A solid entry in the survival-exploration genre that doesn't quite hold up to greats like Subnautica, Pacific Drive stands well on its own but isn't quite as engaging as I'd hoped by the end.

The gameplay loop itself is solid and has good bones that it shares with others: explore, gather, upgrade, explore a little further. There are dangers on the way, but my biggest problem lies there: the anomalies, while initially scary on first encounter, become routine and easier to deal with, and all are solved by the same simple tactic: simply drive around them. Only a select few actively chase you, and those are easily sidelined by an upgrade crafted in the opening hours of the game.

The largest danger is actually yourself and just how greedy you think you can get. My only death through the entire playthrough was caused by lingering somewhere I shouldn't and not healing because I thought I could get away with it. Entirely my fault and it was funny to boot, so I wasn't even frustrated at losing ♥♥♥♥.

Car customization is peak, though I wish we could craft our own paints and decals. A friend found purple paint, yet I never laid eyes on a single can of purple paint in my entire playthrough, plus running out of a favorite decal is frustrating under the best circumstances.

The added benefit of the customization station being locked behind progression that takes >2 hours to get to is hilarious for how much it pisses off the fash so that immediately earns points back, though. A+, devs.

Graphically, the game looks fantastic in its style but is so poorly optimized that I often had to turn down settings I otherwise wouldn't.

The story is fine, if a little basic, but I found the characters present endearing even as just voices on the radio and enjoyed listening to their banter. The lack of subtlety around Tobias & Francis' relationship was made even better with the lategame reveal that actually pulled my heartstrings a little. Well done, devs!