Drifting Lands made in the form of a classic side-view shooter, which in the gameplay received a fair share of elements from role-playing action games. The hero is immersed in a certain world after a global catastrophe, which led to the complete destruction of the planet. This is how the drifting lands turned out, where all the air battles take place. Mysterious mountain landscapes, snow-capped mountain peaks, green fields and other landscapes flash in the background. The game has a plot, which is presented through static pictures with dialogues. They appear between levels, of which there are 100.

At the start, Drifting Lands offers you to choose one of three classes of ships:

• Interceptor is a super-fast aircraft with great firepower but little protection (2 armor slots).
• Marauder is a ship with moderate speed and medium-power weapons (3 armor slots).
• The Sentinel is a slow-moving ship that can withstand significant damage (4 armor slots).

The game has three main parameters – survivability, navigation and power. They are gradually upgraded as you progress using the points you receive. The role-playing component is also evident in the presence of slots for weapons and modules on the plane that improve characteristics. Improvements can be purchased in the store or crafted yourself, provided you have the appropriate drawings. Sometimes destroyed enemies leave behind modules, some of which are rare, named ones.