Slowdrive

I sometimes wonder why we don't see more sloths in video games. Sure, they're slow and not the most agile creatures, but they're also adorable and always look like they're smiling. In an industry that has turned bats, seals, bandicoots and even hedgehogs into platforming heroes, you would think that the sloth would get more love. But apparently nobody cares about sloths, a fact that I find a little depressing. Perhaps that's why I was so excited to play Slowdrive, a brand new racing game built around a good-natured sloth that is desperately trying to get home. Here's hoping this unorthodox driving simulator will remind developers that this animal is pretty damn awesome.

So here's a premise I didn't see coming: You play a nameless sloth that falls out of his tree and accidentally gets lost. Thankfully, he has a car and knows how to drive, which sets up a fun little racer where we speed through a series of short tracks in an attempt to get back to the tree. Wait ... did I say speed? That's not entirely accurate, because this is probably the slowest driving game I've ever played, which is just one of the delightful things that sets Slowdrive apart from the Gran Turismos, Burnouts and Forzas that are so common in the genre.

The goal of each level is to not just drive to the checkered finish line, but figure out the fastest path to get there. In that sense, Slowdrive feels a lot like a puzzle game. The solution is not always as straight forward as you might expect, which means that the poor sloth will need to jump over barriers and search for shortcuts that will shave seconds off of your time. Once you've completed three individual tracks, you'll have to slowly speed through a stage that merges them together to create a lengthy course that is both challenging and scenic.

For as simple as the concept is, I was excited to see the variety of stages and obstacles. The 60 tracks are spread across four different locations, each adding a new layer of difficulty to the drive home. At first you just have to figure out the fasted route, but it won't take long before you're making epic jumps, navigating loop-de-loos and even dealing with moving platforms. And don't expect to upgrade your car and suddenly go faster, because what you see is what you get. This is a game about using the slow speed to your advantage and learning the ins and outs of every course.

While I'm not looking for upgrade parts or role-playing elements, I do wish there was a little more to Slowdrive. Even with the addition of harder obstacles, the game ends up growing repetitive in a hurry. It's the type of game you'll want to pick at little by little and not binge in a single sitting. It would have been nice to see more variety in the modes and levels, especially towards the end. You'll definitely run into a lot of repeated ideas and the patched together courses start to feel like filler after a while.

On a similar note, I wish the sloth had more of a personality. I know this may sound like nitpicking, but I was hoping we might get more than the simple cinema that sets up the drive home. A little personality and a proper name would go a long way to establishing the character and turn him into the ultimate video game sloth. He may still earn that title by default, but I still wish I could use a real name.

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Nitpicking aside, I do have some issues with the way the game handles with controllers. For one thing, I couldn't get Slowdrive to work with my PlayStation 4 pad. The Xbox One controller works, but it has its own set of problems. It often felt like the car accelerate at random speeds, even when the button is fully pushed. There are moments where you can't make the jump because the car starts out too slow, while you'll end up being twice as fast in the very next attempt. I could never figure out where the speed disparity came from or if it was related to the controller I was using.

While it's not as varied as I would have liked, I guarantee that Slowdrive will be the best racing game you play this year starring a sloth. The levels are bright and colorful, the courses are deceptively tricky, and the six dollar asking price is a steal for the amount of content you get. It may not be fast-paced and I wish the sloth had more of a personality, but Slowdrive is a winning game that you won't soon forget.