The devs behind JDM: Japanese Drift Master are back with a demon-slaying driving game

Gaming Factory has lifted the veil on a new project that’s half old-school Carmageddon and half Need For Speed. JDM: Ph4ntom Driver invites you to “drive your JDM ride like a lethal weapon, drift through the corrupted open world, and smash hordes of Youkai as the Hero wielding the power of Destruction". Oh, go on then. You twisted our arm.

Whereas JDM: Japanese Drift Master’s roads were set in a stylised present day, this time the world has a lot more fantasy elements to it. The hordes of demonic Youkai are the most obvious of which, but it’s also evident in the environments themselves. It looks like the fictional Guntama prefecture is being gradually reclaimed by nature, with vines and trees growing over neon signs and concrete blocks.

The gameplay hook here is that your car is your weapon. You’re fighting back the demon hordes by driving through them, and, we’d wager, getting the back end out to scythe the mob down in satisfying drift arcs.

You’ll unlock new car parts and combat abilities as you go, and there are even boss fights. Is it Dark Souls on four wheels, then? Hmm - good luck animating a car drinking from an Estus Flask, Gaming Factory.

No release date yet, but the game’s Steam page is live now and has a few more details, including a visually arresting announcement trailer. We’re always up for ambitious genre mashups, so we’ll be keeping a look out for further updates to this one.