This game has realistic cars, locations and weather. Car handling that is in the middle between sim and arcade. You score points while driving and they even added a bikes expansion too. Hang on a minute is this Project Gotham Racing 5? No its Driveclub and it is fucking beautiful. Driveclub is a dream racing game but unfortunately it is a bit of a broken dream. What happened with this games launch (and since then) and the state it was released in was a tragedy. Probably not a tragedy for every other racing game that came before and at the time and every racing game since because if Driveclub released complete, in a perfect state and with a wealth of content then every other similar racing game would have existed in Driveclub’s shadow.

What happened to Evolution Studios after this game is just disgusting. They put out five PS2 WRC games all with good sales and Metacritic scores, one great MotorStorm that expertly showed what the PS3 was capable of straight out the gate and another great MotorStorm that massively increased the amount of content. A third MotorStorm that wasn’t the best but did show off Sony’s new, at the time, 3D TVs. A fourth MotorStorm that was a great early showcase for the Vita and cross platform gaming. Then Driveclub one of the best and most beautiful racing games of all time that showed off what could be achieved on PS4. They created racing games that were some of the best in four different racing game genres. That pedigree wasn’t enough to save them from closure after Driveclub. How are these tactics working out for you long term Sony (and the whole industry)? We are now in the worst generation in decades. The PS5 is the worst Sony console ever with easily the worst, and probably smallest, line up of new games ever for Sony. It would just be nice if developers and the individuals working in the industry weren’t treated as disposable. Anyway, let’s start heaping praise on a fantastic game that deserved so much better.

Driveclub came out in 2014. Driveclub came out in 2014. Driveclub came out in 2014. Yes I needed to deliberately repeat that this game is more than ten years old three times. If you have never had the pleasure of seeing Driveclub in action then make sure to put down a cushion before you try this game because your jaw is going to drop so fucking fast and hard that you’ll need protection. It is so technically impressive, like draw distance of up to 200km to the horizon, volumetric skies, dynamic weather that impacts pretty much everything and it even simulates the curvature of the earth… actually just check out the videos from somewhere like Digital Foundry on this game for that stuff because there is no way I can do anywhere near as well as others already have on a technical breakdown. But the weather, god damn it is so stunning and probably still the best weather in gaming. Flying along in first person view in the rain and/or at night with the sense of speed this game has is the best. I mean that, when it comes to how it feels, the atmosphere, this is the best racing game.

The reason this game looks and feels so good isn’t just technical though. Driveclub was not aiming for pure realism it is something beyond that. There is that heightened sense of speed and the camera shake. The colours of this game just pop so much and are so lush. Speaking of lush everything in the background is; the trees are a perfect green, the grass is clearly getting plenty of water, the flowers are in perfect bloom, every little detail has been perfected to make the game as picturesque as possible at all times. That isn’t real, there’s style here. The backgrounds are gorgeous and always have things happening at just the right time. There are flocks of birds taking off, balloons being released, fireworks going off and even plastic bags dancing in the breeze like they have just blown in from American Beauty. Sometimes there is so much beauty in Driveclub I feel like I can't remember everything that went wrong with it, at least for a moment. The way the brake lights glow, the way flames spit from the exhaust, the way they used different coloured flags to indicate corners, how they really committed to darkness for night races and how reflective surfaces look in the beam from your headlights, the sparks that fly when you kiss a barrier – it is all so, so good. They even went to the trouble of putting butterflies in the game.

The cars are detailed and beautiful too with the interiors you would expect from a sim and such wonderful exterior paint. I love the way you get such a good look at the car every time after selecting it, as you walk up to and get in the car in first person, so you can admire the stunning machine you’re about to drive. Then after this when the event loads you get shots of the gorgeous environments you’re about to race through. The menus all look great and are snappy and easy to navigate. It does look like it is of the time when UI in games was starting to get a bit dull but there is still a nice clean style to it all. While driving you can turn everything off for a completely clear screen with the tap of a button and of course this game included a photo mode. Driveclub has the sound to match the rest of the games presentation too. The soundtrack volume is set to zero when you first play Driveclub and for good reason. Why would you want to have any music when the game provides a symphony of tortured tyres and some of the best sounding cars ever in a game?

So Driveclub is one of the best looking games ever, with top notch presentation all around, and it always will be, but how does it play. I am going to use the word best again. When it comes to car handling that is trying to be grounded in realism but still arcadey Driveclub is the best ever at this. The cars just feel so good to drive. There is realistic weight, handling and breaking but with a level of forgiveness built in that encourages fun. These cars have more grip than they should, they stay flatter through corners and they don’t require quite the same level of care with inputs. But then you still feel the undulations in the road that can even unsettle the car at times. If you want the best times you’ll still need practice and consistency and you’ll need to be thinking of things like drafting, the optimal line and breaking points. It’s approachable but still has depth. It’s rewarding, challenging and fun. There are two driving options (hardcore on/off) and assists so Driveclub can appeal to a wide range of people without compromising the full on experience. Turning the hardcore mode on means a bit less traction and more wheel spin and there is a bit less stability there but the biggest difference is to braking. You’ll really need to know when to pull up and overall you just need a greater level of finesse and care. Turning hardcore on or off really just asks which way do you want the game to lean more; arcade or simcade. Hardcore off is easier and the game seems to be better tuned for this but having hardcore on is more exciting.

Driveclub is really addictive too. Everything you do earns fame (points) and each event has more to worry about than just winning. There are objectives and challenges to complete as well that give each race good replay value. You earn fame through drifting, drafting, overtakes, etc. but will lose a little for crashes, bumping other cars and going off track. There are also forced slow down penalties. This rewards fun driving but asks that you do it cleanly and means you couldn’t get away with bad driving online without slowing. Fame works like experience and it means you are constantly progressing. You have a level but then it is also broken down into car and manufacturer levels and for things like drifting and clean laps too. These work towards unlocks and you’re always getting them. It is pretty satisfying and this was also tied to the online and the club you join too. Online was great. I enjoyed working with a club for some shared progression and the online races were fun. It was nice to have the face offs and challenges from others in the game too. There was enough variety as well. Regular races were the main attraction but drifting, time trials, one on one and point to point filled out the events on offer. The track design is great and does two things really well. The first is how well they swoop through the landscapes highlighting the games beauty. Then there are the many narrow high speed sections that aren’t always just straights but are often undulating and have sweeping bends. These really accentuate the games feeling of speed and let you enjoy it often. Don’t worry though there are still plenty of tricky sections and things like chicanes and hairpins and some of the tracks are race circuits. I also love how focused and immediate it is. There is no filler, story or open world nonsense here.

Driveclub is the type of game a causal player can drop in and out of. It is the type of game for people wanting to use the skills they developed delivering tofu or driving in Mexico. It is the type of game for people wanting a challenging simcade-ish experience. It is absolutely the perfect game for people that love cars and enjoy racing but don’t want to commit to a sim or if you want something to play other than just your favourite sim. Arcade racers can continue to push for greater thrills, crazy speed and all kinds of styles and gimmicks. Sim racers can continue to push for more realism. When it comes to this style of racer Driveclub has already hit the peak, although I’d like to be proven wrong on this. Driveclub may not have captured the nuance and realism of driving, and it wasn’t trying to, but it has captured the feeling and exhilaration probably better than any other racer. The car handling developed here and how they have struck a balance is a work of art. My only really small nitpick is that when you transition from drifting one way to the other it doesn’t feel as spot on as everything else. Overall maybe just slightly less grip was needed but that change would have flow on effects and even though Driveclub is amazing nothing can be perfect. The result of Driveclub’s presentation and gameplay means that ripping through the rain in a car like the Ferrari FXX K is, without exaggeration, one of the most intense and thrilling experiences this medium has to offer.

Like I said though nothing can be perfect, first of all, every car should have been rear wheel drive. Okay, not really and that isn’t a flaw, I’m just addicted to coming out of corners sideways in this game. A real issue is that the AI is pretty average. Other cars out on track will make mistakes which is good and more interesting. Sometimes they get out of your way or dodge you and sometimes they won’t. They could have had a bit more character and been more adaptive and reactive though. They do a decent job of keeping up out on track without resorting to a serious kind of heinous rubber banding but there is some. Driveclub doesn’t have any customisation outside of picking a character and paintjobs. There also isn’t any tuning but not every racer needs these. There is a lack of serious car damage. I’m not sure if this was a choice or imposed by car manufacturers. The damage that is here is detailed. Glass breaks but stays held together. Lots of tiny dings appear, there are really good looking scrapes and scratches and cracks appear through the lights. But the cars don’t fall apart or deform much which can leave impacts feeling hollow and it sticks out a little when everything else is so phenomenal. That’s pretty much it for nitpicks.

Okay so Driveclub is easily one of the greatest racing games of all time and I can wrap this up with a glowing score. Nah, I have to address the elephants in the room when it comes to Driveclub now. Driveclub launched incomplete and the online was not working. I was there day one. It was nonstop constant issues and online races were a mess. It was really bad particularly when they made it such an integral part of the experience and it was used heavily as a selling point. They did get it up and running right eventually and it was excellent. But the game also felt a little underdone. The weather and more was coming in an update. The number of cars, tracks and events was a little bit lacking and not having functional online made it stick out worse. The initial car line up was very European heavy too and was missing many obvious picks for a racing game. I was buying every little DLC as it came out but I missed the final couple of bits and the bikes expansion. I had already put so much time into it and had all the trophies. I felt like moving on after months of regular play but I really should have returned to buy and play the rest.

That brings me to where Driveclub is now. I don’t know if they ever put the updates on an updated physical disc or if that is forever stuck as a download that will be lost at some point. Driveclub has been taken down and so has its DLC and the expansion. You need to grab a physical copy (which is super cheap now) and download the update and enjoy what is there, which is still fantastic but damn, fuck the people responsible for this mess. All the online features are also gone too and if you play online you’ll constantly be reminded of what this game was. There even seem to be some cars I used to be able to access but now can’t, probably tied to online club progress but I started a fresh game. I don’t know maybe this idea of releasing games as a work in progress isn’t a good idea; they should have just let Evolution finish it and thoroughly test it. If Driveclub had launched day one, complete on disc, with all the updates and content it received and the online was working, well then holy shit, this could have been one of the greatest games of all time. There was a VR Driveclub released later but I don’t have VR so I couldn’t try it. I’m guessing it is good but maybe there are too many compromises.

Driveclub is one of the most beautiful, sublime and enjoyable games I have ever played and even its bad launch and current state isn’t enough to totally ruin that. I bought Driveclub day one, spent over 200 hours on it and I got the Platinum Trophy. That’s probably the biggest compliment I can give because most games are not capable of hooking me like that. Coming back to Driveclub now is still incredible and fun. I want a remaster of this game for PS5 complete on disc with all the updates, DLC and bikes expansion more than, not just any other remaster, but more than any other game at all. So yeah, if you like racing games even just a little, and you have a PS5 or PS4, and you haven’t played this yet then please play Driveclub.

This brings me to the end of my play through of games from Evolution Studios. Before I wrap things up there are some things I want to address relating to Driveclub and the closure of Evolution Studios… I started a rant here… I love Driveclub too much though and I want to keep the end positive. So, to Evolution Studios and all the people that worked there, thank you so much for the hard work and the great games. They are fun as hell and I will keep coming back to them until I can no longer play.