation in between – but the tracks here aren’t supposed to rival the Nurburgring: this is pure nostalgia, with scorching synthesisers and optional scanlines. It’s a tantalising ode to a timeless era of arcade racers, and one we reckon even Yu Suzuki himself would be proud to put his name on.

Slipstream's retro design feels a little by-the-numbers to us (its cool 2D/3D visual effect aside), but that's not to say it doesn't pull off the mechanics well. It shouldn't be the first game in your retro racing collection with the likes of Sega Ages Out Run and Horizon Chase Turbo already available, but if you've played through those and are itching for more then you could do a lot worse than this, especially given its modest price.

Even though it is rather late on arriving to the PS5 compared to other platforms, Slipstream makes for a good arcade racing experience. The drifting mechanics take some time to master, but options to tone down the difficulty and drift precision ensure that everyone can make some progress. The presentation is excellent for the most part, and the number of racing modes means that the game has built-in longevity. As a game to play in short bursts, Slipstream is a fun time.

Slipstream is a beautifully crafted homage to classic '80s arcade racers like Out Run that manages to feel familiar yet fresh

Slipstream Blue Hour successfully reignites the magic of retro racing, inviting players to relive the joy and excitement that defined a generation of gamers. While its gameplay may feel repetitive in the long run and may not match the advancements of modern racing games, Slipstream Blue Hour is a charming and delightful tribute to the classics. With its wealth of content, fresh twists, and captivating blue hour-themed tracks, it's the perfect excuse to embrace nostalgia and embark on a thrilling journey through Slipstream's beloved retro world. So buckle up, hit the gas, and let Slipstream Blue Hour take you on a joyful ride back in time.

Slipstream presents itself as an assumed tribute to driving retro classics and that's what the game's fantastic visual world aims at achieving. With a gameplay that's both addictive and demanding, a great variety of game modes to choose from, customization options and an experience that hits the right spot when it comes to driving classics, Slipstream could be even better if its multiplayer mode went beyond local and included an online component as well.

Slipstream is a fun nostalgic racing game. Although its tracks present exaggerated curves with strange design, its uncompromising arcade gameplay and drift and vacuum mechanics provide a lot of fun in a retro style, fulfilling its proposal very well. It's an impressive game, considering it was made by practically a single person.

Slipstream is a wonderfully crafted throwback to 90’s arcade racers and well worth checking out for anyone who was a fan of Outrun. It has a nice array of modes and being able to play it with others locally is fun too. If you initially struggle with the difficulty you can also use one of the many options they offer to give yourself a better time with it. Overall, the game is a great value for the price and should please arcade racing fans.

"Retro-style racing game outruns its competitors."

A beautifully crafted love letter to Sega's Out Run, until the latter publisher decides to get their act together, Slipstream is not only the closest you'll get to recreating Sega's classic arcade racer on contemporary hardware, but it also adds enough new parts and components to this vintage ride to make it well worth taking in 2022.