You don’t have to worry much in a land ravaged by environmental collapse, severe radiation, and supernatural entities. After all, you have a car. Drive on to learn more about Pacific Drive, its release date, gameplay, and story.
Pacific Drive Release Date: February 22, 2023
Pacific Drive comes out on February 22, 2024. It is available for wishlisting on PlayStation 5 and PC, either via Steam or the Epic Games Store. The game was originally supposed to come out in 2023. However, developer Ironwood Studios announced back in April that the game would receive a release date delay. They mentioned that this delay was to prioritize the health of the team. They did, however, assure that the game was in its “final stretch”.
Pre-orders for both the PlayStation and PC versions of the game are now available. Additionally, a demo for the game is available for its PC version. The developers also revealed the release times for the game. On PS5, the game will come out at midnight, 12:00 AM, in each local region, starting with NZ/AUS at 11:00 PM UTC. On PC, on the other hand, the game will release simultaneously in all regions on 12:00 AM PST, 8:00 AM UTC.
Pacific Drive gameplay
Pacific Drive is a run-based, first-person driving survival game. Judging from what is shown in the trailer, it is a roguelite game. That means that the player repeatedly goes on runs down a path, and gets upgrades to help in their next runs. Most of the game will revolve around the player driving through the map. Sometimes, the player needs to step out and repair their car or gather resources, but you still drive most of the time. While driving, the player will have to dodge and weave their way through different kinds of obstacles. The trailer shows us some obstacles, such as floating rocks or goo-filled things. If the car is destroyed or rendered undrivable, the player and the car are transported back to the starting point.
The player starts each run in a garage. While in this garage, they can choose which routes to run. They can also upgrade their car to help them last longer in their runs. Upgrades include armor plating, maneuverability boosts, and more. The website hints that the car “develops its quirks and personality”. We can only wait to find out just what exactly they mean. Other than the car, the garage has upgrades of its own. Just like with the car, upgrading the garage helps the player navigate the routes better.
As with most roguelites. the routes are unique and randomized each time. Each run is unique in its own way, so players always need to adjust to the changes on the fly. As you explore the map, you will learn more about the history of the place, and maybe even figure out how to get out.
Pacific Drive story
In the year 1995, the US government turned a region in the Pacific Northwest into an area of experimentation. There, they test new technologies. However, this came at a great cost, and the government had to wall off the ravaged area, dubbing it the Olympic Exclusion Zone. Out of curiosity, you explore near the perimeter but get stuck inside when things don’t go as planned. While inside, you discover a car, and later a garage. Your objective is clear: repair the car, escape the zone, and learn more about this zone.
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