Picture perfect
When it comes to photorealism in games, racers will always be ahead of the pack. No need to render oddly unconvincing eyes, skin, or faces that reside in the heart of the uncanny valley. All the graphical attention to detail can go to the tracks and the ludicrously expensive cars that speed through them. And I've never seen a racing game that looked quite as real--or beautiful--as Driveclub on the PS4.
Developed by Evolution Studios (the team that brought you World Rally Championship), Driveclub looks like it could be the PS4's premier racing sim. With a bevy of licensed cars that run the gamut from practical to ludicrously exotic, and gameplay that rewards careful braking and drifting instead of pedal-to-the-metal, Driveclub has what hardcore racing fans crave. And while they may run at 30fps, the 1080p visuals are simply stunning to behold. Iconic real-world tracks in locales like Canada, Chile, India, Norway, and Scotland look positively picturesque; at a glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were watching actual racing footage. And it's not just the sweeping environment shots that impress--little details, like the reflections off the car's shiny exterior, look so good that it's almost stupid.
When you're not gawking at Driveclub's graphics, you can get active in its social-media-style integration between you and your fellow racers. Whenever you clock in an impressive time, you can challenge your buddies or random rivals to beat your score; this challenge can then be passed on like a chain-letter, inviting anyone to try and beat it before the predetermined time limit. You can also stream your friends' in-progress races at any time. Driveclub looks like it might just be worth the extra wait.
Check out the following screenshots for additional info!
Driveclub uses dynamic, real-time audio, meaning the sounds of the engine vary depending on which camera angle you're using, and your position in the car
The first thing you're greeted with when you boot up the game is a Facebook-style activity feed of all your friends' challenges and recent milestones. This should make Driveclub feel a lot more social than other hardcore racers
You can set tons of options to customize each race, like the time of day, weather conditions, and crowd turnout
Driveclub's load times are surprisingly short for how good it looks--usually 10 to 15 seconds tops
Matchmaking lets you see how long the queue time is for a certain race type; the more popular it is, the more readily available it'll be
When this preview was first published, it included an erroneous statement about Driveclub's release date. It has since been corrected and removed.
