Single player played for several hours. Follow online mode.

This review is only used purely on the single player mode of Drive Club, since I still had no access to the server of the game today.

Who has not quite noticed: Drive Club is a pure arcade racer, so it should not be compared to games like Forza Horizon 5 or even 2 from the gameplay.

The Menu

The menu is built into tiles and kept quite clear. Unfortunately, the settings for the gameplay are also very clear. So if after several settings for difficulty looking (simulated ride, simulated damage Kuplung, ABS ect.) Is guaranteed not to find any. You can only set the axes, make the circuit from automatic to manual and the other view to the curve and off (This can be seen from the cockpit view, see better on curves).

About the Audio menu can be used as normal the sound options set. Including on and off even voice chat. Who wants to have music moment during the race, there must be pure as the first, since the default setting is 0%. One should not expect really much of the music.

The only truly comprehensive settings menu is displayed. There, rear view mirror, mini map and Player Tags let on and off, adjust the speed display of km / h to mph, set the opacity of the ghost rider and also enable all notifications or disable (What yes then would be obvious).

When control is available for remote play, one of the two steering wheels and even the DS4 options. Since I have not been tested remote play and the steering wheels are but a little overpriced for an arcade racer, I am so far only been looking at the DS4 menu. The vibration intensity and the steering input can be adapted there. Similarly, the key assignment.

The Chart

Yes, the graphics are pretty much the most important issue in the current consoles. Here varies Drive club back and forth. It can be seen very many details. In the first stretch you will find trees and shrubs everywhere you look. It also fly often times colorful "leaves" (?) On the road and birds flying scripted across the track. Now and then a the sun fades halfway away, other times it is dusk and the lights along the course create beautiful effects. But especially in the first stretches the color palette has apparently been chosen after the developers watched Alice in Wonderland. My TV has a default setting for games and so I drove so far very well in every game. There is, however, kept quite colorful (spring or not) and contrast some places badly exaggerated. The trees look like an oil painting, and everything seemed very much blurred. If you drive on the other hand in the snow-capped mountains or the more barren areas, it looks again bit better from. Except for the light effects of the tunnel. Some things such as buildings (houses ect) and also the spectators act carelessly designed. There was times that, depending on weather and environment passersby wearing different clothes. Including hats and gloves. Highly detailed animated the whole. So far it looks unfortunately not so. The spectators are rigidly anchored to the ground and the only thing that moves are on their arms. As stated by a puppeteer in motion. Back and forth. One would therefore can also provide as cardboard cutout or Zombies to the curb. The wind had purely been more movement in the display stands. Some houses even remember the old Playmobil building. But a patch will come certainly, which makes the game look like in some trailers. After all, was indeed promoted especially with the image. The cars also look very detailed, but not really realistic as in the trailers. Missing since D1 patch only at 8.10. appear?
Unfortunately, vehicle damage convince at all. At the end of a stretch my vehicle always has exactly the same damage on the right side. And the scratches look like recorded with a Edding. The bumps on the other hand are very deep. If you then times brettert scarce 300 km / h in a fence or into another car, you will find that you are indestructible. The wheels get a rather unreal flyscreen. The mirrors are indestructible. Total loss? None. A few bumps, rather badly bent sheet metal. The vehicle does not lose a part in serious accidents. So when the game advertises graphics, something should already be present. These same.

Gameplay

As I said, Drive Club is very arcade-heavy. Tuning options, there is no, just can not even change minimal drivability. The vehicles can already be started at full speed at the start, because the tires spin minimal and the AI ​​players do the same. The choice of the vehicle also has only limited impact on the driving behavior (at least in the single-player), since almost every vehicle controls equal. In the vehicle selection there is the 4 Dear acceleration, top speed, handling and drifting. The faster cars to later sections of the tour then you realize even times that the control is more vulnerable. While you can still take with maximum loose flaky curves, but once you get the AI ​​bar in the way, it tears a downright off track.
The trails are all marked out. Curve cutting is only minimally possible because you will be punished a. And b. it's even really limited. If only by small wooden fences, tapes or even the invisible wall. Yes there are the invisible walls again. So you can not fly in the curve of the track and back curves to the track with great difficulty again. Because there are virtually no opportunities only from the distance to fall. What happens more frequently thanks to the AI, as one would like. Every now and then there are places where you still continue coming off of the train, but then has been running a 3 second timer. Then one's views again. Interestingly, if you have an AI driver fetched from the web (Happened just as easily by the AI ​​itself ...). Within a short time his vehicle is turned, anchored in its track and at full throttle again turn to you.
The single player mode per se (tour called), is structured according to an older system: you have a certain number of routes to choose from and deserved star. For new lines and so many stars must have been achieved. But what is very easy. You do not even go all the routes to get to the end apparently. Unfortunately, it also scratches on the motivation, because they dials irrelevant and just leaves.

The KI

Yes AI one can not even call. At the start of the race, are all still displaced positioned and you get the feeling that a nice "fight" with the other carts imminent. But after a short time will snap all consecutively bumper to bumper on the road and curves like a train there. Occasionally break times one, but that does not last long. The vehicle is within the shortest possible time in the series. So you could say it was slipstreaming. Or holding the perfect line. Dynamics missing there but definitely. You do not even move to be in the first place. The KI selects at the beginning of the race more or less its final position and accordingly they seem to curve away. But woe to you want to ride on their line. They ignore you simply once skillfully and push yourself just to the side. Urging you really from. And already it hails penalty points. If you drive yourself in in the convoy, then clashes are inevitable. And then there's a real mess. Suddenly, the thwarted right behind you and the other brake off. This comes a skid and as the other so stubbornly want to keep their line, they come from also. Then there are the moments when breaking at least the sense of dynamism. By causing chaos as players in the AI. Funny moments :)
So you can with the AI ​​already really have a lot of fun, if one knows how. But most of the time, the AI ​​drivers rather annoying with their track behavior and thereby mess like to their own driving.
From time to time it looks as if the track would dissolve, but that happens only if you have brought pure nen worm at the beginning.

The Sound

I played it with the Sony Wireless Headset 2.0 (virtual 7.1 was activated).
The music is as I said not really significant, they could just as well be gone. Since various "stations" or similar would have been desirable. It is reminiscent of old arcade racing games.
The sound of the cars and the environment, however, is very well done. Also, if the tires have tied Quitscheentchen. The exhaust note is held brachial even if the smallest vehicles such as large sport carriages. It collides with other cars, crashes and clatters it wherever possible. There was no moment at which the sound was overexcited or was completely out of place. Except for the Quitscheentchen. The suffering really.

Faszit:
At first I was very skeptical, but that lay down after several hours. For the single-player and give the AI, I can but only awarded 3 stars. Once I have played but the multiplayer (To whom it should go here, too), I'll update the times here.

Positives:
- Places graphics. Nothing exceptional, but looking to impress.
- Sound
- Simple control (especially for casual gamers very pleasant, I think)

Neutral:
Gameplay
- Penalties for collisions and leaving the track (demotivated aggressive drivers in the online mode and prevents frustration for others before)
- Music
- Driving feel is always pretty much the same and is just very arcadlastig
- Damage model of cars

Negatives:
- AI (you can hardly call it that, unfortunately)
- No motivation in Single Player
- The routes are very severely limited
- Also graphics. Partly very slurred, supersaturated textures
- The Audience

Faszit:
At first I was very skeptical, but that lay down after several hours. For the single-player and give the AI, I can but only awarded 3 stars. Once I have played but the multiplayer (To whom it should go here, too), I'll update the times here.
All in one package so it can convince, but it has not been the game that was so courted and showered with promises. It is to bring the power of the PS4 to its limits says. Hopefully not, because otherwise the PS4 was a bad buy.

Update 1
In the club you can create your own club badge tinker together. Unfortunately, this is very minimalistic ... You pick the background, the base, a symbol and an ornament. You can only use one and not position itself. Only the scale and color change. The destroyed now, of course, the individuality tremendously ...