Distance

Developer: Refract | Publisher: Refract | Release Date: 2018 | Genre: Action / Racing / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Purchasing an Early Access game on Steam is always a bit of a gamble because, for every good game that emerges from it, scores of others are abandoned or marked as complete, even if they are not. Distance first appeared in 2012 on the now-defunct Steam Greenlight pages before emerging on Steam Early Access in late 2015. It wasn’t until three years later, in late 2018, that the game left Early Access, which is long enough that some players grew concerned about its fate. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long to discover that not only did Refract use all this time productively to polish their game, but they have also produced one of the most exciting arcade racing games we have played in years.

Distance initially enticed us with its neon-drenched visuals and winding tracks, but after starting the campaign mode, we were in for a bit of a shock. Instead of neon-soaked cities, we were thrown into a nail-biting race against a deadly infection slowly destroying an orbital array. The futuristic environments quickly gave way to more oppressive ones, which gave the game an unexpected horror vibe. Think Tron meets Dead Space, and you might have an idea of what we are talking about. Of course, the single-player narrative experience is only a tiny portion of the game, and while it is pretty short, it is very intense. Completing the primary campaign unlocks another, shorter one based on Nitronic Rush, the game to which Distance is a spiritual successor. Completing this campaign unlocks another short one about getting past security protocols to deliver an important package. The three campaigns won’t keep players busy for too long, but they slowly increase in challenge and are a ton of fun.

The next stop after the campaigns is the “Arcade” mode, where players have access to more than 100 tracks. These tracks feature more unique environments and crazy layouts compared to the campaigns. Completing the tracks earns players bronze, silver, gold, and diamond medals, which unlock further tracks. Then, there is the “Trackmogrify” feature, which basically uses seed modifiers to generate random tracks. Not all of the random tracks are that fun, but we encountered a couple of really good ones, and this feature alone gives the game almost unlimited replay value. Distance even boasts a robust level editor, complete with Steam Workshop integration for players searching for even more levels. The level editor can be a little daunting at first, but after a few tutorials, it becomes clear how much freedom it offers to create genuinely unique levels. The tracks that have already been created range from the mundane to the truly astounding, and thanks to the amount of time the game spent in Early Access, there are already thousands to choose from. Playing all these tracks is great on your own, but Distance also allows you to participate in four-player split-screen races locally and online with up to twelve players. All of this ensures that Distance is one of the arcade racers that offers the most value for money in terms of content.

One of the things that really sets Distance apart from other racing games and the reason why it is so unique is its actual driving style. Instead of racing around in laps, the races in Distance are all point-to-point and have more in common with a platform game than a racing game. This is also only possible because of how nimble your car is. Not only can it turn on a dime, but it can also come to a stop almost instantly. This is why we recommend starting with the campaign mode, as it slowly introduces you to all the features of your car. First, you’ll need to learn how to boost your vehicle efficiently. Holding down the boost button increases your speed but can also overheat the vehicle and cause it to explode if you don’t stop using it in time. Luckily, your car is cooled down by passing through checkpoints, so you must calculate how long you can safely boost before hitting the next checkpoint. Eventually, you will also have to start making jumps, and soon, you’ll find that your car can also turn its doors into wings and fly on certain levels. The tracks are rarely straightforward and often require you to drive on the road, the walls, and even upside down, depending on how it twists and turns. This means that you’ll have to master the art of jumping, twisting your car around in mid-air, and using thrusters to boost it into the nearest drivable flat surface, all without falling off the track and getting destroyed by the kill grid that surrounds each level. It is pretty tricky until you get the hang of it, but overall, this style of parkour racing is incredibly satisfying when you pull it off successfully.

Distance is also a game that will further test your reflexes using a myriad of obstacles it places in your way. Various walls can pop up unexpectedly, requiring you to swerve around them. Then there are the saw blades that can annihilate you and even lasers that can cut your car in half. Surprisingly, it is still possible to drive with what is left of your vehicle if it is cut in half, and it will regenerate at the next checkpoint, which is pretty neat. Handling everything from jumping, rotating, boosting, and flying with a keyboard is tricky, so we recommend an analog controller for the best experience.

Visually, Distance is a very good-looking game, and the amount of “themes” it has is quite astounding. With everything from dark and scary environments to bright, rainbow, or neon colors, there’s something here for every taste. Just when we thought that we had seen it all, we also discovered that some of the achievements in the game unlock “cheats,” such as a visual filter that gives everything a cell-shaded look. This is the kind of stuff that other, less scrupulous developers would have included in their games as paid DLC, so kudos to Refract for putting their players first. The updates also didn’t end after Distance left Early Access, and along with the usual fixes and improvements, players were treated to new tracks, music, and even the third mini-campaign.

The frame rate for Distance is butter smooth, and it also features a minimal HUD during races to keep things immersive. Speaking of immersive, Distance has VR support, and playing it with a headset is a whole new experience. It is ten times more atmospheric in VR, and instead of feeling like you are playing the game, it feels like you are in it. The default first-person mode for VR is immersive but can be disorienting when performing all the parkour tricks, so we preferred the thirst-person camera view that reveals more of the surroundings. It would also be a crime not to mention the brilliant soundtrack by Torcht, as it fits the game like a glove. Sound effects are good too, and we loved the creepy emergency announcements that play during the first campaign. In addition, Distance supports custom music for players who want to play with their own tunes in the background.

Although Distance will not be a game that will appeal to serious racing simulator fans, it blows the rest of the arcade racing competition out of the water in terms of style and content. We would have liked to see more players in the online multiplayer mode, though, as it is genuinely a lot of fun. Some players might also find the campaigns too short, but the game has a wealth of other modes to keep things interesting. Overall, we can recommend Distance without any hesitation, and it is a shining example of why sometimes some things are really worth waiting for.

*Review originally published in 2018.