Driveclub (PlayStation 4)

Driveclub

Developer(s) – Evolution Studios

Publisher(s) – Sony Computer Entertainment

Director – Paul Rustchynsky

PEGI – 3

Originally intended to be a launch title for the PlayStation 4 back in 2013, Driveclub suffered from a yearlong delay until it was finally released in the holiday season of 2014. And was met with mostly positive reviews from critics. Criticisms were levied against the game’s alleged lack of replay value. But after playing it myself, It was obvious to me that the problem wasn’t its lack of gameplay. But its lack of originality.

Graphics – 10/10

Like most games made in the exact same vein, the graphics from a technological standpoint are nigh on flawless. The cars and the scenery have been painstakingly rendered to bring the game to the eighth generation on PlayStation 4. It certainly does well to show off the extra 10% of graphical rendering power the PlayStation 4 has over the Xbox One. Normally, I would also look at the conceptual side of a game’s visuals. But it would mean nothing since the developers set out to make it look as realistic as possible. As opposed to going for wonderfully weird or outlandish designs. Even despite the game’s inherent lack of uniqueness.

Gameplay – 7/10

That inherent lack of uniqueness mostly stems from the game’s style of play. Which by in large is the same as every other realistic racing game. Only with this title, the developers looked to bring a sense of social interaction to the table by having multiplayer revolve around cooperation as much as the competition. Somewhat like Forza, there is a small RPG element to it. In that experience, points are earned in order to unlock more cars as well as more tournaments. However, its lack of exceptionality doesn’t necessarily make it a bad game. It’s more evolutionary than revolutionary. A small advantage this game has over other racing games, however, is that, unlike Forza, there aren’t any arrows across the road put in place for the most part, to hold the player’s hand constantly.

Controls – 10/10

With countless racing games released across the sixth and seventh generations, there would have been some particularly serious problems if the control scheme wasn’t anything short of perfect. Especially compared to its closest competitors. It could be argued that this, in turn, would add to its level of banality. Since there were a fair few games like this across the seventh generation that introduced a few unique mechanics, such as Blur. But having it this way is certainly preferable to the developers taking a needless risk. And possibly ruining the game completely.

Originality – 2/10

Since Driveclub was originally going to be a launch title and further judging by many other launch titles released across the eighth generation of gaming, I think it should have been expected that this game was unlikely to stand out to any great extent. Unfortunately, forgotten (at least temporarily, I hope), are the days of launch titles that would introduce players to gameplay as they had scarcely seen before. I saw the likes of Knack and Ryse: Son of Rome to name but a few. B. Eut this title cemented this for me; even if it didn’t end up being a launch title itself in the end.

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In summation, however, despite what negativity I may have perpetuated with this review, I ended up looking at it in a fairly positive light. I’ve played much worse racing games than Driveclub, and despite its lack of individuality, it is a fairly enjoyable racing experience.

Score

29/40

7/10 (Fair)

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