Supernatural, this word often arouses people’s curiosity and imagination. It involves going beyond the scope of our understanding of natural laws and scientific principles to reveal a being or phenomenon that transcends the physical world. Paranormal events have been a fascinating topic throughout all periods of human history and across cultures. From mysterious supernatural occurrences to awe-inspiring superpowers, the paranormal inspires our desire for the unknown and beyond the norm.
In this strange and twisted world, driving in the face of extreme bad weather, avoiding the ensuing changes, and exploring unknown areas again and again, just to uncover the mystery of the Olympic restricted area hidden behind the high wall. “Pacific Drive” will bring us a confusing and strange journey.
“Pacific Drive” relies too much on “black” in its depiction of the horror atmosphere. It is undeniable that many excellent horror games use “blackness” to make players better immersed in the game and gain a better sense of immersion. The car lights are too fragile, causing the vehicle to often remain in a state of being unable to see its fingers in the dark, and can only refer to the map to determine whether it is still on the road.
Usually, the atmosphere of a game is achieved through multiple aspects. Game sound effects and soundtrack are very important factors. The music player in Obi’s auto repair shop and the radio in the car all use genuine original music from Wilbert Roget II, adding a touch of comfort to the tense and exciting atmosphere.
Speaking of Wilbert Roget II, as a well-known video game composer, he has provided music production for many excellent games, including “Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris”, “Call of Duty: WWII” and “Anew: The Distant Light” and so on. His work is admired for its ability to capture the essence of games, effectively enhancing atmosphere and narrative. Living up to expectations, the pleasant music and mutated low sounds played the prelude to the forest of terror. Driving on a deserted tree-lined path, the low roar emitted by the strange changes seemed to indicate that danger was approaching.
Driving in the sunny forest while listening to a ditty during the daytime, it feels like you are already outside the task of investigating the restricted area. The situation suddenly changes, and when night falls, the strange light flashing deep in the forest adds a little weirdness to this dark world with almost no street lights. The game does not use jump scares to create a scary atmosphere. The mutations generated everywhere in the map are often right in front of the players. Kidnappers patrolling everywhere will drag your car into dangerous places, and sudden ground collapse will also cause the car to lose durability. In a forest full of mutations, only by keeping the car intact can you ensure your own safety.
Driving a car for the first time on the Olympic Peninsula, getting closer to the Separation Wall, the mysterious power becomes more and more apparent, from the strange sounds coming from the radio to the gradual distortion of the map, and finally being sucked into the restricted area within the Separation Wall by a mysterious force . Behind the weird separation wall, abandoned cars and deserted residential buildings can be seen everywhere, adding more explorability to the game. Players need to collect items in abandoned houses (commonly known as picking up garbage) and find props that can keep the vehicle intact so that the journey will not be affected. On this basis, “Pacific Drive” has designed many new gameplay contents and opened up a new driving survival simulation.
Compared with traditional survival adventure games, “Pacific Drive” is not just about adding vehicles for outdoor survival. Through constant reincarnation of regional exploration, players can feel the supernatural power while also reaping the pleasure of driving, but for a The most important thing for a driver is to modify his own car with his own hands. In “Supernatural Car Tour”, vehicle modification can also be realized.
If you want to be a car mechanic
I was reborn, and traveled with my car into the Olympic restricted area. The car was blown to pieces, but I didn’t suffer any injuries. After finding a new car, I finally came to a place called Obi Auto Repair Shop, where I will also take the first step to become an auto repair master.
Obi’s auto repair shop has everything you need, and as a survival adventure, “Pacific Drive” also has a growth system. Through constant “picking up garbage”, you can unlock more vehicle modification items. Just a car light can be divided into simple and simple ones. Car lights, headlights, insulated headlights, biological headlights, etc. The functions of different modified parts are also very different. Insulated car lights can still work when the vehicle is in a discharge state, and biological headlights can shine brighter and farther. Through continuous modification, players can also have their own special tanks.
For materials, whether it is repair or modification, they are an indispensable part. The aforementioned “picking up garbage” is also one of the important steps in becoming an auto mechanic. Regardless of any vehicle accessories, there is no such thing as purchasing. Every modified component requires players to do it themselves. It is worth mentioning that the trash can in Obi’s auto repair shop is an important factor in easing the difficulty of the game. When interacting with it, it will give players many key props, which can be used whether it is repairing or modifying cars.
About the driving experience
Although players can leave the car and explore their surroundings on their own, driving is the main element that drives the plot. As for the driving design, “Pacific Drive” very cleverly combines it with the horror background. The car key needs to be manually twisted, and the gear needs to be manually shifted. These seemingly ordinary settings can give players a full sense of urgency when danger is approaching.
In Obi’s auto repair shop, players can select the destination they want to go to through the map, and then they can drive out of the store and “jump” to the area they want to go to via the blue light at the map indicator. Note that the meaning of “nearby” means that even if we choose the destination later, we still need to drive through the previous map. This also greatly emphasizes the importance of “picking up garbage”. After all, no one wants to repeat the experience. Same journey, unless there’s more to collect.
“Pacific Drive” gives people a reincarnation experience. After completing a task in an area, jumping back to the base, and then coming to this area again. Although coming to this area again is just a cutscene for the main line, players have more Spend more time and interest in “picking up garbage”. How many people are willing to pick up trash first and then complete the task? After completing the task, the player needs to collect “stable anchor points” to add energy to the ARC device. This is also an important step in starting the jump. Once the jump is started, the world where the player is located will change. It will collapse, which can actually be said to be the driving phase entering racing mode. The edge of the world where the player is located will continue to shrink, and they need to rush to the jump point as soon as possible before danger comes.
in conclusion
“Pacific Drive” perfectly integrates survival adventure and driving simulation. In addition, vehicle modification is also a core part of the gameplay. Through free exploration after getting off the car and then free assembly after returning home, “Pacific Drive” brings players a comprehensive driving experience. From collecting parts by yourself to assembling the car to driving the car you made for adventure, there is nothing wrong with it. It doesn’t get much more interesting than that.
The game’s in-depth depiction of the atmosphere goes beyond the game’s autonomous experience. Although each different area has numerous resources, fundamentally speaking, the strong gloomy atmosphere has more or less impact on the player’s interactive experience. Compared with Due to collecting in such a harsh environment, players are more willing to return to the battlefield during the next calm day.
In general, as the debut work of a small team like Ironwood Studios, it is indeed a satisfactory answer to the players after several years. Even though it may still have problems with some details, I believe that through the continuous optimization of Ironwood Studios , “Pacific Drive” will also be worth looking forward to.
