As I slid through the winding mountain pass, tires screaming and score multiplier climbing steadily toward that elusive x15 bonus, I suddenly learned the harsh truth about Fortune Gems Jili's drift mechanics the hard way. My car barely kissed the guardrail at what felt like a perfectly controlled angle, yet the game immediately wiped my entire score progression. This exact scenario happened three times during my two-hour session yesterday, and each time left me more baffled than the last about what actually constitutes a valid drift versus a score-resetting offense in this otherwise brilliant racing title.
The fundamental drift scoring system appears straightforward on paper - maintain longer and more aggressive drifts to boost your multiplier, avoid spinning out or collisions to keep it intact. But in practice, I found the implementation frustratingly inconsistent, particularly during the special Fortune Gems Jili bonus events that promise massive payouts for flawless drift chains. During my 47 attempts at the "Diamond Mountain Descent" event specifically, I documented 19 instances where my multiplier reset under circumstances that defied clear explanation. I'd gently tap a barrier at 60 mph and keep my x12 multiplier intact, then barely graze a civilian vehicle at 20 mph watching my hard-earned bonus evaporate instantly. This inconsistency becomes particularly problematic when you're trying to Unlock the Secrets of Fortune Gems Jili, as the game's most valuable rewards are locked behind near-perfect drift performances.
What makes this unpredictability especially vexing is how it conflicts with the game's otherwise excellent driving model. The weight transfer, throttle control, and counter-steering mechanics feel meticulously crafted, giving skilled drivers genuine tools to showcase their talents. I spent approximately 15 hours mastering the subtle differences between the six available drift-spec vehicles, and could consistently maintain controlled slides through the game's most technical sections. Yet despite this growing mastery, I never developed a reliable sense of what the game would consider a "spin" versus an acceptable drift angle. The boundary seemed to shift depending on the track, vehicle, and even specific corners within the same course.
This inconsistency becomes particularly damaging during high-stakes events where a single reset can cost you the entire challenge. I recall one specific run on the "Twilight Harbor" course where I'd maintained a perfect x15 multiplier through seven consecutive corners, only to have it vanish when my rear bumper made what appeared to be insignificant contact with a traffic cone. Meanwhile, during my very next attempt, I literally launched over a median strip, landed awkwardly, and somehow preserved my multiplier throughout the entire sequence. Without transparent rules governing these interactions, players are essentially forced to develop their understanding through trial and error - a process that can waste hours of gameplay.
The frustration compounds when you consider that drift events are theoretically among the game's most accessible challenges. As the reference material accurately notes, "they're also some of the easiest events the game has to offer" in terms of achieving the baseline passing score. Throughout my playthrough, I failed only 3 of the 28 standard drift events on my first attempt. The problem isn't difficulty - it's predictability. When the difference between a mediocre score and a record-breaking run comes down to whether the game decides your 45-degree slide is acceptable or constitutes a "spin," the experience shifts from challenging to arbitrarily punitive.
My breaking point came during what should have been my crowning achievement - a seemingly flawless run on the "Fortune Gems Jili Exclusive" event that promised a massive 500,000 credit bonus for maintaining a x15 multiplier for 60 consecutive seconds. After 17 attempts, I finally strung together what felt like the perfect sequence, navigating through dense traffic while holding impossibly long drifts through the casino district's sweeping turns. With just three seconds remaining, a civilian vehicle changed lanes unexpectedly, resulting in what appeared to be the most minor contact imaginable. My multiplier vanished, the challenge failed, and I found myself genuinely questioning whether the game's inconsistency was a design flaw or an intentional barrier to prolong the grind.
This experience fundamentally changed how I approach Fortune Gems Jili. Rather than pushing for the absolute limits of my drifting capability, I've adopted a conservative style that prioritizes multiplier preservation over style or aggression. My scores have become more consistent, but the thrill of dancing on the edge of control has been replaced by the pragmatic calculation of risk versus reward. I've essentially given up on truly mastering the drift mechanics because the game's inconsistent enforcement makes genuine mastery impossible. The reference captures this perfectly: "Without being able to depend on knowing the limitations of what I could get away with in a drift, it became frustrating trying to find the absolute limit that I could push myself without wasting time in the process."
Despite these criticisms, I keep returning to Fortune Gems Jili's drift events, drawn by the satisfying driving model and the occasional flawless run that reminds me why I fell in love with the game initially. There's genuine brilliance here, buried beneath inconsistent rule enforcement. With clearer communication about what constitutes a score-resetting offense and more consistent application of those rules, the drift system could be among the best in modern racing games. Until then, players hoping to Unlock the Secrets of Fortune Gems Jili will need equal parts skill, patience, and tolerance for the occasional arbitrary penalty that undermines an otherwise perfect performance.