‘JDM: Japanese Drift Master’ Is a New Open-World ‘Initial D’ Style Driving Game

Date May 24, 2025
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‘JDM: Japanese Drift Master’ Is a New Open-World ‘Initial D’ Style Driving Game

Sim racing is serious stuff, and there’s a long list of video games to satisfy our inner pro race car driver. Within that gameplay universe, drifting has a place too, of course. But a newly released game possibly raises the bar on mountain pass racing, drawing heavy inspiration from familiar anime and film legends Initial D, Akira, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

Launched this week, JDM: Japanese Drift Master is exactly as its name suggests. Touge-style racing is an expected focus, but the open-world game map offers 250 kilometers (155 miles) of diverse driving roads and iconic landmarks from throughout Japan. These include the Himeji Castle, Mount Akina, Tatara Bridge, and Daikoku Parking Area.

The sim racing game features fully customizable vehicles officially licensed from Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, and others. Personalize and tune your drift king in a number of ways, from styling and suspension to powertrain and braking distances. If you don’t see something you like from the current crop of 27 cars (oh, come on, race the Acty), feel free to request one. 

JDM offers two driving physics: arcade and simcade. According to developer Gaming Factory, the arcade model is designed for beginners by offering simplified steering and easy-to-learn controls. Its target audience is also players who want to focus on fun rather than realistic gameplay. The simcade setup offers a more natural car feel and is recommended for players using wheels. 

Note that in arcade mode, initiating and maintaining drift will be easier, but keeping the car in line during grip events will be a challenge. The opposite will be true in simcade where players will have an easier time maintaining grip but be tested in setting up a drift.

As for the game plot, the story focuses on a Polish-born drift racer named Touma. After a personal tragedy, Touma relocates to Japan to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a legitimate drifter. JDM offers 40-plus narrative-driven events as well as storytelling via a manga mode.

"JDM" screenshot, 350Z racing an S14.
Gaming Factory

Curious about how the new JDM sim drifting game really handles? Stay tuned for our full review coming soon. Adam Ismail has a copy and is going to dig into it as soon as he has time. JDM: Japanese Drift Master is available on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store for $34.99 but comes with a 15% discount if purchased within the first two weeks of its launch.

Any other car games not called “Gran Turismo” that we should know about? Hit us up at tips@thedrive.com.

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