Pacific Drive

This game is fantastic.
Pacific Drive has been described as "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is happening in the Pacific Northwest and all you have is a car". However, the gameplay loop feels more like Subnautica. There are no classical enemies, no combat -- every threat is environmental; you are trapped in a part of the world being overrun by Anomolies, many of which are mobile and almost all are dangerous. Hailing from your garage in a small pocket of peace, you forage out deeper and deeper into increasingly dangerous zones, driven by the plot and a desire for more difficult-to-obtain resources.
The game is insanely atmospheric, and as immersive as you could ask for. Every element, from graphics to sound design to environment building, is crafted to evoke the experience that is Pacific Drive. Especially the music. I have not fallen in love with a soundtrack like I have the one on this game's radio in ages. I've added music from Pacific Drive to my playlist so I can listen to it when not playing the game.
I was not expecting the game to be so intense. You can never return the way you came, so the only way back to your safe base is by generating a portal. Doing so requires collecting enough of your zone's energy and triggering the portal with a device that only works at a distance. The moment you do, the zone begins to collapse rapidly around you, prompting a mad dash to reach the portal. Deeper zones require more unstable energy types which in turn require opening the portal from farther away. Making those mad dashes progressively longer, through more dangerous territory with a more oppressive ticking clock.
The zones are hand-crafted, but hazards and resources are randomly generated, as is your entry and exit points, allowing you to explore almost-familiar areas repeatedly while never knowing just what you will find or experience.
The plot is thin but solid, sold by excellent voice acting (including a character who will never not sound like Captain Janeway to me). The lore you can scrounge up is fun, especially the multi-part documentary you can round up the pieces of, giving some great history and an outsider's impression of a situation you are far more familiar with. The decision to make the car, the center of your experience, basically an SCP, allows a lot of game mechanics (like what happens if you die) to be rooted directly into the story rather than require player departmentalization.
Praise to the developers for many extremely good mechanical decisions. First and foremost, for me, was their attention to the needs of gamers who suffer motion sickness. There are multiple settings to eliminate (or at least minimize) issues.
Beyond that, the game has a large number of settings that allow you to customize your gameplay experience, tailoring Pacific Drive. I love that you can adjust your QoL in this game, allowing or disabling things like swapping parts with a part you are holding, or how long you have to hold the key to turn the ignition. Additionally, you can adjust elements which may alter the difficulty, but make the game far more enjoyable depending on your playstyle. (Halfway through the game, I turned off the non-gateway-related zone timer so that I could spend my time immersing myself in exploration without feeling pushed to speedrun each zone.) And major kudos for none of these adjustments disabling achievements. I, for one, don't care about achievements; but it never sits well when a game tries to punish you for playing your way. Pacific Drive never does that.
Some of the additional touches just made my day. Like representative car stickers being included for free, or the decal set you can find which decorates your car in the style of the Scoobie Doo Mystery Machine.
As for the bad, there is so very little that the flaws barely detract from enjoying Pacific Drive. In over 90 hours of gameplay, I experienced only two bugs. The first, getting stuck in a submenu, was a minor annoyance that was solved by navigating to another part of the menu rather than trying to close the menus directly. The second was considerably more problematic: sometimes, upon loading a save, the zone graphically glitched. I had to reload several times on multiple occasions, but the game always eventually loaded properly.
In addition to these two bugs, there are two design features that I did not appreciate. No, this isn't a rant about being unable to save while on a run. I understand how problematic that can be for many. But I also understand the developer's decision and appreciate the feeling of threat added by not being able to save-scum anything out there. I adjusted my settings to allow pausing, and that took care of any issues I personally had with RL interruptions.
Rather, the two issues are these: most of the late game equipment requires a large amount of a resource called Olympian Fragments which are exceptionally rare and in areas you cannot farm conveniently. Thankfully, you need none of that equipment to successfully get through the end of the game. Which is fortunate because you will have virtually none of it. The other issue I had was that cosmetics -- paint and decals -- have limited use. Which means if you find a design for your car that you fall in love with, you won't be able to keep it when parts start wearing out unless the RNG is kind.
But like I said, these things are not enough to sour the game. Not even a little.
I have driven all the way to the end. And now I'm free-roaming the area. Just for a little bit longer. I'm not ready to leave yet.

A lot of negative comments are about not being able to save where you want - yes, it's true.
What they don't mention is the fact that what you need for a run to be completed is about 20-30 minutes at a time, You choose how long a run is - you can gather resources you need to exit straight a way....this game really doesn't require you to have a 2-3h runs. It is completely up to you.
It gives you an opportunity to push your luck in order to get more/better resources....but you don't have to do it. It's very similar in that way to other roguelites. Your run can easily be contained to a 20/30 minutes game-play session - but if you want better loot it will take longer and be more dangerous. Your choice.
I feel it really needs to be stated to make it clear as negative comments make it seems like you need an extensive game play session at a time to achieve anything.
I get it - it would be nice to save and quit, but pushing you luck and deciding whether you want more or you are ready to exit is whole point of a game loop here. You don't have to explore every single location on the map - if you do it's your choice. And it's your choice that it takes longer that way and is more dangerous.

I feel that this is one of those games that does not need a review; If you've heard/seen this game and it seems like something you would enjoy, you almost certainly will. On the other hand if it just sounds boring and unengaging, it's probably not the game for you. Regardless I would still like to write a review here just what you should expect from this game and other things you should know before you make the purchase. :]
----- What to expect
THIS IS NOT A SIMULATION GAME. Despite having very in-depth customization, this game really should not be thought of as a car simulation game. If you are expecting something like My Summer Car I'm afraid you will be disappointed. The controls and physics are very forgiving and arcade-y, the physics are a bit floaty but extremely snappy and responsive. The car may sometimes pick up a lot of speed real quick, but if something really feels off it probably means there's an anomaly screwing with you, or something is broken and needs fixing. The mainteneance is very simple and arcadey too, but what this game lacks in realism it more than makes up for with it's unique scavenger-like gameplay and STALKER-like identity.
SCAVENGE, RESEARCH, MAINTAIN AND PROGRESS is the basic gameloop of this here game. It's incredibly addictive and very fun, every time you think you've seen it all and you start to get familiar with the exclusion zone, it throws something new your way. The way the difficulty is introduced and scales with progress is wonderful. The way you slowly progress from replacing full panels with new, shitty and cheap crude panels to instead having more expensive parts in your car and mainting them instead is incredibly gratifying.
THE SOUNDTRACK IS AMAZING. I just really think this needs to be mentioned too. :] While it's not quite as wide and varied as a AAA title the soundtrack is carefully curated and filled with amazing songs that fit the sour, bittersweet, "Driving alone on a rainy night" atmosphere and vibe of this game. It's varied enough that it doesn't get old either. It's so good, it was a very big part of what made me like this game as much as I do.
----- THE BAD. Things you should know before buying
VERY POOR OPTIMIZATION. This game really just does not run too good, we have a really powerful and capable rig here, and yet this game consistently dropped to below 30 while playing it, and while this game is by no means ugly it also really does not have enough going on in it to justify such poor performance. Strangely, these problems with performance only seem to affect the early areas of the game; The later areas run far, far better than the early ones. This is one of those games where you just... can't worry about whether or not it will run, it's a game that *will* run bad regardless of how good your PC is, and it's something you just have to come to terms with to enjoy the experience (It's still very much worth it in my opinion).
THE RADIO DOES NOT DRAIN THE BATTERY. This is not a problem but I think you should know this. :] If you are one of those perfectionist like myself, and you're trying to always use as few resources as possible, know this; Judging from our own experimentation, in this current patch of the game, the radio does not consume battery and leaving the car on idle does not burn fuel either. :]
----- Personal opinion
I know numeric ratings are cringe, but if you'd like one from me, I'd give this game an 8/10. It's incredibly solid and fun, but it has a few problems that really hold it back; The optimization first and foremost, as well as some balancing problems. (Near useless abilities, road flares ruining my inventory >:[) I don't know how much of a popular opinion this is but I'd really like for this game to have a HARD or REALISTIC mode, with more punishing resources, damage, controls and etc. GIVE THE CAR A MANUAL TRANSMISSION COWARDS >:[
Also an option for a custom OST would be a godsend. (As good as the soundtrack is, nothing beats being able to listen to your own favorite tracks)

The bones of a truly magnificent game are all here. It really is one of the most unique games I've played and something about the vehicle being the very core of gameplay was extremely satisfying. The loop of venturing out, scavenging, repairing and upgrading etc. is an addiction and some of my favorite moments of the game are spent in the garage repairing and preparing my car for my next outting.
After you venture into the world for 25ish hours, however, the game begins to lose the magic of its gimmick. And to be fair what game doesn't after that long? The anomaly variety isn't all that great and after you get some great parts and experience behind the wheel, the stakes aren't so high anymore. I also feel like there's an indescribable flaw with the way you are incentivized to gather resources. The loop explains itself. Drive to zone, gather items, use items to build tools or parts that help you get to next zone and better resources. But I felt like this process could have been more dramatic, more explicit. I was never found wanting for materials, resources, or tools so long as I hoarded enough and explored enough. And of course it can't be a review without mentioning that the ending leaves much to be desired. Those devs better be cooking up something great DLC wise.
It's easy to make the review sound negative hot of the heels of completing the game, but rest assured: if this game sounds like it's your jam, it most certainly is. It's unique, rewarding, a complete blast, and highly immersive. I haven't experienced a game with mechanics quite like it. It kept me well entertained for nearly 50 hours (given that a lot of that time was spent farming and stalling so that I didn't have to finish the game because I enjoyed it so much).

This one turned out to be one of my favorite relaxing games of the last two months. If you like the idea of light themes spooky survival car driving in a radioactive exclusion zone area of the PNW, with enough difficulty to engage but not ultimate be unthreatening and not stress you too much, this is the game for you.

Things I liked

The difficulty curve is mild. The game starts out a bit spooky because of the ambiguity of the noises around you, but you learn pretty quickly that most of the threats in the game are roadblocks or inconveniences. Most. I still generally like this because even as the game progresses early 'threats' aren't any less inconvenient. They were just as unthreatening at the start as they are later, but your presence in zones with them has a different purpose because you shift to gathering energy and mats efficiently and safely before moving on to new zones with unknowns or unsafe conditions. But I like this. I dont want relaxing games to be boring and empty of content, and a lot of 'relaxing' games are. This game HAS content, it HAS engagement, it HAS novelty and discovery and learning and adapting. There arent a lot of games willing to be 'spooky chill survival car maintenance game to relax to', esp not ones that pull off production this good!

The atmosphere and ambiance. The lighting, sound design, forest design, building design, its all quite well made. I never found myself annoyed by any zone ambience, the lighting system, or the level of detail of the world. The home garage area is ESPECIALLY cozy and softly lit. The radio distortion shifting for being in or out of your car feels cozy and nostalgic. The licensed music ESPECIALLY hits well, being mix of predominatly folksy tracks scattered with other genres like synthwave, blues, and so on. None of the tracks are known to me prior and evoke all the correct nostalgia for a fiction that doesnt actually exist.

The ritual of car maintenance and planning a route is excellent for my neurodivergent brain. It quickly becomes comfy routine after a trip; Empty the storage, acquire upgrades, refill fuel, fix up broken parts, restock, plan the route, and go. Turning on the stereo for the aforementioned nostalgic folk music to play in the background fits perfectly to this routine and I never grew bored of it.

Anomalies are pretty nice. While most boil down to a stationary damaging AOE of some sort, a lot of them are nicely inspired inanimate things. I appreciate the naming conventions of Tourists especially, being clothes mannequin that move when you dont look, but also clump near notably odd objects light sightseers. Its catchy and funny to curse the tourists blocking the road. Anomaly based mats also felt nicely inspired. Red balloons especially clever, very weird and strange material.

UI design doesnt get talked about enough. The UI is functional, has good audio cues, feels snappy. Objects rotate in your inventory with ease and simple color notation makes items easy to sort through. Convenience features like the transfer case and quick mat shifting make sorting items generally low hassle. Its easy to find entries in your journal and access new ones with hotkeys. Even the way you manually interact with the car's ignition, gearshift, wipers, headlights, and radio (which also have hotkeys) feels organic.

Characters were fun and the few audio logs were fun to listen to as well. The lines have good delivery and keeping the story to three characters felt right. I saw complaints about the story being rushed at the end, and it's correct. It wasnt a positive note but it also didnt disappoint me. I honestly would just like more content to explore.

Things I wanted to see improved

Quirks are bugs with your car that can develop over time. Mine were often mundane and usually had to do with my battery causing wipers or radio malfunctions, which was very low impact. Perhaps because I was safe and avoided hazards that might generate weird ones? And I never got any beneficial ones which seem possible. Would have liked a bit more balance to smooth out impact and frequency.

Car cosmetic RNG and lack of visibility. You can get paint and decals for your car. In 50 hrs I got purple paint once, yellow four times, and black and blue paint 15 times each. You also cant SEE the colors on most specialty car panels under the mods on them. A lot of the dash ornaments are pretty ugly too, save 1-2. And I didnt find too many.

Some mats matter more than others. Fabric you will want huge quantities of though the whole game. Thermosap also needed too many, I was 2/3rds of the way through the game before I had enough for a new engine. Coral and eggs happen too late and coral also needs huge amounts, I was 15% of the game left before I had comfortably acquired enough for major items. Olympium might as well not matter by the time you get enough because you'll have 3 missions to the end of the game by then. Red balloon and explosives never mattered at all.

Low uniqueness of maptiles. Buildings really needed more detail than singleroom shacks with a chest inside. Minor puzzles in houses or labs along with more detailed buildings with higher quality and quantity rewards would have been awesome, esp in replacement of pneuma tube loot placement. But keep in minor and in process. This game does have time demands but, right now there's just single buildings with one of three locks and 1 room with loot, for 80% of the maptiles.

Some rack mods arent worth using by the time you get them, and some panels arent either. I avoided needing corrosive panels by not going to corrosive-anomaly-heavy zones and... that worked stupidly well. Why prepare when I can avoid? That makes the best generic part Armored type, because you will run through small trees or offroad terrain bumps with frequency even if you avoid all damaging anomalies. Lightsource racks also arent worth it, even if roof spotlight is really cool in concept.

Overpreparation hardly mattered and felt silly except for all of two missions. During those missions I lost two tires to wear and popped one tire. I never had a part fully break mid mission or ever had to swap out a panel or door, or even had to seriously repair a part. Using repair putty in a mission was unnecessary. I got stuck in the Red storm just once due to greed and despite some anxiety still made it out just fine. I also never lost a mission. If you get a bad corrosive or blacksmith anomaly, then the damage is a little fucked up. But that's pretty rare. After that one mission where I had a tire pop? That was the most hostile of any map the game had generated and it was in the fourth to last mission of the game.

That being said, I did PREPARE for my missions. The game is not just easy regardless of prep, my prep made obstacles non-problems (rewarding smart play), whether that was before I left for the garage or gathering loot at junctions or making good decision midgame. But thats why I say the game is chill vibes. You're never really at threat if thats how you game, you can handle when you roll yourself off a cliff in an oopsie.

Closing thoughts
Played with a GTX2070 and i7-12700k at 2K resolution and had good performance. NVIDIA DLSS is pretty great here but noticable every time you return to the garage. Performance was choppy until I turned shadows quality down one step and then I got solid 60FPS the entire rest of game. My car glitched into the ground exactly twice, but they developed an unstuck feature for that thankfully so I think things worked out.

51hrs playtime for not 100% (map zones / cosmetics), but most upgrades unlocked, full story, and about 25 or so runs in total according to my accident board. Its $30 full price and its definitely worth that. I'd put this in my top 25 games for sure, just for how much I enjoyed the relaxing + engaging time I had playing it.

Good game, but the lack of a proper saving system and the fact that the game crashes often takes a lot of fun away.

Pacific Drive is a tremendous survival game that draws healthy comparison to some of the best in the genre. The focus on the station wagon helps to set it apart, with many useful upgrades and customization options. Quirks give the car personality and gadgets improve reliability. Widespread randomization means that every trip plays out differently and there is great reward for planning and executing long drives across an unpredictable region. There is also a fantastic sense of discovery, thanks to weird anomalies and other oddities, in a world that has a suitably creepy atmosphere. With careful preparation and apt driving skill, the next deadly storm will have you singing along with the car’s radio, even though it switched on by itself.

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