Review: #DRIVECLUB PS4

Good Things Come To Those Who...

#DRIVECLUB has had a very long road to drive down. Sitting here writing this review I am faced with a mix of emotions and memories. If I were to think back to when this game was first anounced in February 2013 (At the PS4 anouncement event *ed) it would be full of shameless schoolboy excitement and hype. Memories of game director Paul Rustchynsky gushing over the power of the PS4 and how it had allowed his team to show details like individual stitching on the cars seats. The graphics looked astoundingly realistic and phrase's like "Gran-Turismo beater" were thrown around with reckless abandon. Also announced was "#DRIVECLUB PS plus edition", a free version of the game for all PS plus subscribers. As a PS4 launch game many gamers (myself included) simply could not wait.
   Fast forward to just a few week before the PS4 launch and emotions and memories would take a downward spiral as #DRIVECLUB was delayed until "early 2014". Early 2014 brought with it more bad news with more delays and more disapointment. Infact #DRIVECLUB was not released until Early October 2014 and what a pitiful release it was. So #DRIVECLUB is a bad game? No, its actually brilliant and one of this generations best racers. So, as is becoming standard with my reviews allow me to explain this contradiction.

Wait For It, Wait For It!

It is common knowledge now that upon release  #DRIVECLUB, despite the numerous delays, was a mess. The promised online features were non existent. Upon starting a race you would have horrible and distracting red wording slide accross the screen informing you that the #DRIVECLUB servers were not working, thus prohibiting you from playing the game as intended. No club consisting of friends and other online players earning points for you was able to be made.

   Also promised and not in the game at launch were the incredible weather effect's. Even in snowy Canada the day was as bright and clear as any you would see in sunnier climes.

   And perhaps the biggest promise to break was the admission of the PS plus edition of the game, forcing excited gamers like myself to have to purchase the full game if they wanted to play the game at launch.

   Gameplay itself was,and is, solid. The cars handle well and you can tell alot of attention has been made to ensure the cars feel realistic, yet arcadey. You do have to brake unless you wish to be eating grass yet at the same time can throw the cars around rather satisfyingly. Its a nice unique blend and the games best mechanism by far. But looking back to October 2014 utilising this handling in single player only races around bland environments, thanks to the lack of weather, felt extremely bare bones. There was no drift,speed or racing line challenges that could be created on the tracks by other players. No clubs or community to speak of and the game was certainly not worth the full price punt Evolution Studio's and Sony were asking for.

I Would Pay £10 For #DRIVECLUB

But wait, this review isnt finished! Yes the game that was released in October deserves the above price placed upon it. But Evolution Studio's thankfully knew the initial release of the game was not up to the standards us gamers were expecting. So they set out to right these wrongs with constant updates regarding their server status, dragging the game to the online community a few weeks after release. At this point the servers were far from stable and though it was now possible to have an online game it was still shaky at best. 
   Weather was still non existent at this point and the PS plus edition was "delayed until further notice" creating further frustration and disapointment in many. Infact, #DRIVECLUB could not really be considered a full game, with all the features we were expecting, until several MONTHS down the line. It was in January that the game finally had its dynamic weather effects, fully functioning online clubs, a fantastic photo mode, challenges that could be created between players and clubs and any sort of functioning community in the game. 

To rectify this discrace Evolution Studio's did provide us with many free dlc packs including new cars, events and, more recently the new area of Japan to race upon. But to many this will have been too little too late. This is what makes #DRIVECLUB such a difficult game to review. Because if you are one of the unlucky ones who purchased the game at launch you have more than likely lost interest by now as the initial game was not substantial enough to hold the attention. If you are one of the few who stuck by the game however it is a much rosier picture. I love my racing games, so thankfully stuck with the game. Playing #DRIVECLUB with the weather effects in motion finally give you an indication of  what the devs were intending to achieve in the first place. An incredibly visceral, visually stunning and intense racing game. Its rare for this gamer to praise graphics over gameplay. But with the weather effects switched on the game just comes alive, with droplets of water swaying up and being realistically swished away by the animated windscreen wipers. Reflections of the car and evironment glisten in the wet road with puddles being distracted and deformed as the car of your choice zooms through. Its really rather amazing and one of the first visuals Im seeing in a game where I truly feel like next gen is here. Add to this the feeling you are never alone in the game,even in singleplayer, with challenge markers left by the community sporadically spashed over parts of the track. The game finally (such an overused word in this review! *ed) feels like it should have done in the first place: Well made.
   Rather brilliantly Evolution Studio's say they are not done with updating the game either, with video replays promised for March and further dlc expansions being made up until June.
   

What I Would Pay For This Game

Yes, #DRIVCLUB is a difficult game to review. Still in the air is the PS plus edition of the game, and that is a true shame and something that should not really be forgiven.You could shout outrage at your pc screen/ laptop/ T.V for its worryingly persistent lack of presence. And I would be hard pressed to argue with that. More to your loss however, you could be a stubborn oaf and declare the game has had its chance and it blew it. Its here where I can say with confidence if you did so you would be missing out on what I believe to be the premier racing experience on PS4. It is all a matter of sensibilities I suppose. Let me say it like this: If you have some disposable income and are looking for a racing game for your PS4, I would not find it difficult at all to heartily recommend #DRIVECLUB as the game for you.

I Would Pay £35 for #DRIVECLUB