Driveclub Reviews
A solid, well-meaning driving game. DriveClub shares it problems with various other contemporary racers. Speaking more broadly, it's the product of a current, misguided trend towards "social" play.
Driveclub is a distinctly mixed experience; skeletal in some aspects, but breathtakingly complete in others. We'll check back around Christmas, by which time it may have grown into a different game altogether. Until then, approach with care.
Despite numerous reasons to support Driveclub purely on concept alone, it takes a turn for the worse when scrutinized under the spotlight. It's unfortunate luck that the game had to release just a few weeks after Forza Horizon 2 which does nearly everything Driveclub does that much better. It may be an unfair comparison considering that this is its inaugural entry, but Driveclub was delayed multiple times and the standard for the hybrid racing genre is high with Burnout, DiRT, and Need for Speed. There's plenty to admire here, though, if you take Driveclub at face value and don't take things too seriously.
What we're left with is a flimsy framework - a sort of clothes horse for content - rather than a truly great racing game. DriveClub is patently intended to attract a global, interconnected audience of fiercely competitive racers but, to quote the increasingly obscure 1989 Kevin Costner film Field of Dreams: if you build it, they will come. And, unfortunately, Evolution hasn't quite built it.
Reagan sums it up best: "Driveclub, despite it's 12 month delay, feels like it has still managed to release too early."
If you can look past the dings in the paint job there's a lot of fun to be had with DriveClub but be sure not to go in expecting the new standard in racing games. You'll surely end up disappointed.
The debut PlayStation 4 racing title from Evolution Studios barely crosses the finish line. There are decent ideas here, but shortcomings in many areas keep Driveclub well back of a podium finish.
The penalties for my aggressive style of racing seem like they would take all of the fun out of Driveclub for me, given that's usually the only way I can win in this genre, but that is not the case. I enjoy Driveclub a great deal and am looking forward to future updates and getting back online to race against other players. I enjoy the different tracks, beautiful locations and slick-looking cars, and unlocking new rides is always a rush and the thrill of victory is addictive and rewarding.
'Driveclub' features all the thrills of high-speed octane driving one can have without having to fear a speeding ticket, however, this isn't a driving simulator of the 'Gran Tursimo' variety. Graphically amazing and technically flawless, 'Driveclub' has more pros than cons. The one real caveat is that it's still just a racing game that isn't particularly fun or hilarious. For those kicks, I heartily suggest 'Mario Kart 8'. 'Driveclub,' meanwhile, is part of the new social racer genre, but its gameplay left me cold. Recommended for racing aficionados, worth a look for everyone else.
Too casual for the hardcore, too hard for the casual. Driveclub might have a hard time finding its right audience, but its undeniably a gorgeous racer with expertly integrated social options.
The crux of the Driveclub experience is in its multiplayer offerings, which foster a great community with your fellow racers online, but only when it works.
If you're willing to take a chance on Driveclub, it rewards you with its all-business design and impressively brief loading times. From a content perspective, it lands smack dab between "bare bones" and "feature-packed," with just enough content that it can't be classified as a glorified starter pack. It's a racing game with just the essentials plus added social incentives that let you compete at your own pace, as long as you're not the compulsive type who needs to win every challenge.
Driveclub is incredibly well put together but slightly bland, and is hampered by a lack of distinct personality.
DriveClub's balanced physics and impressive presentation make for an all-around excellent racer, even if there's still a lot of room for Evolution Studios to expand and improve upon. However, the overly aggressive AI and archaic progression system may deter non-racing fans, while the ongoing online issues remain infuriating. If you can look beyond the tire smoke prompted by the release's poor launch, there is a really enjoyable game here. Still, the uncertain among you may be better off riding shotgun in the elusive PlayStation Plus version before buckling up in the full title's driver's seat.
DriveClub is easily accessibly and highly recommendable, even for no other reason than the simple fact that it's the only new racer available on PS4 this year. It's slickly designed and just plain fun to play. There's room for improvement on the car selection, progression and customization, but what's there is a fun racer with some interesting social options that dedicated racers can take advantage of.
The PlayStation 4's exclusive is fun to take for a spin, but we expect its inevitable sequel is the social racing game you're really going to want to play.
A great multiplayer racer, but quite dreary as a single-player game, DriveClub feels like it needed more time in development to polish out its dings and flaws.
So, at the end of the day, #DRIVECLUB is a technically proficient racer with a social side that can be fun. But overall it lacks some things that make racing games great, especially ones that insist on arcade style progression. Hardcore racing fans will be pleased by the bevy of cars available and may enjoy creating a club with their friends, but players like me won't be converted due to the lack of customization and/or arcade style gameplay. Despite all its flaws, #DRIVECLUB still manages to deliver a solid racing experience on the PS4, it just wasn't the one I was looking for.
DriveClub has enough good driving components to be worth a spin, but it doesn't come close to living up to the experience Sony promised with its year long delay. The frustrating AI issues, poor penalty system and unrealized social experience puts it second place behind Microsoft's far better Forza. Perhaps next year we'll see a closer battle between the two. Or, hey, how about a next-gen MotorStorm? That would've hit the spot.
DriveClub is a great racing experience which includes enough content, both single-player and social, to keep fans of the genre occupied for months, especially if they are determined to always be better than their friends.