Bite-sized Review:
JDM: Rise of the Scorpion

By Chris Picone, 19 August 2024

JDM: Rise of the Scorpion is a racing game that most reminds me of the 90s Need For Speed games except it's set in Japan and features lovely modern graphics and a focus on drifting.  Rise of the Scorpion is a prologue game, giving us the backstory to the Japanese Drift Master main game. 

Aesthetics

Look: The graphics aren't quite up to GTA 5 or Cyberpunk standards - but what is? It's a bloody good looking game, especially given the setting.  I thoroughly enjoyed racing through the winding streets of Haikama Lake.  Given almost all the racing games I've played - well, excluding rally games - have been set in generic or American settings, it was refreshing. There's plenty of detail and it has nice little forested areas, tunnels, lots of narrow streets through the village itself, and a sort of highway with a beautiful view of the lake.  And the kicker is the story, which is told through a nice little manga that plays at the beginning and end of every mission. 

Gameplay

Although JDM presents itself as a simulator similar to NFS or GTA with its car & tuneup shops and free roaming between missions, it's very much an arcade game at heart. And it's pretty cheesy - every time you hit your handbrake, you start a drift. But that's actually what I like about it. I'm a casual racing game fan. If I want to play a thinking game, I'll go for an RPG or strategy game. If I'm playing a racing game, I just want to chill out and take a car for a spin, hit some speed and do some cool tricks. JDM delivers that. Controls are easy to master and the car's easy to handle, although that can change depending on how you set your car up for understeer/oversteer, your suspension, and so on. JDM also offers a good range of race types, which I enjoy.  Some missions see you drifting for points against a clock, or against one or multiple opponents. Others are straight races.  And Haikama Lake is the perfect setting.  Each mission takes you through a section of the village and honestly the level design is just perfect.

Verdict

JDM is cheesy and fun, a fantastic drifting game with an absolutely brilliant setting that I think any casual or arcade racing fan will enjoy. 

Links: 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1364930/JDM_Rise_of_the_Scorpion/