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Wait.....DRIVECLUB is actually good? I'm not talking about just weather either.
- Thread starter Delt31
- Start date
In the day of season passes and DLC announced and explained before a game ships, you have to realize how silly your post sounds.
Also Best Buy will price match it if you want it today.
LaserBuddha
Member
Weather was shown well before the game was released and was planned as a feature. It got held back because they couldn't get the game done in time. It was not something they added as a bonus.
fuzzyreactor
Banned
Now that the game is working properly, you can really see what they were trying to do and it's awesome. Jumping from multiplayer, to tour, to challenges and so quick and easy. The interface is just lovely
Got it two days ago, have played it for about 10 hours. One of the biggest surprises for me yet. After the first week i had already forgotten about it because of the bad online, but now that the online works, i decided to buy it and it is so amazing. The graphics are really breathtaking, when you drive with bumper cam its almost real. And the gameplay is so solid. I have to play more and people should continue to released pictures and videos in the thread, some fantastic weather pictures.
LaserBuddha
Member
Do these reviews actually exist? I have my doubts this statement is truthful but I am ready to be proven wrong.
Shifty1897
Member
For better or worse, Jeff Gerstman is VERY opinionated and will quickly dismiss something if he doesn't like it. His dismissal of every JRPG other than Persona 4 is a good example. That being said, he didn't like the "grippy-ness" of the handling (his words, not mine), which they addressed in a post release patch, from what I understand.
Jeff Gertsman is a pretty big "Xbox" fanboy, is he not? He doesn't seem to like much in the Sony department. I rarely agree with his opinion and find him annoying and overrated.
I can only speak for my experience, but I fell I spend just as much time in Horizon 2 driving around looking for billboards to break through to give me more points as I do racing.
I'd say it's accurate to say that DC is more focused on racing than some other racers.
Cool! I'll get it for $28 with GCU
Weather, photography, and replays (and essentially an online system that actually works) are not DLC. Or, at least they shouldn't be.
FlutterPuffs
Member
Except that, it was planned after a bulk of the game was done, and wasn't part of the plan. Most probably just R&D for DriveClub 2 (or DLC) and then they realised that it could be done quicker than they expected.
GCU didn't stack for me because it's a price match.
There was an Amazon Green Monday promotion for $35
Nah. I think he is just very specific with his likes and dislikes. Not a very open minded person, as far as types of games he enjoys
SolidSnakex
Member
Canada
Cayoosh Point - P2P
Lytton - P2P
Fraser Valley - Road Circuit
Oliver's Landing - Road Circuit
Sinclair Pass - Road Circuit
Maplewood - Race Track
Chile
Putre - P2P
Taapaca - P2P
Chungara Lake - Road Circuit
Los Pelambres - Road Circuit
Salar de Surire - Road Circuit
Autodromo Frontera - Race Track
India
Munnar - P2P
Nilgiri Hills - P2P
Bandipur - Road Circuit
Glenmorgan - Road Circuit
Yedapalli - Road Circuit
Tamil Nadu - Race Track
Norway
Holmastad - P2P
Hurrungane - P2P
Atlanterhavsvegen - Road Circuit
Sentraltind - Road Circuit
Skjolden - Road Circuit
SKN0 - Race Track
Scotland
The Kyle - P2P
Trotternish - P2P
Kinloch - Road Circuit
Loch Duich - Road Circuit
Wester Ross - Road Circuit
Black Hills Race Circuit - Race Track
LaserBuddha
Member
So it wasn't a feature of the game from the very beginning of development? Many things aren't. It was still made a feature of the main game and did not come out in time for launch. It was very much "part of the plan". People act like they get to count it as DLC or something because it was delayed. The only difference between challenges and multiplayer and weather in this game, is that they admitted weather wasn't ready for release and delayed its implementation, whereas with the other two they threw the game out there with non-functioning implementations of each.
I'm saying that the time it took to fix this shit is an indication of how severe those problems were. Whether a beta would be enough is impossible to know, but I highly doubt it. Anyways, they didn't run a beta so who cares.
There's a difference between adding new features and adding weather effects. Of course they were intending to put that in the base game at some point, you don't plan on adding weather effects to a game post release from the start.
I'm just saying that to me the game seemed rushed, even if that's hard to believe given the delays. They had to add weather effects post release, the game had huge online issues for at least two months post release, the PS+ version had to be delayed (cancelled?) etc.
Valkendorm
Member
The developer may be denying it, but there are times it definitely feels like it does.
There are races with clean lap objectives that I did behind the pack peacefully on the first lap and was able to catch on easily in the remaining laps. In fact, it's usually easier to race like a moron when the first two AI get too far so they regroup together.
There are other races that took forever to win because the AI always managed to do 1-2 seconds better than me on each try. Even went from 4:53 to 4:20 on a certain event in Ignition before winning. But yes, if I can race that fast, they can too, right? I just wish they would do it all the time, so I know i've been beaten fair and square by a long mile and not just mere inches.
About aggressiveness, I actually find it more enjoyable online than with AI.
MrChocolate
Member
I guess FFXV and TLG are playing safe then.
OT: I might go for DriveClub instead of GTA5.
Giriath_89
Member
I really enjoy doing a few time trials now and then.
learnedhand
Member
Got the game on release and really liked it. Handling was a good mix; easy to pick up and play but hard to master. I like the idea of tuning your car, like GT, but in practice i spent way to much time in menus staring at gear ratios and never really feeling like I had the best set-up. The first tour mode did seem a little uninspired, but with the release of the additional free tour modes, there's a lot more content and variety, and it gives me a choice on how I want to progress. If I get bogged down trying to beat a race or meet a time, I can now just switch to a different tour, clear my palette, and come back to it later.
I quit playing after a couple of weeks. I was having fun and reached level 20, but really felt like I was missing something because the online was borked. I couldn't join a club, or see leaderboards and would always get kicked from online after a few races. Now that the online is mostly stable, it adds a whole other level. I can join a club, I see the challenges mid-race, I can race my club's ghosts in tour time trials and participate in all the online leveling. I can finally see what their initial vision was: a racer that keeps you continuously engaged. Around every corner there is a new challenge.
What surprised me the most was how much the environment/weather can change the driving conditions. Even before the new weather patch, the track was constantly changing. I didn't anticipate that.
I was doing a time trial last night; lap after lap trying to shave off 1.5 seconds and catch my club-mate's ghost. The trial started mid-evening and I only quit when it became too dark. Each lap was different. Sometimes you'd come around a corner and be blinded by the sun. Later in the day that corner was easier because the sun was lower, but I was distracted by the beautiful vista, the angle of the sun had changed and the way it highlighted the distant mountains was awe-inspiring. I literally gasped. Closer to dark, the sky turned a purplish hue, and a volumetric fog settled over the lake at the base of the mountains. It was beautiful.
The new weather patch cranks it up to 11, and I can't wait til they release the weather tour.
This will be my go-to racer for quite a while.
I quit playing after a couple of weeks. I was having fun and reached level 20, but really felt like I was missing something because the online was borked. I couldn't join a club, or see leaderboards and would always get kicked from online after a few races. Now that the online is mostly stable, it adds a whole other level. I can join a club, I see the challenges mid-race, I can race my club's ghosts in tour time trials and participate in all the online leveling. I can finally see what their initial vision was: a racer that keeps you continuously engaged. Around every corner there is a new challenge.
What surprised me the most was how much the environment/weather can change the driving conditions. Even before the new weather patch, the track was constantly changing. I didn't anticipate that.
I was doing a time trial last night; lap after lap trying to shave off 1.5 seconds and catch my club-mate's ghost. The trial started mid-evening and I only quit when it became too dark. Each lap was different. Sometimes you'd come around a corner and be blinded by the sun. Later in the day that corner was easier because the sun was lower, but I was distracted by the beautiful vista, the angle of the sun had changed and the way it highlighted the distant mountains was awe-inspiring. I literally gasped. Closer to dark, the sky turned a purplish hue, and a volumetric fog settled over the lake at the base of the mountains. It was beautiful.
The new weather patch cranks it up to 11, and I can't wait til they release the weather tour.
This will be my go-to racer for quite a while.
OccamsLightsaber
Regularly boosts GAF member count to cry about 'right wing gaf' - Voter #3923781
I've said a few times on here since it launched but DriveClub really is my favourite racing game for quite some time and that was even when it wasn't working as it is now. I love Forza Horizon 2 also but apart from the fact that they both let you drive cars they really have nothing in common from handling, the way they do things, art style, etc, etc. For me the driving model in DriveClub is what makes it my favourite because even at launch it was as good a it is today, to me it reminds me so much of the arcade racers that are now often referred to as "classics" from the Dreamcast, PS2 type era.
It had a lot of bad press and it deserved it due to the issues that it had but it seems that a lot of opinions are changing over time and I hope hat continues as it's been years since I've played something with edge of the seat arcade racing of this sort of level.
Having said that, I really don't have anything bad to say about Horizon 2 as it's a fantastic game (Forza 5 was easily the worst of the entire franchise for me) but it's a very different game to DriveClub.
I don't want the next DriveClub to be open-world simply because it would change everything about the game and the incredibly tight racing that it contains. Having said that, if Evolution are wanting to do an open-world arcade racer then I would have absolutely no issues with them creating an open-world MotorStorm in the Horizon style and gibing us a whole island to explore with different environments.
I can imagine that being perfect for MotorStorm, the idea of driving cross country between events and weaving through demsly populated trees on a bike while monster trucks just drive straight trough them seems perfect to me.
It had a lot of bad press and it deserved it due to the issues that it had but it seems that a lot of opinions are changing over time and I hope hat continues as it's been years since I've played something with edge of the seat arcade racing of this sort of level.
Having said that, I really don't have anything bad to say about Horizon 2 as it's a fantastic game (Forza 5 was easily the worst of the entire franchise for me) but it's a very different game to DriveClub.
I don't want the next DriveClub to be open-world simply because it would change everything about the game and the incredibly tight racing that it contains. Having said that, if Evolution are wanting to do an open-world arcade racer then I would have absolutely no issues with them creating an open-world MotorStorm in the Horizon style and gibing us a whole island to explore with different environments.
I can imagine that being perfect for MotorStorm, the idea of driving cross country between events and weaving through demsly populated trees on a bike while monster trucks just drive straight trough them seems perfect to me.
Good gravy, this revisionist history.
Did you actually read any of the reviews?
DC was dinged for a poor driving model that poorly tried to straddle sim/arcade and left many unsatisfied. Had very few game modes (Time Trial/Scenario). No car customization. AI that drove a pre-determined line so aggressively that it constantly spun the player out. Punitive lap-time punishment for going off the road slightly (even when AI blind-checks you off the road). Progressive pre-set car unlocks giving the player zero purchase/play choice.
The game look gorgeous, but it's also got baggage. You can enjoy it as much as you want, but don't try to white-wash the issues away by discrediting those who recognize the very real flaws.
KaidoRacer7
Member
It's an arcade racer, but it's not as arcade as Ridge Racer...
Having Forza Horizon 2, The Crew and Driveclub, I say that DC is much, much, much better. It's simple, pure racing.
LaserBuddha
Member
That review mentions nothing at all about free-roaming.
This whole thing seems like group-level projection to me.
EDIT: and your gamespot link only compares the clubs in Driveclub to the clubs in FH2, which is a very good thing to look at. Nothing about it being shit because it is not open world.
Windom Earle
Banned
Yes, Drive Club is the best arcade racer I have played in years.
Weather patch and working online along with the other tweaks should have been in the game day one, then the reviews would probably be different. Gerstman review is garbage, but I can still see that it was easy to get pissed at this game when it was in launch state (corner penalties, etc.).
Now step up reviewers and take a look at the game again.
Weather patch and working online along with the other tweaks should have been in the game day one, then the reviews would probably be different. Gerstman review is garbage, but I can still see that it was easy to get pissed at this game when it was in launch state (corner penalties, etc.).
Now step up reviewers and take a look at the game again.
lol they won't, they only revise reviews when it's for the worst.
LaserBuddha
Member
Games should be reviewed according to their launch state, with few exceptions. Developers need to be held accountable for first impressions and the state they allow their games to be released in. Also it's unrealistic to expect there to be time, or even a worthwhile reason, to revisit and tweak old reviews. Almost every game gets improved with patches to some degree.
fallingdove
Member
Is there local split screen on this game?
I always loved me some Wipeout on PS3 for the feature.
I always loved me some Wipeout on PS3 for the feature.
SolidSnakex
Member
Reviewers have taken to changing scores and reviews after the initial review when games have issues, so shouldn't it work both ways? If games improve dramatically after launch, shouldn't that mean a lot as well?
FlutterPuffs
Member
You're right.
But the improvement to driveclub deserves a mention, because it really is a fantastic racing game for the PS4.
LaserBuddha
Member
If a game is hot and they see utility in giving a more up to date appraisal of the game's state, then go ahead. But considering the manpower and time to do this, when there are always more new games coming out, makes it virtually worthless. Very few will ever see or care. People that want a "contemporary" appraisal of a previously released game usually look to the community rather than reviews. Reviews give a coherent and cohesive appraisal of a game very early on, for people to make decisions when there isn't otherwise good info to be had yet. They work fine for that.
Do any outlet other than Polygon and to some degree Kotaku change reviews like that post release? Not to my knowledge.
The policy of changing a review is flawed as it has been implemented by those outlets, and has really only been used when a game has had huge online issues. And you've pretty much fucked up if you've released a review without checking the MP in the real world, like Polygon did with games like Sim City, Halo: MCC etc. A criticism of Polygon's system has always been that they only change scores when it's negative, but it's not new. Other than that, other outlets don't change scores post release. And come on, it's been over two months.
I actually do agree with that, the games launch issues were pretty horrible, and honestly it's nice to see the game doing so well now that it's working great and getting better sales (at least I see tons of new people in here posting about the game than I've seen in the OT). Plus we are at a point were if they even revised a review, what would it even matter? It's not gonna change anything at all, won't affect sales. What does matter is what we have to say now, the game is in our hands and it's easy to read impressions and build upon that info to make an informed choice as to whether to get the game or not. It's not gonna be a racing game for everyone, in fact if you go into Driveclub expecting something strictly arcade or strictly sim, you will probably be disappointed. It's an amazing mix of the two that works out so well.
EDIT: see this is why I don't like the Gerstmann review being brought up, it kinda derailed the topic. Who cares, ENJOY DRIVECLUB AND GO RACE! Can't wait to see a new batch of people struggle on Venom Hot Lap: AKA Dark Souls of racing XD (it's a joke please don't kill me Souls fans! :X)
Can't be mentioned often enough.
FF Seraphim
Member
Kotaku has started with looking over games through its lifetime right? I wonder if they will do a re-review of DC...
nycgamer4ever
Member
Im not sure if I can take this post seriously. You complaining about the handling yet you think Horizon is better. You can drive a supercar off road in that game and it doesn't make a difference at all. Come on now.
I really want to use a wheel on this game too. Seems really fun but I've used a wheel for racing games for so long it feels weird with a controller for me. One of the reasons I've been salty about picking this up. I wish my g25 worked. Have to get that t300 at some point I guess.
LaserBuddha
Member
Hahaha the obsession with Horizon by Driveclub fans continues.
I bought it on ebay last week for £25 sealed after the week of crazy £279 bundles in the UK that included Driveclub.
I played it for the first time last night, just the single player stuff, and really enjoyed it. Then I tried a challenge in a nuts car in the rain and had a massive grin on my face. Screw the fact that I couldn't see the apex from the cockpit when I braked and turned in because the water was washing over the screen, it was FUN.
Very much going to enjoy this. Hoping for a Xmas deal on the season pass in the EU 12 deals of Christmas.
I played it for the first time last night, just the single player stuff, and really enjoyed it. Then I tried a challenge in a nuts car in the rain and had a massive grin on my face. Screw the fact that I couldn't see the apex from the cockpit when I braked and turned in because the water was washing over the screen, it was FUN.
Very much going to enjoy this. Hoping for a Xmas deal on the season pass in the EU 12 deals of Christmas.
MrJonnyBigBoss
Banned
Feel free to question me because I agree with him. I haven't disliked a car handling model so much since GTA IV.
P.S. I'm a huge car enthusiast and racing game fan.
They're both way different games, don't see how anyone can really compare the two considering one is strictly arcade open world and the other is simcade closed circuit. The 2 aren't even similar outside of the fact that you go vroom in both
Inf3cted_b3ast
Member
When everyone was calling the game garbage and saying "I'll probably pick it up when the weather drops". I kept telling them that the game is really fun and that instead of waiting why not get the game now and get acquainted with the driving style while unlocking all the cars. now I see ppl on Youtube who just bought the game and are trying out the weather with hot hatches because they haven't unlocked the higher end cars.(which are a grind BTW) It's a solid racer and it's a lot of fun.