Drifter: A Balloon’s Journey, is an endless runner video game in which the score is determined by how long one can survive, and the amount of items they collect along the way. In this charming and addictive mobile game, you assume the role of a red balloon on a quest to collect dots of light to assemble stars, and avoid feathered adversaries for as long as you can. The collected dots of light help fill up a progress bar, that once filled past a checkpoint, allow the player to collect a star.
The in-game movement is based on gliding one’s finger across the screen, and the intuitive controls make the game accessible for players of all ages. The player must use their finger to glide the balloon out of harm’s way, while at the same time collecting as many dots of light as possible.
While the concept is straightforward, the game is still very engaging. Untimely changes in bird paths and an elevated number of enemies increase the level of difficulty as the game progresses. Further, one of the best features are the vibrant, eye-catching visuals the balloon travels through. We follow the balloon through an array of settings, from rivers and forests, to the suburbs and traffic they produce, all of which are uniquely designed with bright and engaging colors.
Continually, the visuals paired with a lofi and calming music highlight the aesthetic satisfaction the player receives from playing the game. The atmosphere of the game maintains itself as relaxing despite its gameplay. While endless runner games have the reputation of being stressful, Drifter establishes a perfect blend of engaging and relaxing. While moments of high stress do arise when avoiding enemies, the anxiety is subdued by calming and satisfying music. The sound effects likewise add to the delightful audio experience. The in-game sound effects of filling up the star and collecting dots of light are well crafted, and further reward the player for choosing to interact.
While the game is relatively direct, it could benefit from adding a tutorial. While the basic premise of collecting light dots which fill up a progress bar then enable the player to collect stars is self-evident, there are parts of the game that require more explanation. For example, there are occasional three hollow star bundles, where if the balloon interacts with them, the player fills the shells up with the stars they have thus collected. However, it is unclear the benefit in doing so, and how doing so affects one’s score.
In conclusion, Drifter: A Balloon’s Journey is a lighthearted and gratifying game perfect to pass the time. Combining simple controls, aesthetically pleasing visuals, and a unique concept, Drifter is perfect for quick gaming sessions or hour long high score beating attempts. It ingeniously blends traditionally anxiety-driven endless runner games with calming visuals and music to create a captivating and pleasing experience (especially when paired with a rainy day), and its relatively straightforward controls and premise make the game playable for a large range of ages.
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Related: Eternights Review for PlayStation 5
Vittoria is a current Junior at UC Berkeley studying Film and Media. Combining her love of writing with her passion for video games, she is also a narrative writer for indie/student-made games. Some of her favorite games are Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The Evil Within 2, and Minecraft!
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