Dark, gripping and simply unbelievably good: "The Drifter" tested

Philipp Rüegg

17.7.2025

Translation: machine translated

If Max Payne were an Australian drifter lost in a pixelated point-and-click adventure game, he could be The Drifter. Except that in this game he has to use his brains instead of his guns.

One blow to the back of the head and everything goes black. When I regain consciousness, I'm underwater. I gasp for air and try to swim to the surface. But my hands and feet are tied and a paper bag on my head is blocking my view. Somehow I manage to dig my knife out of my trouser pocket. I cut through the restraints and tear the bag off my face.

If I hadn't been running out of air anyway, my breath would have been caught in my throat by now. I'm surrounded by lifeless bodies floating like buoys in the water. They weren't lucky enough to have a knife with them. Before I join them in the watery grave, I use my last ounce of strength to save myself on the surface. I made it! Although, my adventure is only just beginning.

I control Mick Carter, a drifter, i.e. a drifter who never stays in the same place for long - or keeps a job. The game begins on a goods train in which Carter commutes through the vastness of Australia with a like-minded man. The journey ends unscheduled and events come thick and fast. At the end of the journey, Carter finds himself on the run from high-tech soldiers, dodgy corporations and perhaps even monsters. As if that wasn't bad enough, he is framed for a murder he didn't commit.

Retro only at first glance

«The Drifter» is a typical point-and-click adventure game that Lucas Arts made big in the 90s. And it looks exactly the same: angular pixel graphics and blocky text that is almost impossible to read. A dream for fans like me who grew up with these games.

After escaping from mysterious high-tech soldiers and police people who think Carter is a serial killer, he finds refuge with his ex-wife Sarah. Although she still resents the fact that he has withdrawn from her and the world, she doesn't doubt his innocence for a second. In her flat, I search everything for interactive objects in classic point-and-click style. This works with the mouse, but also works wonderfully with controller control. Because I'm not a fan of «Pixel-Hunt», I've activated the «hotspot marker» in the accessibility settings. This allows me to highlight all interactive elements at the touch of a button.

In the flat, this is an old answering machine, among other things. I could play a cassette there that I found at my friend's house, for whose murder the whole town is looking for me. Unfortunately, the cassette is stuck for incoming calls. I can swap the pre-recorded answer, but I can't just listen to it. So I swap it with my cassette and use Sarah's mobile phone to call the landline. The cassette starts playing and I'm one step further.

The Australian studio Powerhoof has already demonstrated its love of retro pixel design with the game «Crawl». Just like there, the gameplay in «The Drifter» still feels modern. Fortunately, there is no need for the often cumbersome puzzle design and countless interaction options of the 1990s. I can click on objects, combine them with items from my inventory or combine the items with each other. That's all. As a result, the game never becomes unnecessarily complicated and hardly loses any of its pace.

I click on images instead of text for the dialogues, which are a must in any adventure game. If a question option is exhausted, the image is greyed out. So I always know immediately where I stand. If I find out something new, new question options may be added. If I get stuck, it helps to check back with everyone and see if there are any new questions.

With one exception, the chapters in «The Drifter» are limited to a handful of locations. There are not too many characters. I only have to consult the review guide twice because I know what is required but fail to realise it.

The journal is also helpful. It records the most important events with pictures and short text descriptions and tells me what my current goal is.

First-class soundtrack

The dialogues are entirely in English and are the perfect length so that even I can listen to them all. I only switch to reading the subtitles when I can't stand it any longer. This should not detract from the excellent ensemble of narrators. First and foremost Adrian Vaughan. He perfectly embodies Carter as someone who has turned his back on society and now has to reluctantly face up to it and his past. Because even if Carter hasn't killed anyone, he has a few skeletons in his closet.

The rest of the cast is also convincing. As Sarah Carter, Bronwyn Turei strikes the perfect balance between reproachful and compassionate ex-wife who doesn't mince her words. Shogo Miyakita, on the other hand, plays the somewhat clichéd policeman Hara, who first chases me and then finally takes my side. He always calls me «Boss». How could I not like him?

No three-headed monkeys

What sets «The Drifter» apart from other adventure games is its tone. Although the game also has a humorous side, the overall tone is much darker than other representatives of the genre. It doesn't take long for Carter's pixelated innards to cover the screen. At times, I even feel a little reminded of «Saw».

Death does not mean game over. For a specific reason, which is revealed later in the game, Carter cannot die. That doesn't mean his demise is painless, which he tells me with his dramatic voice acting. In this respect, «The Drifter» reminds me strongly of «Max Payne». There, too, the main character comments on events with a penchant for prose and metaphor-rich language. Vaughan may not quite have the calibre of James McCaffrey, who lent his voice to Max Payne, but he makes a significant contribution to the story gripping me from start to finish.

The Australian setting and language bring a breath of fresh air to the otherwise USA-heavy genre. Added to this is the cinematic dark synth soundtrack, which creates a wonderfully menacing atmosphere right from the main menu. I feel immediately transported to a dystopian parallel world, although «The Drifter» seems to be set in our time. However, both mobile phones and computers are used, which definitely sound like they come from the 90s. The imprecise chronological categorisation makes the game even more surreal.

The style picks me up on all levels. The various scenes are expressive despite the retro graphics. There are dark tunnels in which dodgy figures stand in front of burning rubbish bins and are bathed in red, flickering light. Or the scene described at the beginning with the corpses in the water. Carter opens his eyes so wide in shock that only two white dots are visible. At the same time, the saving surface of the water shimmers green in the moonlight behind him. It's both eerie and idyllic at the same time. From time to time, the hot Australian sun burns in the sky and accompanies Carter through a bright orange desert landscape. An absolute dream for pixel fans like me.

«The Drifter» is available for PC, Mac and Linux and was provided to me by Powerhoof.

Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

Being the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur. more

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