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Every console needs a killer game or two, titles that redefine the way things are done. Because gaming is so broad, these are genre specific attempts at capturing hearts and minds, and the racing genre is hotly contested. The Xbox, for example, has Forza, which has become something of an unassailable fortress for Microsoft console car gaming. The PS3 had the Gran Turismo series which, despite a wobbly later run, still managed to captivate audiences. For the PS4… well, that space still needs to be filled, really, and it seems that it was the main aim of DriveClub to do just that. But definitive racers need to offer a whole array of positives, including a realistic driving model and, unfortunately, DriveClub doesn’t really deliver in all the areas that it should.
One thing that we were promised by this PS4 exclusive were stunning visuals and the developers lived up to their word in that respect; DriveClub looks really good. From detailed cars (exteriors and interiors) through to tracks that are not only beautiful vistas, but also alive with little details (like leaves lowing across the track in the wake of speeding cars and highly detailed textures). DriveClub is visually appealing in almost every aspect, and offers a variety of camera views from which to behold the grandeur. The tracks span a variety of locations as well, from the colourful Indian countryside to icy Scandanavian stretches, from Canadian woodlands to desolate Scottish scenes, DriveClub captures each of the five main locations beautifully, lending each one a unique feel.
But looks aren’t everything – they’re a big thing, yes, but not everything. Seeing a great looking car is all good and well, but a great driving game is one in which the cars don’t only look good, but feel good too. That, sadly, is an aspect in which DriveClub will leave the more serious racing game enthusiast a little cold. The handling model leans heavily towards an arcade experience; it’s less Forza and more Need for Speed. While this does broaden the accessibility of the market, it goes against the grain of being a definitive driving simulator to a large degree. In addition, the physics model varies only slightly between the 50 cars available for play. That means that leaping from a smaller starter car to a more powerful supercar won’t have that much of an impact, except for elements like speed and acceleration (which, at times, don’t really seem to matter, but we’ll get to that later). The tires are generally all rather grippy, which is great for taking corners a bit faster than you should but leaves the drifting aspect of the game feeling like a red-headed step-child, crammed with frustration. The brakes are always good. The cars shift weight in very similar fashions. It feels – just a little – like the car models are more like skins than actual different vehicles.
Racing purists may also be a little affronted by the selection of vehicles on offer. They are all European, and while there are some great cars in the game, fans of American Muscle or Japanese Speed are going to be left wanting. It’s a weird move by the developers. While other cars will undoubtedly be added by way of DLC, it seems like a strange omission for the initial release.
Another omission which will not sit too well with more serious racers is the lack of customisation. You can change the way that the car looks in terms of paint jobs (and even these are based on presets) but you’re not going to be tinkering under the hood at all. That would be OK, really, if the cars performed the way you expected them to. However, either through the catch-all physics model, or because the often brutal AI seems a little elastic, you may well find yourself beaten at the last minute by a vehicle that had no possible hope of doing so in the real world.
That gets really frustrating, and this is added to by the fact that the game will inconsistently punish you… not only for your own errors but for the actions of aggressive AI drivers on generally tight tracks. The game’s progression system, see, is based on earning fame. Cut a corner, hit a track element or clip another car, and you’re not only given a short speed penalty, but you lose some fame points too. That’s fair enough, but when these penalties are applied because an AI driver forces you off of the track or smacks into you, that seems just a little unfair. And the system is inconsistent, too. Some corners a tire off of the road surface will result in punishment, while others allow a virtual safari off track before scolding you.
At the heart of DriveClub is the social aspect of the title. This extends beyond multiplayer; DriveClub is all about starting a club and achieving things together. With up to six members, each club gains rank much like players do. These ranks unlock cars exclusive to club members. Not being a member of a club, leaving a club or even not being able to connect to a server renders those cars unusable. There is a great feel to being a club member, of course, and the asynchronous system that is employed in much of the game’s social side adds a number of challenges to a title that could start feeling a little limited after a while. Once you get through the single player events and somewhat limited multiplayer options, the system of leader boards and beating your friends (or the PSN community at large) in area specific face-offs does lend a touch of added longevity. It might be setting adrift score that’s better than your buddy, or completing a section of track in a more accurate way. Whatever the case may be, this aspect does keep the competition a little fresher.
In a marketplace that is dominated by technically precise open-world racing games, DriveClub feels a little anachronistic. Being given a list of cars that cannot be modified doesn’t really compete with selecting your own vehicle and setting it up the way you like it, inside and out, before getting to grips with each vehicles habits and eccentricities on-track. DriveClub does provide a lot of fun, and chasing the next level or beating the next face-off can get very addictive, but its overall arcade nature will prevent it from really competing against the big guns out there. The social aspect is great, too, but it is hardly the revolutionary system that we hoped it might be.
DriveClub sits in that slightly uncomfortable space somewhere between true arcade racing and technical simulations. It is extremely accessible, and it looks
great. It demands a bit more from the player than an arcade racer, but it never goes far enough into the technical side to remove itself from that same category. It takes a number of steps in the right direction – particularly in terms of visuals – but purists will be left cold. And that’s a pity, because DriveClub can provide a lot of carefree fun, despite some of it’s quibbles.