KartRider: Drift is an arcade kart racing game that is similar to Mario Kart in many ways. However, it has the advantage of being free-to-play on a wide variety of devices, which thanks to cross-platform capabilities, can be enjoyed together with friends regardless of console preference.
The other way in which KartRider: Drift goes beyond its kart racing competition is in the complexity of its mechanics, especially in Speed Mode where managing drifts and boosts is essential for those looking to compete with the best. Despite the game's high skill ceiling, new players should not be daunted as KartRider can be enjoyed at any level and features a comprehensive tutorial system for beginners.
5 Complete The License Tutorials
Though KartRider features a short tutorial at the start of the game, the best way to learn everything about the game at a steady pace is by completing the three Licenses B2, B1, and L1 which get progressively harder. Each License features a set of mini-missions that teach players about a particular skill, and to progress to the next one, players must earn at least 1 star. The last stage of a License is a duel versus the AI where players can deploy everything they have learned.
By completing a License players will not only learn about the game and develop their skills, but they will also unlock harder and more interesting racetracks which can only be obtained in this way. On top of this, they will receive a unique kart for each License unlocked.
4 Enable Guidelines
By going into the Gameplay Settings and locating the options under the title Display Guide, beginner players can enable some features that will help tremendously at the start of their kart racing career. By far the most helpful of these are the two at the top, Track Guidelines and Drift Zones. The Track Guideline is similar to guidelines in other racing games and highlights the fastest route players can take which is especially important for corners.
The Drift Zones highlight the areas on corners where players should aim to start and end their drifts. As each corner on every track will be different, this is a great tool for learning. The other three options of Instant Boost Hint, Item Hint, and Landing Spot can also come in handy for new players, but having all enabled at once can result in the screen becoming too cluttered.
3 Learn All The Items
Item Mode is the game mode in KartRider Drift which is most similar to Mario Kart where players drive through boxes to gain a random item which can be used to mess up their opponent's race or salvage their own. Knowing exactly what each item does and how to use them is an easy way to gain an advantage over other beginners.
With access to defensive items such as the Shield, knowing what can be blocked and when it should be used is extremely helpful. By keeping in mind that the UFO targets and slows down the racer currently in first place, players might decide to hold off from taking prime position till the end.
2 Practice The Tracks
As with any racing game each track presents its own challenges, and as players unlock more maps after completing their Licenses they will notice the increase in difficulty. Becoming familiar with each and every track is a great place to start, and from there players can then concentrate on learning the more complex turns, especially those that if done badly can result in players falling off the map.
While all of this can be learned on the go in multiplayer races, the option is always there to load up a custom game and practice a track in peace with no bananas to slip on. Players can also practice in the Time Attack mode, where they can try to beat their previous time records as they steadily get better on each track.
1 Understand The Basics Of Drifting
As suggested by the game's title, drifting plays a major role in KartRider: Drift, and though beginners are not expected to understand all the intricacies that are necessary to compete at the top, getting to grips with the basics can help. Drifting plays a bigger role in Speed Mode where players are unable to make up for a lack of pace by sabotaging opponents with items, as can be done in Item Mode.
The only item available in Speed Mode is the Nitrous boost which can be obtained by filling up the Nitrous bar. While this bar will naturally fill itself, drifting will make it fill up faster. This makes drifting not only a great way to smoothly navigate corners but the best way to get more boosts and thus go faster. Players should be careful with their drifts though as any of the boost bar gained while drifting will be lost if the player crashes before finishing the drift.
KartRider: Drift is available now on PC and Mobile and is soon to be released for Xbox and Playstation.