Another JDM-Based Touge Drifting Game Is Coming Soon, And It Looks Awesome

If we’re honest, there has been no shortage of JDM-based touge drifting games that have recently hit the indie racing scene. However, the recently announced ‘ASUKA x Redline Reverie’ (formerly ‘ASUKA: The Ascent’) aims to bring something a little different from what we’ve seen before.

This isn’t another JDM: Japanese Drift Master, or an Initial D clone. Although, admittedly, it could be passed off as a mix of the two. However, once you see the visuals, you’ll soon realize that MoJu Studios’ small indie offering still feels uniquely fresh in its approach, largely thanks to the “casual, stylized aesthetic.”

Stunningly Simple Visuals

Forget photorealism – the game goes full anime. Visual aspects, such as the drifting tire smoke effects, are unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Check out this clip to see them for yourself:

Weather and time-of-day variations transform the nighttime into an incredible-looking experience. Motion blur effects capture the speed, while mystical fog fills the voids between the cherry blossoms.

As for the cars themselves, they also nail the anime balance, seemingly both grippy yet slippy in the corners, often with quirky, exaggerated widebody-style proportions.

Familiar JDM Cars You’ll Undoubtedly Recognize

Although there’s no official licensing (the lack of cars in JDM: Japanese Drift Master proved this isn’t necessarily a bad thing), any JDM fan will recognize the legendary cars we’ve spotted in the teasers so far:

• Datsun 240Z/280Z
• Honda Civic EK9
• Honda CRX
• Honda NSX
• Mazda RX-7 FC
• Mazda RX-7 FD
• Mazda Miata (Eunos)
• Nissan Skyline R32
• Nissan Skyline R34
• Nissan Silvia S13/S14
• Toyota AE86
• Subaru Impreza
• Kei-style traffic cars

Over 50 JDM cars are expected to feature in the final game. There will also be surprisingly in-depth tuning options, including engine tuning (such as air-fuel ratio adjustments, camshaft timing, etc.), as well as tire and suspension tweaks.

More Than Just Street Drifting 

There’s a selection of courses for street racing and drifting, ranging from 6-10 km endurance runs to technical 1-2 km sections, along with other locations, including “Nagano’s frozen lake” and “Gymkhana stadium”.

You also get to visit internet cafes to order local parts and local mechanics for upgrades and tuning instead of navigating endless menus – hopefully similar to what we’ve experienced in NIGHTRUNNERS.

In the story, you play as Asuka Sakai, a college student hiding her street racing addiction from her farming village family. She ends up getting involved with the shady Shaitan Shadow street racing crew, and the story takes a dark turn, “pulling her into a web of secrets, betrayal, and high-stakes confrontations.”

There are over 200 rivals, each with their driving styles, “from hardcore revheads to ragtag crews of misfits”. Some are aggressive, others technical.

Why It’s Worth Looking Out For

It’s bringing something a little different, and let’s face it, we can never have too many touge street racing/drifting games to choose from! Plus, it has Eurobeat. What more could you want?!

The game is currently in development for PC, with no official release date announced.

Potential fans who like what they’ve seen so far are already asking whether it’ll get a port to consoles. The team admitted, “Perhaps, it depends how much traction we can get though, as porting it can be a little costly for indie devs like us!”

We hope the game receives the support it deserves, as it’s off to a great start so far. You can follow the latest project updates on X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Discord, and Wishlist the game now on Steam.

If you like the look of ASUKA, we think you’ll also like the recently announced ‘Lead The Dragon’ game