A well done racing game missing a few things. After being delayed close to a year, Driveclub finally hits the PlayStation 4. After a “back to the drawing board” session to rework a few things, Evolution Studios hopes to bring players a more social way to race.

14/1/15 Game Update 1.09 - Challenges reenabled, Dynamic Weather added, Free Tour DLC released -With challenges reactivated and server troubles appearing to have been fixed, DriveClub's latest updates end months of issues for Evolution's troubled title.After further testing, DriveClub now works almost as well as it did at the time of my initial review, with challenges fully functional and leaderboards updating instantly. The server errors that plagued the game at launch appear to have vanished, and browsing, competing and sending Challenges to other players is now immediate and faultless. Ape out youtube.

The Notifications bar and Recent Activity menu remain disabled, but it's far from the frustrating, broken game it was back in October. For all intents and purposes, DriveClub now functions largely as it should.The dynamic weather introduced in December's update adds a phenomenal new dimension to the racing as well, with the game's photo-realistic effects reinforcing its position as one of the best-looking (and sounding) console games ever made.

Raindrops streaking across the windscreen, cracks of lightning piercing through clouds and pools of water forming on the track make for sensational eye-candy, and are reason enough to give DriveClub another go should you have given up on it all those months ago.It's unfortunate, however, that Tour events featuring weather are restricted to premium DLC. You're still able to create single events or compete in challenges with weather enabled, but as one of DriveClub's greatest assets it's disappointing to see Evolution failing to make good use of said weather in the base game. A handful of events created by the developer could have gone some way for making up for the trouble at launch.Instead, early buyers have been given free access to two other DLC packs, but neither of them are particularly exciting, simply consisting of a few new cars and events around the same locations. They're underwhelming extensions that could have easily slotted anywhere into the main campaign, and had they been released at full price as originally intended I'd certainly find them difficult to recommend.But even though DriveClub is now fully functional, there's still the question of whether it's all a little too late. DriveClub's reputation has been damaged significantly as a result of its disastrous launch, and a quick look at the game's Facebook page makes it clear that a lot of players have already run out of patience with Evolution, with the initial buzz largely replaced by an overwhelming sense of anger and cynicism. I didn't have any problem finding new challenges or public multiplayer races during the time I spent with it for this re-review, but I have little doubt that overall player numbers will have been affected by the initial trouble.That said, if you're still intrigued by DriveClub, now is as good a time as any to give it a shot.

It's a superb game with excellent visuals, stunning weather effects and - finally - a working, compelling hook. The release of the PS Plus Edition may be the jump start it needs to really get things moving again, but if you're still waiting for that to help you make up your mind, do yourself a favour and pick it up at the lower price you can find it for now.

It's taken a few months to get there, but DriveClub can finally take pride of place as one of the best racers available on PS4.- Game Update 1.07 -Score lowered to 6/10With server issues continuing to plague DriveClub, the current experience offered by the game does not reflect that which we experienced when producing our original review. Though we tested the game on public servers against real people prior to release, launch woes have meant that those buying the game have not been able to play DriveClub the way it was presented to us at the time of our review. As such, we have re-evaluated the game and updated our review to include our thoughts on what the PS4 racer currently offers. It's also worth noting that the PS Plus Edition is not currently available, with Sony unable to give a date for its release.With Challenges still offline, a huge part of DriveClub feels lost. As noted in our initial review, the core appeal of Evolution's racer comes in browsing Challenges and beating friends and rival clubs before the event comes to an close. Without them, the game's overall hook and lasting appeal is significantly weakened.Navigating the main menu reinforces the belief that you're playing a broken game, too, with the live sub-menu removed and the Challenges area greyed out. You can still compete against others to some degree; Leaderboards appear to function correctly, and it's possible for you to manually beat a friend's time by finding their entry in the leaderboard.

But it isn't anywhere close to being as fluid or compelling as the initial premise would suggest.Heading into competitive multiplayer consistently raised problems, too. We experienced ongoing issues while attempting to connect to multiplayer matches and failed to connect to a single game during our re-evaluation.It isn't all bad news, though. Introduced with title update 1.07, DriveClub's new Photo Mode is an excellent feature that emphasises the game's outstanding visuals and allows players to compose striking shots by tweaking the range of camera settings. It's easy to use and leads to some gorgeous results, but it's an added bonus that likely won't affect the purchasing decision of most.

Cynics may argue that it should have been there day one, too.As a result of DriveClub's current state, we've decided to lower our review score. The game remains an excellent racer with superb handling and a fun (albeit generic) campaign. But the disabled Challenges and ongoing server troubles make a significant impact on the overall experience and, at the moment, DriveClub can only really be recommended to those prepared to accept that it isn't yet the game it promised to be.Original review published 7/10/2014Original review score: 8/10DriveClub is a game for pricks. Pricks who like driving their big fast car around big fast roads, before bragging to their mates about how quickly they drove their big fast car around those big fast roads the next day.Time trials and online leaderboards are part and parcel of modern day racers, of course.

Heck, Need For Speed's been doing Autolog for years. But the stellar integration of DriveClub's asynchronous Challenge system makes competing online feel far closer to a sport - and far more of a battle - than in those that came before it.It's a powerful system that drives the entire backend, letting you invite other friends, clubs or the world to beat your time or drift score immediately after each race, and which feeds their progress back through a series of live menus and dynamic mid-race Face-Offs. Competing is stupidly compelling, with the impressive load times, instant restarts, and constant flow of new challenges routinely tempting you into having just one more go. It's Hot Pursuit on heat.Before you start exploring challenges, though, DriveClub can seem fairly underwhelming. The complex UI, generic campaign and early, slower cars make for a poor first impression, particularly after Forza Horizon 2's ecstasy-fuelled rave. But once the faster cars and more exciting events start to unlock, DriveClub begins to shine. Handling is weighty and realistic, albeit more forgiving than Gran Turismo, and the game's terrific sense of speed makes throwing cars around the track a pleasure.

This is video game driving at some of its very best - and with visuals as good as these, often at its most breathtaking, too. DriveClub looks phenomenal.It isn't all dynamic sunshine and rainbows, though. Tracks are beautiful but rarely memorable, the 6-player club size feels too small, customisation is limited, corner flags can be inaccurate, the soundtrack is almost non-existent, and the XP system is slightly unbalanced. Why Evo chose to penalise the player for being rear-ended by an over-aggressive AI, for example, I will never fully understand. The lack of weather at launch, too, is another sign of DriveClub feeling slightly undercooked - a surprise given its lengthy delay.But even with its shortfalls there are few racers that manage to marry up the joy of driving with the thrill of competing against friends and strangers as successfully as this, which makes popping a score on the end of this review one of DriveClub's toughest challenges yet.

I stayed up until the early hours of the morning one night frantically trying to beat a challenge set by another games site. But the desperate desire to win - and the urge to silently brag about the victory - made the race deeply exciting.And it's intense rivalries like this that lie at the heart of DriveClub. It's a game whose appeal lives and dies in its online time trials and sensational visuals, and whose sense of one-upmanship and competition is leaps above the rest of the pack.I didn't realise I was a prick.

Until I played DriveClub. Should you upgrade from the PS Plus Edition?Look, the PS Plus Edition is a demo. Sony (perhaps inadvertently) admitted so much. But should you upgrade to the full version or is there enough content here to recommend sticking to the free download?Essentially, the PS Plus Edition grants all PlayStation Plus subscribers access to one-fifth of the game's content, including 11 tracks from the game's India environment. You'll also gain access to all of the game's modes, including Clubs, Challenges and online multiplayer, but the single-player Tour will be limited to just 5 events, with other modes restricted to the available tracks.As for the cars included, you'll be able to take 10 cars out for a spin in total split between each of the 5 categories listed below, but the level spread between them raises concerns over the pacing of the PS Plus Edition.

In the full game, you'll regularly unlock new cars as you level up your personal Driver profile and your Club profile, with 50 to unlock in total. But with limited cars and tracks available in the PS Plus Edition, it seems as if players will need to invest a considerable amount of time racing the same few cars across the same few tracks if they wish to access all 10.Note: The levels referenced below highlight the level required to unlock the car in the full version. Sony didn't provide access to the PS Plus Edition prior to this review, but it is assumed that level requirements will be the same across both versions to avoid potential balancing issues.Hot-HatchesMini John Cooper Works GP - Unlocked at startVolkswagen Golf GTI - Club Lvl. 1SportsBentley Continental GT V8 - Club Lvl. 3Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG - Unlocked at startPerformanceBMW M3 GTS - Club Lvl.

6Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale - Driver Lvl. 5SuperAudi R8 V10 Coupe Plus - Driver Lvl. 11BAC Mono - Club Lvl. 10HyperPagani Zonda R - Club Lvl. 15RUF CTR3 Clubsport - Driver Lvl. 15PS Plus Edition owners will also receive the upcoming updates, including dynamic weather, photo mode, replays and additional DLC tracks for India for free.

A nice touch from Sony, although we still don't know when exactly it'll all become available.That said, India, while pretty, isn't the game's most interesting location either, with Norway and Canada both providing a far more exciting backdrop to the racing. Scotland and Chile also become unlocked after upgrading to the full version.So, while the PS Plus Edition may provide a decent taster of what to expect from DriveClub, just like any other demo, I can't see it being too long until players start to tire of repeating the same few races in the same few cars on one of the game's least exciting locations. And for the relatively low price of £34.99 (or cheaper if you shop around), an upgrade to the full edition comes heartily recommended.Second Opinion: Tom Orry, Editorial DirectorMost of my time with DriveClub has been via the Vita thanks to Remote Play, and I'm pleased to report that the game holds up pretty well, and in some ways might actually be the ideal way to play. Other than the fact that the gorgeous visuals take a hit when compressed down to a network-friendly bit-rate and the responsiveness is a fraction off, quick challenges suit the pick-up-and-play Vita incredibly well.This won't apply so much if your PS4 is turned off, but if your console is on you can grab the Vita, quickly hop into a challenge, and have a few tries during an ad-break. I managed to put in about 15 minutes on a drift challenge during X Factor, replaying the same 20-second section of track enough times to break into the top 10.You can customise controls for remote play, which is good, but neither the shoulder buttons or the face buttons feel quite right, leaving my hand in a claw-like grip of pain after a while. DriveClub is a game that features a lot of text inside the menus, be it in the form of challenge details or pop-ups or in-game face-offs.

This doesn't translate brilliantly to the Vita, meaning I often miss messages and can't make out the challenges that occur mid-race.As an aside from the Remote Play, DriveClub feels very much like the kind of game the PS4 was missing. A racer with a real competitive hook. I love open-world racers, but the sectioned-off event racing on offer here, for me, is easier to get into. I spend so long cruising around in big worlds that it's hard to get into the racing properly. Here the racing is all there is to get into, and I like it.Second Opinion not reflected in final score.

My first online gaming experience was playing a remote user in NFL 2K1 on my Dreamcast. In the years since, I’ve watched online gameplay go from a novelty, to alternate play modes, to the core feature of both games and consoles. Usually, it works by creating immersive, innovative and unique experiences.But other times it doesn’t. When a game puts all of its eggs into the online basket, there’s room for a huge debacle, leaving gamers with nothing but a shell of a $60 game (see SimCity, 2013).Driveclub isn’t quite as bad as EA’s City Builder, but inconsistent online functionality have plagued the first “serious” racing game on PS4 and left some users feeling cheated. Unfortunately, looking at just the single player options won’t inspire additional confidence.GameplayDriveclub's devotion to driving is clear from the opening, and, like Forza and Gran Tourismo, touts the beauty and majesty of the automobile.

Unlike its peers, though, Driveclub seems stuck in a previous era where driving is the sole focus (or feature) of the game.I was disappointed by the lack of options. There is no tuning, tire changes, or customization beyond simple paint jobs. Worse, there’s no choice when it comes to unlocking cars - it’s all a linear progression: the next car will be given to you when you level up.

Granted, this progression focuses your driving on an increasingly difficult set of events; but it also strips any kind of personal preference from the proceedings.With the focus on driving, and not building any kind of narrative or career, one might expect the actual driving to be a bit better. I found it to be strangely stiff, regardless of the vehicle. If you go hard into a curved rail, you are better just to ride it out than fight the game’s steering to get back on the road.

Jamming on the brakes doesn’t usually result in any kind of loss of control, but feathering them does.Driving at speed feels decent enough, and Driveclub does a great job at communicating visually just how fast you are going. But inch off the track at all, and you are given 3 seconds to get back - which seriously hampers the ability to become proficient by learning from your mistakes.Overall, the driving isn’t terrible, but it will take you time to get used to it. And I definitely wouldn’t put it above any other sim-style games out there.In an effort to help you get better, and seemingly reward good driving, Driveclub uses a performance-point system. We’ve seen this in racing games before, so it’s not exactly innovative. Driveclub does shake things up, though, through sectional challenges based on speed, accuracy, drifting, etc.

These are handled rather nicely and do give you something to strive for in addition to first place. These are only in place for specific sections though, so it’s not like you are constantly getting points for following the driving line for the whole race, for instance.Some penalties are ever-present, though, such as collisions with other cars. Unfortunately, I found the AI to have a lack of tact, often barrelling into you as they mechanically follow the optimal path.Again, temporarily ignoring the problems with online, the single-player career is pretty shallow. Initially, you’ll be given a car and a series of eligible events. Each event has three secondary goals to achieve. Doing well earns you points; points earn you levels. Each level gets you a new car, which may unlock a new event or series of events.And.that’s about it.

There is no choice of what car to unlock or other customization options. You aren’t amassing virtual currency or a personalized stable of cars. That said, there is an addictive quality to the path that does encourage long racing sessions.

In a lot of ways, the career reminds me of the arcade racers found on the previous two generations of consoles.PresentationCertainly, graphics are the strength of the game; it’s fair to say that this is one of the most beautiful driving games available.The car models look great, including the default cockpit view. Damage is well rendered, but doesn’t seem to have any real performance effect.The real standouts, visually, are the tracks. They are wildly varied, both in shape and environment. There’s a photorealism to the overall look of the landscapes, even if it doesn’t quite hold up when looking an individual textures or during the intro flyovers.The biggest draw is the day/night cycle, which can be adjusted to more quickly represent the passage of time. Watching the light levels pass from midday to dusk to night is glorious.

Cars at night also look great, with nice contrast levels between lights and the surrounding night.Strangely, there’s no replay mode, which denies you the chance to show off the game’s outstanding visuals.OnlineSo online play is the big issue here, which, as I said, is a grievous error for a game focused on social interaction. At this point, online continues to be an issue for some players. I was able to get on roughly have of the time. Sometimes I thought I was in an event, but it quickly kicked me out prior to the race started.What’s here - when working - is interesting, if unfortunately limited. The Club system allows players to join up to share experience and challenges, as well as work together to challenge other teams. But The Club system, at this point, isn’t quite as infused as you would hope. It’s sort of like an FPS clan, with less interaction and shared rewards.

Unless you are able to make a Club with people you know, it will just feel like another meter to watch.There is a live event system that is neat, with a “playlist” type structure that links multiple races and car types. Unfortunately, they cycle and fill pretty quickly, so if you see one that you are interested in, jump in. On top of that, the menus are sort of cumbersome, and I haven’t found a way to create your own online customized event - that is, pick the exact track, cars, etc. The live events are quite varied though, so there should always be something that's of interest.The worst part of the online play so far isn’t the fault of the developer: poor driving overall limits the fun you’ll have racing others. The few races I’ve got in tend to be full of bumping and cramped driving.

Whether intentionally or due to low skill, it’s frustrating to be knocked out of a race thanks to some stranger who can’t steer. This isn't exclusive to Driveclub, put so far, it does seem to be more prominent.Again, without a fully functional online package, this game is lacking the reason most will want to play.Final ThoughtsDriveclub is a great looking game with a mediocre driving engine wrapped in a very limited content package. It’s missing some relatively standard features (replay, tuning, customization), and the selection of cars is pretty minimal. Worse, the career mode strips away any kind of decision making, leaving you with something that almost resembles a free-to-play game (think War Thunder, etc).But like those free-to-play games, Driveclub can be addicting, especially when the online features are working correctly. The Clubs offer a clan-like experience to a driving game, and the challenges make sure you aren’t a one-skill type of driver. I didn’t find the driving engine to be spectacular, but it’s not going to be a huge hinderance for someone fully invested in the game.For now, investing is the only way to get this game - until the free PS+ edition is released.

At $50-60, I would definitely wait until the online problems are fixed.Score: 5 (Average)Learning Curve: Your standard pseudo-sim arcade racer, so learning curve isn’t steep-outside of the game’s strange driving feel/engine.Control Scheme: The PS4 controller feels nice for a driving game; nothing unusual here.Visuals: This game is a gem to look at. Tracks and environments are outstanding.

It’s too bad there isn’t a replay or photo mode.Audio: Sound is good, and focused on the engines themselves. I love that the cockpit view muffles the sound appropriately.Career: Very shallow and limited. Few choices to make, though see your level rise can be addicting.Onlne: The Club system feels a little underused at this point. Online racing is poor, though the events are varied. Connectivity remains an issue.

I disagree with this review, here's a different take on the game. I am a big fan of racing games and I am really enjoying Driveclub.

I'm enjoying it without even venturing into the online part of the game. The thing I like about this game is the single event mode.

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This mode allows me to customize the game to my liking. I can pick my car, track, choose how many A.I. I want to race against, set the laps, difficulty, and time of day. I am having some very enjoyable races.The courses are well done and each car handles differnt from the next. The driving model (handling) I feel is very well done.

Come barreling into a turn and you will hit the rail or wall, as you should. I really like how this game does not have a racing line. This forces you to learn the tracks and know your breaking points.I've done some of the Tour mode. I currently have 132 of the possible 225 stars. I'm at level 37, club level 11, and most if that was accomplished in the single event mode.Also what some think are faults with the game I think are pluses. I like that I don't have to spend time tuning, changing parts, painting and so on, it's all about the driving.The Devs have said that a replay and photo mode are on the way, and the weather effects will also be added to the game.You will get no argument from me that the launch of this game has been nothing short of a disaster, (as far as online racing is concerned) but if you love racing games as much as I do you will see the greatness this game has to offer.

I'm hoping the Devs will patch the game to allow custom private races online, if that ever happens this game would be near perfect.Driveclub reminds me of a game I wore out on my Xbox 360, that being PGR 3. Set up a race, pick a car, and have some fun. For me it was $50.00 well spent, and I'll event be getting the season pass as well. Honestly, this is a poor review written by someone who doesnt understand the point of the game. One can argue that the launch of the game was poor, the servers were unstable, but to call the gameplay average shows a serious lack of understanding.A quote from the review 'Overall, the driving isn’t terrible, but it will take you time to get used to it. And I definitely wouldn’t put it above any other sim-style games out there'.

Please forgive me if I'm confused but this website is Operation Sports not Operation Sim. It's not meant to be a sim at all. It's meant to emulate PGR which it does perfectly. It's a racing game and the core of the game is excellent. The racing is good, the visuals are good, the tracks are varied, the sound is on point and the controls are tuned to perfection.

Some of your concerns are valid but a game that is meant to evolve is one that is never stagnant. The only issues with online at this point pertains to the leader boards and challenges. This review has some blatantly false critiques, misses the point, and is average at best. Honestly, this is a poor review written by someone who doesnt understand the point of the game.

One can argue that the launch of the game was poor, the servers were unstable, but to call the gameplay average shows a serious lack of understanding.A quote from the review 'Overall, the driving isn’t terrible, but it will take you time to get used to it. And I definitely wouldn’t put it above any other sim-style games out there'. Please forgive me if I'm confused but this website is Operation Sports not Operation Sim.

It's not meant to be a sim at all. It's meant to emulate PGR which it does perfectly. It's a racing game and the core of the game is excellent. The racing is good, the visuals are good, the tracks are varied, the sound is on point and the controls are tuned to perfection.

Some of your concerns are valid but a game that is meant to evolve is one that is never stagnant. The only issues with online at this point pertains to the leader boards and challenges. This review has some blatantly false critiques, misses the point, and is average at best.This review is a 5/10, would not read again. Reading this review has just reaffirmed my decision to hold off on this game until I get a chance to try out the PS+ Extended trial version. What's weird is I was planning on buying a PS4 when the DriveClub released because there really wasn't any other title for the PS4 that I just had to have. When The Golf Club proved to be so much better on the PS4 than the XB1, I broke down and bought a PS4 for it. Now that DriveClub has released and I've read all the negative reaction to it, I have no desire to even try it until they get is plethora of issues worked out.

Hell, it might be at least another six weeks before they can't risk bringing the servers to their knees againg with the release of the 'free' PS+ version.I appreciate the candor in the review. I played it for about 30 mins on my son's PS4, and well, that was about all I could stand. The game was truely overhyped, which I think is why it was such a let down. Game looks great, but graphics can only take a game so far.

Glad my kid was able to try a used copy out first and was able to get his money back. For those other gamers who were greatly disappointed, don't worry, the Crew will be here in December, and you still have Project Cars to look forward to.

I'm just glad I have good racing game in Horizon 2 to go back to playing.