After 45 million downloads, this is the latest game from Grease Monkey Studios
Torque Drift 2 is the latest racing game coming from the Australian company Grease Monkey Games, and it really embraces Web3 technology and NFTs. An early garage preview of the game is already available in Early Access through the Epic Games Store, and more features will be added down the road.
In Web3 we’ve seen a variety of racing games hit the market, but none of them come close to the graphic fidelity seen in Torque Drift 2. This racing game takes place in a fictional Japanese city, and goes deep into street racing and drifting culture. The trailer below is already turning heads, as it gathered 2.8+ million views on TikTok within 48 hours.
What will you be able to do in Torque Drift 2?
Gameplay in Torque Drift 2 will not only revolve around racing. There’s a whole culture that also taps into your creative spirit. There are the five gameplay pillars that will shape Torque Drift 2:
- Collect – you can collect a range of NFTs to customize your gameplay experience
- Customize – alter your car’s body kit, liveries, avatar and your garage using NFTs
- Create – design custom liveries, set up events, prepare tracks and more, all for the community to use or purchase
- Connect – join community events and chat with players across the globe
- Compete – race in head-to-head races with a crew or on your own
Is Torque Drift 2 already out?
Yes and no, you can download an early access version of Torque Drift 2 (Garage Preview) from the Epic Games Store. However, this is not the final version.
In this early version of the game, customization of your car takes a center point. There’s a limited amount of cars available, and not all customizable parts can be used yet. Among the customizable parts you will find wheels, lug nets, brakes, tyres, exhaust tips, steering wheels, shift knobs and even the seats. At the time of writing, you can use the customization garage and the photo booth feature.
Is Torque Drift 2 pay-to-win?
No, digital items can both be purchased and earned through skills and expertise. However, players have the opportunity to purchase, earn or find items that they can customize, sell or use in games both inside and outside of Grease Monkey’s IP’s.
Will Torque Drift 2 become a paid game?
No, the team made this game to be a free-to-play experience, while giving the player a choice to engage with blockchain technology or not.
Your track record customizes your NFTs
Players can expect to customize their cars, parts, avatar, tracks and garage. However, customisation extends far beyond performance or aesthetics though. Through the use of blockchain technology, every mile driven, tournament win and significant gameplay event will be linked to your unique game item forever. This means that certain game items can create a rich history and gameplay legacy.
User generated content in Torque Drift 2
Down the line, Torque Drift 2 wants to fully embrace user generated content (UGC) and modding. UGC will allow players to use game tools to create and publish assets. However, with modding things go a bit deeper as it will allow third-party tools to create content that players can access from within the game’s modding and community section.
Grease Monkey Games wants Torque Drift 2 to become a motorsports playground. Players can potentially become tuners, who utilize their knowledge to create and tune the best racing cars for drivers with certain needs. Artists can create paint jobs, while event organizers can create street races in the game world which includes sponsorships. And of course, you can become a driver who find his racing family with one of the many crews found in the game world.
Two game modes to compete in
Torque Drift 2 offers players two different race modes, each with a very distinct setting. The Street mode takes place at night, in the hills and back streets of Japan. In this game mode it’s not only about horsepower, but also about controlling your car through mountain passes and past street signs.
On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the Pro mode. Here players race on closed tracks with roaring crowds. Pro circuits are where drivers go for fame and glory. These tournaments put 8 up to 64 drivers against each other, while being judged on their speed, angle, line and style.
While races generally take place in 1v1 multiplayer drift battles, there will also be crew-based tournaments.
Fictional location with real brands
Torque Drift 2 takes place in a fictional coastal city in Japan, but the game world is filled with recognizable brands. For example, Nissan vehicles are a big part of the game. When the developers designed these digital cars, they used state-of-the-art LiDAR and photogrammetry. As a result, they now have every precise detail from the actual cars scanned and shown in their game. Every car is a nearly perfect replica of the actual, physical car.
When will Torque Drift 2 drivable experience be ready?
Grease Monkey Games has just released TD2 garage review on Epic Games, with a drivable experience slated for early 2024. However, rumors on Discord suggest that the drivable experience might be released earlier than next year.
On a monthly basis the team wants to provide content updates, enriching the experience of players diving into Torque Drift 2 early.
It’s also important to note that the community plays a significant role in the development of this drifting game. When the community engages and starts creating, the amount of content, mods and events for Torque Drift 2 could really blow up.