Back in the 80s, one of the first driving games was a gem on the NES called Rad Racer. Games like that were eventually dropped for true racing games with opponents and multiplayer, but there was always something magical about a relaxing drive through beautiful scenery. With that, I call out LoneDev for seeing the beauty in a driving game that doesn't need opponents. Synthwave Dream '85 is a post-modern futuristic take on the genre using the increasingly popular synthwave music and visuals.
The visuals are peerless. Beautiful and perfect, this game has the most amazing driving game graphics I have ever seen. It's not overly complicated, it's not realistic, it's pure retro 80s synthwave love. There are multiple cars loosely based on real cars to avoid copyright restrictions, and the courses are proceedurally generated. While one will eventually notice all the various chunks of tracks that are used for this, it still has enough variety to always throw something new at you. Granted, sometimes that something new is a mountain that blocks your progress, forcing you to restart, and sometimes you drop through the road to parts unknown, but these two bugs don't rear their heads often enough to punish the game's marks, especially as it is still in Early Access and being works on constantly. The music is amazing and beautiful as well, all synthwave all the time. The tracks are wonderfully selected and fit the game's mood and atmosphere flawlessly. There really is nothing that could be done to improve on this aside from maybe adding yet more awesome synthwave tracks, but there is enough variety that you have to score upwards of 10,000 points in one go before you hear the entire soundtrack. As for controls, this game, unlike Rad Racer, is based on drifting, and it is hella fun. It has a moderate learning curve, but once you work it out, the game's controls are smooth as silk. As the person who, at the time of this review, holds the #3 spot on Infinite Dream, let me just say that the game is not difficult to master, and is fun to play while learning. If you find the big fat long hall, you can fishtail in it for massive drifting. There is so much enjoyment to be had here. It may not be a game you play all the time, but when you wanna kick back and relax, it sure hits the spot.
The game has infinite replayability due to being proceedurally generated. As long as there are people above you on the leaderboards, you have something to aim for in addition to just taking a relaxing drive. Whether you want to compete for score or just chill, this game delivers.
I absolutely recommend this game to anyone who enjoys any sort of driving game. You don't have to drift to play or even win (only for achievements), and you don't have to care about score or achievements. Even if you just want to grab a car and go, you'll have fun, as the starting car handles perfectly well for the entire game. Best of all, it's not a very expensive game. For an indy title that delivers on everything it is trying to deliver on, LoneDev's Synthwave Dream '85 gets a gold star and a bravo.
