The Drifter is a gritty point-and-click thriller with a supernatural edge to it, blending investigation and gripping set pieces into a twisting tale of shady organisations and time travel. Due to the cerebral and often tense nature of the game’s puzzle, you may find it tricky to keep an eye out for achievements. So, here is our guide for the Gratuitous Reference achievement in The Drifter.
Check out our review of The Drifter to get our full thoughts on the game.
Gratuitous Reference Achievement
Near the end of Chapter One, Mick goes looking for his homeless friend Bill and a young reporter called Grace, who have disappeared from outside the underpass.
Have Mick check the car, then head to the right and exit this screen, leading to the docks of the reservoir.
He will quickly hide behind a wooden crate after spotting two spec-ops looking types who are holding the young reporter captive and are loading her onto a small dinghy.
After a short period, during which Mick can look at the two figures, he will be knocked out by a third from behind. He wakes up to find his hands and feet bound, a bag over his head, and thrown into the reservoir to drown.
Mick can struggle all he wants, and you can try to get him free, but this first death is inevitable and introduces the core mechanic of Mick’s ability to wake up moments before he just died. He will wake up in the same situation, but also have the presence of mind to gulp air, giving him more time to break free.
Actually, it gives Mick infinite time to break free, and while we could spend time questioning how he does that, we’ll use this unique situation to our advantage! All you have to do is leave Mick underwater for 10 minutes, after which the achievement should pop.
For those who don’t know the reference the achievement is alluding to, it’s a call back to the protagonist of the Monkey Island series, Guybrush Threepwood, who can inexplicably hold his breath underwater for 10 minutes.
That was our Gratuitous Reference achievement guide for The Drifter! We hope it was helpful, and you can find more guides for the game below.
