What is the Pacific Drive release date? Explore the Pacific Northwest and venture into the Olympic Peninsula with nothing but your trusty car to protect you. The zone has been abandoned by the United States government, leaving behind a hazardous region filled with radiation and deadly creatures. You might be Lewis Hamilton at the wheel, but nothing can prepare you for what lurks in the zone.
Unlike most survival games, Pacific Drive focuses on your relationship with a decrepit station wagon as you drive through the zone. Not only can you find information about why the government abandoned this area, but your vehicle can be drastically upgraded with supernatural resources to make your journey much easier. Here’s what you need to know about the Pacific Drive release date, including the latest trailers, news, and more.
Pacific Drive release date
The Pacific Drive release date is currently set for Thursday, February 22, 2024 on PC and PlayStation 5. Ironwood Studios, the developers behind Pacific Drive, announced the release date in a trailer.
Though we haven’t seen any official previews of the game so far, there have been several trailers since Pacific Drive was initially revealed back in September 2022 which suggests development has been going smoothly.
Speaking of Pacific Drive’s reveal, it was first shown off at Sony’s State of Play event, signaling that this game is exclusive to PlayStation 5. It’s unclear how much influence Sony had on the game’s development, but right now we know that Pacific Drive won’t be coming to Microsoft’s Xbox Series consoles any time soon.
Pacific Drive trailers
The most recent Pacific Drive trailer shows off some of the locations we can expect to see in the Olympic Exclusion Zone. There are numerous buildings with satellites poking out of them, located on the top of a large wall to keep enemies out. As the trailer plays, several voices can be heard as they briefly talk about their time in the zone.
We get a glimpse of the map which shows off different routes to drive through, along with a breakdown highlighting the resources available and the potential hazards in the area. We knew that the zone was filled with radiation already, and now we can see there are anomalies to watch out for. It’s also important to know that random storms can occur, ensuring each run is never the same.
Pacific Drive gameplay
Ironwood Studios posted a video back in June 2023 with Alex Cractot, the game’s creator and director as he describes the systems in Pacific Drive. The garage is one of the only safe spaces available in the game, allowing you to upgrade your vehicle without needing to worry about something jumping out at you.
The devs want the relationship between the player and the car to be special, as it’s their only companion throughout this journey. You can take damage in the zone, but your car will keep you protected if it’s being properly maintained. While it’s easy to upgrade your car with parts, those same parts can be easily destroyed if you happen to have a rough night during a mission
There’s a physical element to driving the car that involves turning the key to start the car and using the gearbox to put it in drive. In most games, this entire sequence can be boiled down to a single button press, but Pacific Drive wants players to bond with their trusty vehicle by performing this routine as they would in real life.
Pacific Drive story
The Olympic Peninsula was used as a testing ground by the United States government back in 1955 to perform a series of tests using new technologies. Unfortunately, these tests caused major problems, leading to large areas becoming irradiated, and some rumors suggest these tests may have introduced supernatural horrors to the land. As a result, the government walled off the area entirely, establishing the Olympic Exclusion Zone.
Not long after learning about the area, you feel compelled to explore the zone for yourself. When traveling along the perimeter to discover if the rumors are true, you venture too far into the zone, trapping yourself inside. You manage to find an abandoned station wagon inside the woods, and it doesn’t take long before you find an auto shop to maintain your car in between missions.
Your goal is to make it out of the zone in one piece while learning about what really went down back in 1955. There are voice logs and old diaries to discover from some of the people who lived in this area before the experiments took place. We wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the scientists performing the tests also kept logs about what they were doing during this time.
And that’s all there is to know about the Pacific Drive release date. You don’t have to wait much longer, soon enough you’ll be driving down the Olympic Exclusion Zone in your heavily customized station wagon. In the meantime, why not check out our list of the best upcoming games this year, if you really want to perfect your skills, here are the best racing games to train up on.