The PS4’s first exclusive racer is almost here. Driveclub was originally intended to be a launch title, but was delayed in order to ensure that it’s as impactful as possible. While the wait has been agonizing, the game is mere days away. Patience is about to pay off.
Driveclub carves a path of its own, using a distinct driving model with scenic point-to-point races. Even if you’re a fan of the genre, chances are it’ll surprise you. It’s also one of the PS4’s first heavily optimized games, meaning it’s a true showcase of what Sony’s latest console can deliver.
Related: Full List of Driveclub Cars
So what makes Driveclub so unique? In the gallery below we go over the essential items you need to know about the game.
Driveclub - Everything You Need to Know
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One of the best-looking racers
Running at 1080p with a locked 30 frames per second, Driveclub is one of the most beautiful games your eyes will ever feast on. A ton of time has gone into optimizing the game for the PS4's powerful hardware. The result is a game that has high polygon cars (an average of 260,000 polygons per vehicle), expansive outdoor environments with fully 3D rendered objects (10 different varieties of flora and fauna), and lighting and shadows that contest just about anything else on the market today.
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5 locations with 50+ cars
At launch, Driveclub will have five locations for you to visit that are inspired by our real world. These locations include Canada, India, Chile, Scotland, and Norway, each with varying topography and climate. Also, all five have roughly 11 different tracks within them, bringing the total amount of tracks beyond the 50 mark.
You can race through these destinations in over 50 vehicles. Although there is a lack of Japanese cars, the car roster includes hot hatches, sports, performance, super, and hyper cars. These cars are said to have personalities akin to their real-world counterparts, some of which comes from their accurate acoustics.
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Join a club and earn accolades
Driveclub features some multiplayer integration in the form of clubs. Clubs serve as guilds, or clans, where up to six players band together for one common goal: being the best. You'll engage in events to advance the Club, equipped with team color and logo regalia to show your pride.
Clubs also earn Accolades by completing Faceoffs, further unlocking content. They're well worth tackling.
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A game by Evolution Studios
The developer of Driveclub is Evolution Studios, a UK-based studio with a ton of experience. We're talking about the makers of World Rally Championship and MotorStorm. It certainly has the talent to make an amazing game.
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A PGR style driving model
Driveclub isn't a simulator, and it doesn't feel like most of the arcade racing games out there, either. Instead, it has a very unique driving model that's most similar to the Project Gotham Racing series. There's an emphasis on speed, with high traction around turns. However, you can drift if you have good car control. You'll definitely want to learn how to apex, but it's rare that you'll shift down to first gear to go around a hairpin turn. This game is all about cruising through beautiful landscapes, and that means retaining as much momentum as possible.
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Challenge yourself
Driveclub delivers its content in a way that keeps things interesting. There are a variety of challenges that take you to locations around the world. One minute you'll be competing head-to-head with another beautiful car in Norway, and the next minute you'll be in Chile going over 200 miles per hour. The tracks have been designed to facilitate opportunities to have exciting moments, and if you handle your car well you'll walk away with fame and new unlocks.
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20%~ of the game is free to PS Plus subscribers
If you have a PS Plus subscription, you'll be able to play a good chunk of Driveclub for free. 10 vehicles, and 11 tracks set in India will be fully available to you. If you decide you love the game, you can then buy it at a reduced price of $49.99. Now that's a consumer-friendly model.
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Four racing wheels to choose from
Driveclub will support fpir racing wheels at launch, the Thrustmaster T80, T100, T300RS, and T500RS. These are wheels built specifically for PlayStation consoles, and give you options at different price points.
There are also two different cockpit views in Driveclub. It's gone out of its way to make sure you can find the proper angle to simulate from.
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A storm is brewing
Dynamic weather is coming to Driveclub, but not until after launch. Arriving shortly after its release of October 7th, it'll bring rain and snow. Everything seen so far makes it appear that the weather will be a monumental addition to the game, affecting driving behavior as well as making the game look even better.
To make good use of the new weather and phenomenal graphics, a photo mode will soon be implemented. This will allow you to take a snapshot of your experience to share with the world.
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More to come
A lot is planned for post-launch Driveclub. For each month following release, new vehicles, liveries, tracks, and more will be added. Season Pass holders will have all this unlocked as time goes on, while others will have the content available in incremental packages.
