After all of my time playing video games, racing games are the only ones that I have actively steered away from. The few racing games that I have played have a very mediocre and repetitive gameplay system. There tends to be nothing different between racing titles, and they have all blended into a single entity to me. So I was surprised when Slipstream wound up becoming one of my favorite games of the year. Slipstream boasts an 80’s inspired world with nostalgic artwork, sentimental music, and interesting game modes that left me glued to the screen for hours.

The presentation of Slipstream is its main draw. The retro art style mixed with the techno-electrical soundtrack add much-needed personality and vibrance to the simplistic gameplay. While the gameplay is fairly basic compared to other racing games, the use of the time travel and “slipstream” mechanic adds a lot of depth to playthroughs.

Slipstream also boasts a wide array of gamemodes. Grand Tour offers a beautiful introduction to the amazingly designed landscapes of the maps. Grand Prix is a more traditional cup-based game mode. Cannonball offers the option of customization to the player, giving them the opportunity to choose which stages and conditions they want to race in. Single Race and Time Trial are fairly straightforward in their gameplay, as they are both exactly what their names imply. Finally, the most entertaining of this game's modes is Battle Royale. This game mode sees the person who is in last place get eliminated at the end of every map. While this is very time-consuming, it is also extremely satisfying to see yourself as the last man standing.

Overall, Slipstream was one of the most surprising releases of this year. While to most players, it might not seem that in-depth in terms of gameplay, the interesting style and presentation of the game sets it apart as one of the best games to come out in 2022.

Score: 8/10