CarX Drift Racing Online 2 Review – Hardcore Drifting with a Rocky Launch
A deep drifting sim with superb tuning and wheel support — marred at launch by optimization, economy and AI issues. I loved the physics but got frustrated by career softlocks and crashes.
CarX Drift Racing Online 2 promises to be the next big title for sim-drifting fans — complete with licensed, laser-scanned tracks, realistic tyre physics and an esports-minded multiplayer. As someone who’s spent countless hours sliding sideways in sim titles, I came in hungry: the tuning depth and wheel support are my kind of candy. Unfortunately, the launch felt like biting into a great-looking donut that had a soggy centre — the core is brilliant, the delivery needs work.
Learning the Line and Hanging the Drift
The heart of CarX Drift Racing Online 2 is pure drifting: initiating slides, chaining transitions and keeping a line while your car screams at the limit. You’ll spend most sessions adjusting throttle, counter-steering and managing grip — with an emphasis on angle, line and proximity when you score in duels or TOP32 battles. The drift school does a decent job introducing basics, but mastery comes from repetition and car setup. On controller it’s approachable; on a wheel with force feedback it becomes a surgical experience. Ramps, clipping points and judging zones all matter, and the new tyre model actually forces you to think like a drifter rather than mash the gas. Multiplayer rooms let you duel, freeride and climb ladders, which feels tense and satisfying when the netcode behaves.
From Garage Grease to Pro Pads
What sets this apart is the obsessive tuning and customization. Suspension geometry, gearbox ratios, ECU maps and a wealth of upgrade parts give you proper control over handling balance. The customization pipeline goes beyond colors — bodykits, rims and damage-salvage all affect both looks and performance. The damage model is mostly visual at the moment, but losing bumpers or rubbing fenders adds immersion and practical consequences in multiplayer. The career loop pushes you from drift school to world championships, but that loop currently clashes with the economy: repair costs, part wear and payouts can feel punishing, and a few reviews describe softlocks where you can’t afford repairs. If you love tweaking setups and experimenting with tire pressures, this is a playground; if you hate grind or unfair penalties, it can be frustrating.
Looks, Sounds and the Occasional Crash
Visually the game sits nicely between realistic and arcade polish — far from AAA photorealism but clean and detailed where it counts: rims, body panels and track surfaces look satisfying. The licensed tracks (Ebisu, Fuji, Nürburgring Nordschleife and more) are a highlight; laser-scanned accuracy helps transitions and curbs feel real. Sound design is solid: engines bark, tyres chirp, and impacts register with crunchy hits. Performance is the sore spot: I saw excellent framerates in singleplayer on a beefy rig, but many players report stutters, crashes and low FPS in multiplayer lobbies. Accessibility is decent — wide controller and wheel support — though some wheel users report sensitivity issues in the drift school. The net result is a title with brilliant foundations that currently stumbles due to bugs, optimization and some design choices around scoring and economy.
CarX Drift Racing Online 2 is a love letter to tuning and pure drifting that arrived with a hangover. The physics, tracks and customization are fantastic foundations, but the launch-state economy, AI quirks and optimization sour the experience for many. Buy if you crave deep setup options and run a sim-rig, wait if you can’t tolerate softlocks or buggy multiplayer — this has big potential if the developers iterate quickly.
Pros
- Deep, granular tuning and customization
- Realistic tyre and drift physics that reward setup
- Licensed, laser-scanned tracks and solid sound design
- Broad wheel, pad and controller support — great for sim rigs
Cons
- Rocky launch: optimization issues, crashes and stutters
- Punishing economy and repair costs can softlock progression
- Inconsistent AI and career bugs that lead to unfair DQs
Player Opinion
Players are split but vocal. Many praise the tuning depth, wheel support and the raw fun of the drifting itself — several reviews call it the best drift-feel since the playtest and compare crash visuals to BeamNG (albeit toned down). On the other hand, a loud chorus complains about launch stability: crashes, frame drops in multiplayer and freezes during cutscenes are common. A recurring complaint is the economy and repair model: players report being unable to afford repairs and getting softlocked, and AI who ram you and cause DQs. Longtime CarX fans feel the career mode and handling have regressed compared to the playtest or earlier titles, while optimists point out clear potential and ask for a couple months of patches. If you loved the playtest, check recent patch notes before buying; if you’re patient and into tuning, this can become a gem.