Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Revisiting Driveclub
Driveclub has added features, cars, and tracks since its release on the PlayStation 4 last October, and a lot of it has been free. For those of you who shelved the game or for those thinking of picking it up for the first time, the game is getting better and better – and it won't cost you anything extra.
The title has undergone a handful of updates as well as made three November premium packs free to all users as a make-good for the game's launch apology, and to date, Driveclub has bolstered its initial content with a photo mode, weather options, two online racing modes, 11 cars, 22 tour events, 10 trophies, 10 liveries, and 11 tracks (all with a variant). That's not including the gameplay tweaks, other additions, and general bug fixing the game has undergone.
I downloaded and played the game's free updates, and here's my two cents on some of the content.
Photo Mode
Enabled by hitting the touchpad, this mode gives you aperture, shutter speed, exposure, etc. settings like a real camera. Also included are other options such as toggling car damage on/off. It's an expected mode in high-end racers these days, but it's always cool to take a glamor shot of your new machine. Moving the camera around to get a good shot isn't as easy as I'd like it to be, however.
A quick shot I took in photo mode. Dig Mt. Fuji in the background.
Weather
A huge addition for the game, adding not only a gorgeous visual component, but the ability to influence the racing itself. Rain ranges from light to heavy, and there's also the option to have it cycle dynamically throughout the race. The amount of cloud cover can be changed as well as the time of day (and the speed of its progression). Changing the environment not only makes the roads possibly slick, but windshield wipers are necessary if you drive in cockpit mode, and sun glare can come up from the precipitation on the road.
New Tracks
- Yedapalli (India) – The snaking curves of the circuit's back stretch make it fun to race while not requiring you to completely slam on the brakes.
- Los Pelambres (Chile) – Short and relatively unremarkable, apart from a couple switchbacks making for good drift faceoffs.
- Wester Ross (Scotland) – One of the better new tracks with its craggy cliffs and elevations changes. There's also a dirt section through some castle ruins where the dust can obscure your vision.
- Atlanterhavsvegen (Norway) – Scenic with the mountains and seaside roads. A fun track to add some weather to.
- Sinclair Pass (Canada) – There's a cliff drop in one segment of the track, but despite some nice scenery I didn't have a lot of fun racing this track compared to the others.
- Nakasendo (Japan) – Some really fun twisty segments. Also, the tunnels can mess with your vision when you exit into the bright daylight.
- Goshodaira (Japan) – A point-to-point track (love point-to-point races!) with Mt. Fuji in the distance.
- Kobago (Japan) – One of my favorite free tracks with its see-saw structure. The elevation change takes you up then down (or the other way around if you race the variant).
- Lake Shoji (Japan) – The track layout is pretty mild, and racing it isn't super fun.
- Takahagi Hills (Japan) – Each lap is relatively long with elevation changes, and there are some average face offs that challenge you to push your speed.
- Asagiri Highlands (Japan) – Has a succession of corners you can carry a decent amount of speed through, so don't overbrake. Ignore the drift face off; it'll only slow you down. This track has three variants.
The Kobago track in heavy rain going from dusk to night.
Multiplayer Online Modes
Evolution has added online time trials and online team time trials. These are cool if you want to race against others without having to worry about people banging into you and turning things into a wreckfest. You're given a set amount of time to put down your best lap against other players' ghost cars. The team version assigns you to a blue or red team, with everyone's best time garnering points. The team with the most points at the end of the session wins.
If this has gotten your blood going for racing in the game, the good news is there's even more free content on the way. Evolution Studios just announced update 1.12, which includes replays, Twitch support, and more.
For more on the game, here's my original review.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
