4.5/5 ★ – PigParty's review of Pacific Drive.

Beaten: 11/6/2024 Playtime: 46 hours What an incredible game. I had hoped there would be a captivating, mysterious story but there really isn't. It's just audio of three characters you never see who talk to you and each other every once in a while. That said, the audio logs and written logs are really interesting. This is a game that builds a world and tells its story through that rather than directly giving the player a narrative. The meat of this game is its gameplay and discovery. It has great driving mechanics, great looting, great crafting and progression. The discoveries you constantly will make are incredible. You know you're going to see new anomalies when you enter a new area but I still found myself going "oh shit" every time. The graphics are beautiful. The soundtrack amongst the various radio stations are wonderful to listen to and set the mood as much as the scenery and visuals do. My favorite song is Train Song. This game is really just a vibe. Hop in, hop out. Enjoy yourself at the beginning of your drive and stress yourself out at the end. Nothing better than that loop. If you don't like having to constantly repair things, craft new upgrades and replace the old ones, then this game might not be for you. But the game handles it really well. It all works in tangent with the stress and preparation going into each run. Your door might have full health but is worn out and will completely, irreparably break at some point. Do you risk keeping it on for the next run or replace it? Do you have the materials to replace it? This is a Stalker game but with some Firewatch-like aspects. It's cozy at times. It's beautiful at times. It's also stressful, and incidentally terrifying at other times. Pacific Drive can probably be beaten in about 20-25 hours for most people but I took my time with it, traveled to every junction, enjoyed the scenery, and spent a whopping 46 hours in this beautiful game. Highly recommended.