How Pacific Drive uses mood to motivate its players

[@theworkshopwhisperer.5902]

When the game said remnants start taking over your mind and making you obsessed with them. Yes this game was the only thing I could think about when I was playing it solid. I was always thinking about which upgrade comes next.

[@Jukebocks]

I was absolutely blown away at how streamlined the learning process in this game is

[@Pixel_Whip]

Yeah, so hands-off, yet super clear at the same time

[@RealCoolstriker64]

25:16 I had to rewind because I saw the wiggling wreck and IMMIDIATLEY stopped listening and tried to hit the breaks. Those things give me PTSD man.

[@Eric4bz]

I tried to shock jump over it. That thing's given me a lot of damage, but by dodging tourists, spikes, corrosive water ways, wriggling wrecks and crawlers? I'll take 2% across the board rather than a heavy blast, shock or having my tires shredded.

[@vladvulcan]

Yeah, those are the worst. You always see them too late.

[@ceepert2153]

The scarriest thing in this game by far for me was when ... I think with the somethings moving modifier or maybe something else, the tourist will sometimes randomly explode. If that happens in hearing range but our of sight it really gives you that eeri feeling that something is out there, moving around

[@playbabethebookshelf6249]

and now with photo mode, i still take a drive to get the mood for photo stuff. man this game deserved more fund for extra cooking

[@Supernautiloid]

This is one of the best games I've played in years. I really hope they come out with a part 2.

[@michaelschneider1365]

Or good dlc

[@RealCoolstriker64]

I got a quirk for a while where if I toggled my wipers it would close the doors. So if I ever left a door open, I could just spam the wiper button until it wasn't anymore.

[@DraenethTTV]

Appreciate seeing a wonderful analysis of a favorite game of mine! Pacific Drive was a great experience.

[@Pixel_Whip]

Thanks!

[@ItzPewds]

The freedom translation of boot to trunk caught me off guard reading the subtitles 😂

[@fredfred2297]

🤣 “Freedom translation” doesn’t mean anything or even exist in both Brith and American English…in gibberish maybe.

[@ItzPewds]

@@fredfred2297 oh, but it does 🥴

[@Thracx]

Long, but worthwhile because it's well written and well spoken.

[@Pixel_Whip]

Thanks, tried to make it as long as it needed to be

[@neonthehybrid8047]

Dude there was one point I was just on a run to gather supplies, but I was meant to turn on my own music. Soon as I was in the game, I just flicked on my remnants radio and cruised into a junction with Perpetual Stability. I gathered and watched the storms roll past, looked up to the stars, listened to the wild things the folks on the radios had to say, and just kept thinking about which panels and doors I was gonna upgrade. When I was done I audibly said "Wait I was sposed to put my music on!", but I was so captivated by that one junction I completely forgot

[@aakashdimri9903]

Great video man this is one of my favourite survival games.

[@Pixel_Whip]

Thank you!

[@jacksonhopp2003]

Here’s hoping we get some story dlc later down the line with this game, cause I really just love the story and characters of it and even the mystery. Plus, the way it’s left open is pretty much begging for a side story to be set after it.

[@fnaf1983-RWQFSFASXC]

Yeah we should get a dlc where it’s us and Francis trying to solve the mysteries Tobias stayed in the zone for

[@jacksonhopp2003]

@@fnaf1983-RWQFSFASXC Ironically, that’s the same idea I had for a DLC.

[@Shapeshiftergreen]

I'm elated to see someone do such a deep analysis on Pacific Drive! Looking forward to your next video! Is there anything you are looking forward to playing?

[@Pixel_Whip]

Thanks, glad you liked it! I'm going through some backlog at the moment and I'm loving The Witness. Also going to get through The Talos Principle 1 and 2 soon, and all these puzzle games are making me want to replay through the Portal games again (it's been long enough now I'll have forgotten the solutions). In terms of upcoming games, STALKER 2 and AC Shadows are on my radar. If there's anything you're interested in seeing an analysis on, let me know since I'm always looking for new things to consider.

[@Shapeshiftergreen]

@@Pixel_Whip I actually started Talos Principle 2 a while ago. I can recommend it (even though I never played the first one), especially if you're in a puzzle solving and philosophical mood. It reminds me of Portal, if Portal wasn't filling time with comedy. In regards to analyzing something, I'm sure you've already considered Outer Wilds, so I'd like to recommend anything from Remedy (I.E. Control or Alan Wake 2). I'll leave a reply if I think of anything better (or a good puzzle game).

[@Pixel_Whip]

@Shapeshiftergreen Yes, Outer Wilds is on the list, but I want to do it justice. I'll get there when the time is right. The moment I finished Alan Wake 2, I had a million things I wanted to say about it, so it's on the cards too. A quick jump back, in terms of puzzle games, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is something I'll play soon, and I'm absolutely pumped for it. I love the dev's last game too, Sayonara Wild Hearts. It was so impactful for me given how simple it is and how short a playthrough of that game is.

[@Shapeshiftergreen]

@@Pixel_Whip I can recommend Lorelei! I had an eye on it ever since I realized it was from the creators of device 6. You made me realize I need to finish it, I've gotten near the end. I think you'll really enjoy it based on everything else you've played, I can't speak for the ending yet but the puzzles have been awesome.

[@RedWolf34ef]

*Spoilers* Honestly, I haven't had much problems with the story late game, the problem with Tobias's death might be in how the mission is approached. I spent the mission trying to get the objectives done because I knew that it would be better for the story if I played that way, but several times I was tempted off the beaten path by Anchors and the promise of loot. I can see how if you even slightly disregard the story and get distracted by something, it could hurt the presentation. Additionally, I think the reason why Tobias is in the end with Allen is clear, he died because the zone collapsed around him and not because of bullshit reasoning, though again that's a detail easy to miss in a scene that primarily should have been story and not loot goblin time. Certain missions don't need that.

[@QuestMarker]

I am here to comment positively for the algorithm and to remind myself to come back and watch this after I've played Pacific Drive - so I don't want to spoil!

[@Pixel_Whip]

Thanks! And yes please play it, it's a fantastic game!! (You won't regret it 😉)

[@Alepap.]

15:40 , 16:17 Well unless you play on an ultrawide on PC, then you just glance at the map with your mouse slightly to the right when you need to know where you're going 27:30 Horror Adjacent is a term i haven't heard before, but i guess i'll start using it. All the best atmospheric games can be described by it. Outer Wilds, Subnautica, Pacific Drive

[@crimsonfancy]

Nice work. Enjoyed your content and appreciate an educated and unique perspective. I've just started Pacific Drive and have about five hours invested. Finding myself here at Pixel Whip while searching for tips - yet learning more about why I (could be) enjoying this title so much is enlightening.

[@Qaddosh]

This is a brilliant and very well-made video on one of my favorite games. You did wonderful research and articulated everything about the game really well. A+++++ 🤩

[@Pixel_Whip]

Thanks so much!

[@aggrisabernathy8770]

Good job man, I like your videos so far!

[@Pixel_Whip]

Glad you've enjoyed them, thanks!

[@vladimirpokorny2797]

Nice video, btw: 24:20 lightning the flare first will help

[@Dyinglightgamerfrfr]

This game has some of the best and most immersive environments I’ve ever seen, I just wish there were more special locations/map variations

[@kilowhiskyforge4337]

51:44 HAHHAHA great fucking catch there

[@TheAlexander775]

Amazing video, you deserve more subs man!

[@Pixel_Whip]

So glad to hear that, thanks. I'll keep it up 😉

[@defcynodont5110]

Very good video! Well organized thoughts.

[@Pixel_Whip]

Appreciate the kind words

[@lonewolf49707]

The only thing wrong with this game is its very addicting which makes you blow threw the story in less than 40 hours. If they don't add some sort of other to do sidequests or new adjectives I will be so bummed out. At the end of the game Oppy did pass the torch to Fransis maybe he can find more to do for us.

[@DkBk-e8u]

This was a really fun vid as a newer pacific drive player this tought me to respect the game more and not just think of it as another roam and upgrade car game

[@didusty779]

I love this game I have playing this for the last couple of weeks

[@RealCoolstriker64]

51:05 This isn't technically true. In addition to the status light in the garage lighting up the word "quirks" if you have them, you can also just hit the "fixes" button on the top right of the screen here and see if there are any that need diagnosing. However without the garage: yeah. There have been so many times where I suspected my car developed a quirk only to be proven right upon returning to the garage.

[@AbsurdShark]

I love this game. I had only two problems with it. - The radio songs were not really for my taste (initially i liked them, but i wanted more 80s focused songs). - And certain aspects of the game difficulty were driving me crazy (some car parts broke down too often). And guess what, the devs fixed both of these. A more customizable difficulty settings were added, and i custom songs are enabled on PC. Awesome.

[@MetalDog-]

This game took me by suprise - picked it up on a whim and vague memories of enjoying the buggy section in Half Life 2. The way they get you involved with the car is fantastic and I am not a car person at all - but I love that station wagon. I wish I felt this way about my spaceship in games like No Man's Sky and I'm hoping the next game they make involves a similar transport love affair. I don't care if it's another car, a spaceship, a boat - I just want to explore with a cranky, customisable and tactile mechanical buddy.

[@MidanMagistrate]

"The game trusts the player" is such an amazing way to put it. I noticed that other players that had some trouble at the beginning never minded it, and always managed to catch on quickly. The thing I love most about the game, though, besides the atmosphere, is how it respects it's characters. When Tobias said "Or it could be atlantis!" and Oppy says "Why didn't I think of that?" sarcastically, most stories would have made Oppy continue with something like "Oh wait, because I'm not an idiot!" but Pacific Drive respects it's characters. She didn't need to add that, because it's already clear that she was being sarcastic, and Tobias having known her for so long and being smarter than he lets on, isn't so dumb as to blindly take the sarcastic rhetorical question seriously. Another good example of this is how it's never stated that Tobias and Francis are lovers. Why would they say it, right? Why would, for example, Oppy bring it up? It's not relevant to the situation at hand, and it just wouldn't be natural to bring it up. The only confirmation that we get for their relationship is when they say "I love you".

[@Zipperheaddttl]

Played this game for 35, over the course of a week or so. First 15 hours are amazing, middle 15 are a bit of a grind, last 5 are amazing again. The story is okay, nothing ground breaking but enjoyable, but they need way more of it in the middle of the game. Or just shorten the grind in that bit. I'm surprised there wasn't more in the middle considering it's basically just a radio show.

[@Zipperheaddttl]

I would fully recommend it btw. Even the middle bit. It's probably one of the very few games that I will play twice.

[@Gonzogonzip]

Personally, I realized fairly early on that most anomalies were passive or more out to mess with the player and the car than outright hunt it. (though I haven't finished the game yet so who knows what resides in the back of the deepzone) For me however, this enhanced the mood. The Zone in Pacific Drive is a different mood and flavour than The Zone in A Roadside Picnic or STALKER or such, there's dangers sure, but for the unwary and clumsy. Instead, The Zone in Pacific Drive starts to feel like a toolbox and... sort of ecosystem, not quite but not sure what else to call it, and the game kind of hints at it. With the horror gone, I feel a growing sense of mastery over my environment and a growing sense of confidence, almost a kind of reverse horror game. Where a cluster of tourists were a terrifying sight early on where I knew nothing but to not touch them and that they move when not looked at, I now confidently weave between them, toss them a flare or amuse myself by getting an abductor to drag something into a cluster of them watch the ensuing chaos. You know that movie trope of the guy who's lived in The Weird Place, be it the jungle or guts of the alien spaceship, someone who was a fish out of water but has become so familiar with their environment that they can play it like an instrument? I feel like that guy in Pacific Drive. There are dangers in The Zone, but I know what they are, and how to use them.

[@RealCoolstriker64]

This, and portal, are games I wish I could play for the first time again.

[@Pixel_Whip]

... very interesting combination ;)

[@RealCoolstriker64]

@@Pixel_Whip you can’t “solve” a puzzle after you’ve memorized it :(

[@krevetka9744]

Got a quirk that drained my battery while the car is stationary. Only managed to find it via spending energy for hints.

[@RoelofKlop]

Love the video man! Question, at 45:42 you seem to have a black car interior, how did you do it?

[@Pixel_Whip]

Thanks! I'm pretty sure that's just the lighting, as much as I would like to say I have access to coveted hidden features.

[@Hatt0riHanz0128]

I agree on the story missing its mark, especially regarding the big heroic sacrifice part. Armored Core 6 has a similar challenge (getting you to care for characters with only their voices and a .png of their emblem), but it manages to pull it off pretty well because it's almost always your own actions that directly affects these characters; your choices have put you at odds with these characters, and now you will have to kill them yourself, and then you get hear their last words. And despite AC6 being a more demanding and intense game, it (mostly) ramps down the intensity for the player to pay attention to the narrative moments. When Tobias sacrifices himself, I'm kinda-sorta paying attention, but I'm mostly making sure I'm steering my car in the right direction to keep that electric thingy bouncing while also avoiding obstacles. "Oh, the other guy is crying now? (I genuinely can't remember his name, he barely leaves an impression on me) Well, I'm still caught up navigating all this crap."

[@Pixel_Whip]

Yeah, when that moment happens, it's an unfortunate perfect storm. The tri-state area between silent protag, busy gameplay section, and obscured main characters. Like I mentioned, it's legitimately a shame too, because the characters are fleshed out enough to be interesting, but just not enough to be impactful. (also, might be a good idea to mention your comment contains a spoiler just in case 😬)

[@dudeydude77_clips]

Great video. Btw when you mentioned using playing music being fair use: at least in the US, fair use is a term established by the courts. There’s 4 factors that a court considers when it determines if using copyrighted material constitutes “fair use”. It’s not a law which says you are allowed to use something because you use it a certain way. It’s a tool used when one party accuses another of using a copyrighted work. KZbin works with the Mechanical Licensing Collective to automatically manage music licensing, so if you were to be copyright stricken as a result of using copyright music, you essentially have limited recourse because you agree to KZbin’s terms when you use its platform, which includes this automatic management.

[@Pixel_Whip]

Thanks, this is very good context to have

[@csmlouis]

I have bought this game blindly thinking this is a chill driving sim on the Pacific Northwest. The fact that I had let myself acid rained on to death on the 2nd junction (PD difficulty) made me wised up and go to the safety of online forums and quick start guides. Actually, this made me laugh thinking back how I've gotten chased by electric bunnies the first time I saw them.

[@TomHardysUglierYoungerBrother]

It’s funny. Cause I love Pacific Drive and Death Stranding, but could not get into Outer Wilds or Subnautica. Should I give them both another go after I finish PD??

[@Pixel_Whip]

I'd say that if you've tried them, then you've tried them. Death Stranding is more about the process of a journey and being immersed in that process. Pacific Drive is a lot to do with the process of driving and interacting with your car as a character, so similar in a way. Outer Wilds and Subnautica are more about the discovery process, and rely a bit more on you rewarding yourself intrinsically, which isn't for everyone. If you like the sound of that, maybe try them again though, but don't feel like you're "suppose" to enjoy them just because you liked these other two games.

[@champaris2610]

Im only mad blue hotel by Chris Isaac isn’t on the radio

[@UnderWaterLabs]

I come for the music and stay because I’m getting obliterated by my own poor driving skills

[@mamuszgaming2509]

Only if it could run at 60fps😢

[@bara555]

Massive respect for playing a game like this on a controller.

[@Darion350]

Personally, I couldn't imagine playing any driving game without one.

[@vladvulcan]

Great video, but it feels kinda too long. All this could've been said in 20 minutes rather than 50. Great game tho.

[@ViolenVaymire]

Im guessing that's way im not really liking this game, I do not care about the car, both in the game and IRl. I also dont anthropomorphize anything, I have an ultra rational mind, im not even a little bit spiritual, hell i even call my cat "it" as its pronouns are irrelevant to me. I guess im just not the target audience.

[@kclink1579]

Happily ready to watch an hour video, but was off putting in the first couple of seconds. Well, at least that saved me from subbing.