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With very pretty graphics and a slick looking vehicle, DRAG is one of the titles you can currently try a demo of during the Steam Game Festival.

From the indie team of two brothers at Orontes Games, DRAG is not your usual simple arcade racer. Using 'deep and challenging driving dynamics', like their 4CPT-technology (4-way contact point traction technology) and every component of the vehicles being simulated (including damage!) it all sounds very promising.

Coming with one single and very short challenge level, it's a small slice of what to expect but it's already quite telling. Graphically pretty, works well on Linux and as with most racing games I'm absolutely awful at it but I can crash around in style.

It's pretty brutal too. Getting to grips with the handling model is a surprising challenge by itself and when the full game is out with online play they're going with a 'out-is-out principle', so there will be no re-spawning and you can drive as dirty as you like and really screw with your opponents.

Here's a quick look at the demo challenge:

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Keeping in mind it's obviously not finished, they probably have plenty of tweaks to the physics and driving model to come but it's a lot of fun to try and blast through the little challenge there.

During the Steam Game Festival, they are also running a competition. If you manage to score one of the top 10 times, you will win a full copy of DRAG. It's not going to take you much to beat me that's for sure. A lot of fun to try though.

Try the DRAG demo free on Steam until June 22.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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30 comments
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scaine Jun 17, 2020
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I can't play the video right now... but did you use your G29 wheel, Liam? I can't wait to play this, and I'm curious if it's good enough that I splash the cash on a G29 myself... I'm not a HUGE racing fan, but honestly... this game. Just wow.
Liam Dawe Jun 17, 2020
I can't play the video right now... but did you use your G29 wheel, Liam? I can't wait to play this, and I'm curious if it's good enough that I splash the cash on a G29 myself... I'm not a HUGE racing fan, but honestly... this game. Just wow.
No wheel, they said that's planned for an update during Early Access. Logitech F310 works great though for now, only a demo after all.
tuubi Jun 17, 2020
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I can't play the video right now... but did you use your G29 wheel, Liam? I can't wait to play this, and I'm curious if it's good enough that I splash the cash on a G29 myself... I'm not a HUGE racing fan, but honestly... this game. Just wow.
No wheel, they said that's planned for an update during Early Access. Logitech F310 works great though for now, only a demo after all.
The demo looked pretty and ran well for me, but the handling felt really weird. Unwieldy, not just unforgiving like Dirt Rally. Or maybe it is realistic and carts like this are just horrible to drive? I guess I'll keep my eye on reviews.
gustavoyaraujo Jun 17, 2020
That's a nice one, I will try it right now.
mylka Jun 17, 2020
mangohud shows GPU useage under 5%
Xpander Jun 17, 2020
The demo looked pretty and ran well for me, but the handling felt really weird. Unwieldy, not just unforgiving like Dirt Rally. Or maybe it is realistic and carts like this are just horrible to drive? I guess I'll keep my eye on reviews.

Handling is quite OK imo. Since the engine seems to be infront its expected to be quite light on the back and can easily spin off if you just keep the throttle on, specially on the mud/gravel or grass. It could use some tweaks here and there.. sense of speed is a bit lacking imo.. Other than that. Looks good, Runs good. Can't wait to Get my hands on the Early Access version.


DRAG demo - Linux | Gameplay
https://youtu.be/4Oivs7blCJw


Last edited by Xpander on 17 June 2020 at 3:27 pm UTC
CatKiller Jun 17, 2020
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The Linux build could do with some tuning work. I was getting some framerate drops every ~5 seconds that are completely gone running it in Proton.

Edit: Oh, DualShock 3 works out of the box in both versions, since people are wondering about controllers. The controller settings screen shows an Xbox controller, though.


Last edited by CatKiller on 17 June 2020 at 3:21 pm UTC
CatKiller Jun 17, 2020
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Ok, fully aware that every racing game needs some getting used to the controls, but just a tad more stick to the ground might be nice.

If your wheels are spinning then Newton's First Law Of Motion applies 😁
Dunc Jun 17, 2020
Oh, yes. First impressions are everything I hoped they'd be. I love the quick, “just one more go” old-school arcade feel to it. And I'm amazed how well it runs on my no-longer-cutting-edge rig. Handling is slightly strange, I'll agree. But it may just be the car.

So come on then... times. Anyone manage a sub-30s run yet? I did a 30.4 and it nearly killed me.
CatKiller Jun 17, 2020
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I can't play the video right now... but did you use your G29 wheel, Liam? I can't wait to play this, and I'm curious if it's good enough that I splash the cash on a G29 myself... I'm not a HUGE racing fan, but honestly... this game. Just wow.

ETS2 is worth getting a G29 all on its own. Being able to play racing games with it as well is a bonus.
Xpander Jun 17, 2020
Oh, yes. First impressions are everything I hoped they'd be. I love the quick, “just one more go” old-school arcade feel to it. And I'm amazed how well it runs on my no-longer-cutting-edge rig. Handling is slightly strange, I'll agree. But it may just be the car.

So come on then... times. Anyone manage a sub-30s run yet? I did a 30.4 and it nearly killed me.

29.515, but i'm not good with controllers :( need my wheel support lol
tuubi Jun 17, 2020
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I was getting some framerate drops every ~5 seconds that are completely gone running it in Proton.
I couldn't make it stutter even by bumping up the render resolution to the maximum 400%. I wonder why it ran so much worse for you?

So come on then... times. Anyone manage a sub-30s run yet? I did a 30.4 and it nearly killed me.

29.515, but i'm not good with controllers :( need my wheel support lol
I just started it up again to see if the controls were actually bad or if I was just tired last night. And got 29.284 on my second run. :P

Yeah I guess the handling is not quite as horrible as it felt the first time I tried, but the car still feels more floaty than I'd expect from a 4WD open wheel buggy on loose sand.
x_wing Jun 17, 2020
Oh, yes. First impressions are everything I hoped they'd be. I love the quick, “just one more go” old-school arcade feel to it. And I'm amazed how well it runs on my no-longer-cutting-edge rig. Handling is slightly strange, I'll agree. But it may just be the car.

So come on then... times. Anyone manage a sub-30s run yet? I did a 30.4 and it nearly killed me.

29.6XX mine. I'm till trying to get under 29.400 but I don't find the way to improve my performance in the second turn.
s0la Jun 17, 2020
It looks really nice, but feels just a bit "lonley" or empty..
tuubi Jun 17, 2020
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It looks really nice, but feels just a bit "lonley" or empty..
I bet it feels a little less lonely when they get around to implementing multiplayer. :)
CatKiller Jun 17, 2020
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I was getting some framerate drops every ~5 seconds that are completely gone running it in Proton.
I couldn't make it stutter even by bumping up the render resolution to the maximum 400%. I wonder why it ran so much worse for you?

No idea. I might look into it later; testing got subsumed by a four year old seeing how many wheels it's possible to remove.

I'm guessing some kind of CPU stall since the audio skips at that point, too. At all other points, it's perfectly fine, just that stutter.

Edit: So I installed Mango HUD, and it just showed the framerate dropping to 40-ish fps for one measurement every now and then, then back up to 60 for the next measurement. No real change in GPU or CPU load at those points: still low for both. So, I don't know what's causing it.


Last edited by CatKiller on 17 June 2020 at 11:46 pm UTC
x_wing Jun 17, 2020
Got 29.157 :P

I think I can still get it down by 100ms (at least)
fagnerln Jun 18, 2020
This game remembers me of Trackmania Nations, really good, nice graphics, but it's a bit too hard, I got the only silver and I don't think that I'm a bad player... lol
furaxhornyx Jun 18, 2020
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Haven't tried the demo yet, but this reminds me of the old Powerslide game ;)
s0la Jun 18, 2020
It looks really nice, but feels just a bit "lonley" or empty..
I bet it feels a little less lonely when they get around to implementing multiplayer. :)
Have no doubt it will :)
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