Was Driveclub reviewed properly?

Driveclub has finally launched. There are those who love it already, those who are a bit mixed on it, and of course those who think it is trash.

The same can be said for the critics as well, if you take a look at all the reviews being published right now. There are 8's and 9's going around, lots of 7's, and even the occasional 5.

Now, I've played about 2 hours myself today and do enjoy the game. I love the mechanics of each car, the weight of them and how they handle. I'm already addicted to earning fame points and earning each star for each event.

But there is something off about the game that I think most people also feel right now. The game currently has no life in it, and that is because the servers have never been turned on. Driveclub is a social game, period. We are meant to send challenges to one another such as get the highest drift score on this corner, or highest average speed during this segment of a track. Play online in custom races that speed through day and night in seconds. Create clans with friends and unlock more cars and paint jobs.

This is the core of Driveclub, even though there is a neat little career mode akin to Gran Turismo. Yet not a single person has even experienced this version of the game, including the journalists! Let us compare how this game was treated, to that of Destiny.

Bungie asked for reviews to be held off until the game had enough population, so that everyone could experience the game as intended. And when they came, it garnered good reception for the most. Everyone, while disappointed with certain things, still got to play the game and provide detailed reviews on what it was like with an actual population playing the game.

So why was Driveclub treated differently? If we have yet to experience the game socially as intended, how could all of these reviews that have now tarnished the games reputation POSSIBLY be fair to the game at all? It's not excusable on Sony's part to launch a game without server activity, not by a long shot.

But like Destiny, the game is meant to be experienced with an active population of friends and strangers alike. So because of this server down time, this is why reviews and impressions are not accurate. The game was mistreated by Sony, but also severely mistreated by Journalists who simply wanted to throw a review out there to get hits and tarnish the games reputation.

At this point, it will never recover from the ones making fun of it for scoring so low with Gamespot and others. People don't listen to reason any more, and Driveclub is more or less a doomed name no matter how much it improves in the coming weeks. This game did not get a fair chance at living, and it likely never will.

[Bennibop]

It has become come cool for journalists and gamers alike to bash aaa games, I find it bizarre. 1st was destiny (I am loving it,) then alien isolation (also loving that) and now driveclub (which is brilliant.) You are correct that they have reviewed it when the servers and the club system is not running properly, some even marked it down for being to hard and others for being to easy, it's been knocked for not being open world and a track racer basically not being fh2, have seen a review where score got knocked down for not having a weather system, replays or a photo mode which we all know are on the way. Most of these supposed journalist seemed to be looking for something that reinvents the wheel which is ridiculous.

[FabulousChicken0]

Yeh, I saw a review when the game got marked down because they kept crashing into the AI and were complaining that it lost them points.

[amiga-man]

I have found some of the reviews for this game laughable almost as if there has been a concerted effort to downplay this game.

Everything I have see on streams is pointing to a beautiful fun racer and once online is fixed this game will do very well.

with weather to come this game will keep getting better.

[NewMonday]

great that more gamers are dropping dependence on big outlet reviews, did that for years and enjoyed lots of games averaging 7's and 6's

[nX]

It's a brilliant game, it has it's flaws but it's just fun and addicting to the point where I've played it for over 3 hours non-stop (cockpit cam + headphones <3).
After GT4, this has become my new favourite racing game when it comes to the core driving mechanics which are unmatched imo. I don't have any cars or tracks that I dislike, every race is fun and the graphics impress me even after more than 20 hours so yeah, I can't agree with most reviews at all.
Only the servers need to improve to make Driveclub a 9/10 for me.

[caseh]

The AI is a valid complaint, or strictly speaking how they affect your scoring. They will plough into the back of your car or even swipe you from the side, and you lose points for this.

Needs a tweak, I don't mind the aggression but I shouldn't be punished for that.

[uth11]

Saw one review that said that the pretty visuals were distracting and the sunsets made him squint and not able to see the road. (never mind that you can adjust the game to avoid sunsets)

Another complained that you actually had to use your brakes

One complained that there's no in-game music (there is)

Another review was positive, with minor complaints yet still scored it 6/10.

Yes the game has some real issues. But so far it's been nit-picked to death!

[Darrius Cole]

Nevermind that driving into the sunset makes it hard to see the road in real life.

[coolbeans]

"...have seen a review where score got knocked down for not having a weather system, replays or a photo mode which we all know are on the way."

While I can't speak for all the stranger negatives being brought forth about the game, how can this blame be brought against the reviewer? The publisher/developer have determined to release this as a PREMIUM-PRICED racing game that some currently feels like a bit of an empty shell with several missing features. The complaints regarding content seem to be familiar to XONE's Killer Instinct at release. Would many admit it's a different game after more characters, updates, etc. released? Sure. Does that take away from what reviewers assessed from their original review copy given to them by Microsoft at that time? Well, no.

Why should reviewers have to make appeals of what's on the horizon (time undetermined for these updates) if they've been officially given permission, after getting a review copy, to evaluate the finished 1.0.0 version?

[uth11]

The problem though is that review scores will still stand 6 months from now when these features have been added. Somebody thinking about purchasing the game then might be scared off by low scores caused by the launch state even though these missing features are now in the game.

I don't know what the correct approach should be, but reviewers will need to come to terms with it because this model looks more and more like the future of gaming.. Like with Destiny. They developers need you to stay interested in the game and keep playing online, so they'll do this by releasing a constant stream of updates rather than all at once.

[coolbeans]

^

If that worry of launch-state, or around launch-state, reviews can be such a worry of scaring off potential customers months (or years) down the road then shouldn't that incentivize the developers to ensure their game's launch is in ship shape? Even if such a worry is such a big deal, aren't these worries ameliorated for Driveclub since their will be a complimentary PS+ version and (hopefully) a free demo for it anyways?

Putting these sorts of demands on reviewers to "come to terms with" a model they may not entirely agree with seems rather unfair. And just because more developers/publishers seem to think a more update-heavy approach, even to the point of making the main game's launched content feeling underwhelming or starving by some people, doesn't mean reviewers have to follow in lock step.

Let me clarify one thing: I personally don't have a beef with a consistent stream of updates--at least conceptually, I should say. Despite Destiny feeling a wee bit empty until updates come on the story/storytelling side, I can still really enjoy it and it doesn't affect my score a whole lot (as it currently stands). The little bit I've played of Killer Instinct (bought during summer) seems packed with a bunch of updated content with the exception of characters; however, understanding it's payment model I can understand why they'd focus on balance instead of sheer size of roster. Does MY assessment of taking each game on a case by case basis of how they handle launch content + updates vary from other reviewers? I'm sure it does. That doesn't mean I'm now going to complain about them whenever their different outlook on launch game content influences their score in a way I'm not happy about. That's the thing that bugs me with this issue at hand: that sort of regulation in how a reviewer should be assessing the review copy they've been given in regards to currently-missing content to be patched in later.

[FabulousChicken0]

I could not agree more, from what I have seen and heard from the people who make Driveclub is that the game was designed to be social and online. It's a shame because now all anyone is going to see are the reviews before the online is working.

[darthv72]

it isnt uncommon to re-review something at a later date. initial reviews are for the 'now' and while some may not be favorable due to the incompleteness of the game...

those reviewers can make followup reviews after the fact. So expect to see plenty of secondary reviews after the online/social/weather elements has been implemented.

[Dannycr]

It's not that the game was not reviewed properly, it's just that the game was incomplete after launch. The online portion of the game is extremely limited and was not working on launch either.

No online, no weather effects, etc, etc. How can you possible expect to get a good review when key factors of the game were missing from the final release copy?

This time, it's not the reviewers fault.

[BiggCMan]

I disagree completely. First of all, weather affects are not a game changer. The content of the game remains exactly the same without weather, so that is a moot point.

The online however is of course vital like both of us said. However it IS the critics fault for not waiting for the servers to be fixed. The game still shipped with the multiplayer, just with down servers.

The way you describe it is if the multiplayer is not even there and was patched in or something. No, it is there, but because of serious server problems they decided to keep them offline for a while to get them fixed.

That is nobodies fault, because that can happen to any company. But it is the fault of critics for not waiting until this problem was fixed so they can experience the game properly and review it correctly.

Destiny was reviewed late by everyone because Bungie wanted people to experience it properly. Driveclub deserves the SAME treatment, but it did not get it. You are wrong.

[Dannycr]

WHAT!?

Are you serious? Weather was used by EVERYONE (including the devs) as a big selling point of the game. The game does not and will never remain the same. Weather changes the way you are supposed to drive.

And you are saying that it is the critics fault that the servers were not available when the game was supposed to have them online? How are the critics accountable for a functionality that the game was supposed to have ready? They had a release date that they moved almost a year later to be able to work in those and still, a year later, the game launches in an incomplete state. That is totally irresponsible, and I'm here, 3 days later, watching the screen telling me how I can't connect online.

If you ask me, your way of thinking that KEY COMPONENTS of the game that are not available to the game when it launches is ok and it is someone elses fault is waaaaay too irresponsible.

I don't want incomplete games reaching the customers...EVER! We all pay $60 to get a complete game that gives me all that it had advertised.

[coolbeans]

"The online however is of course vital like both of us said. However it IS the critics fault for not waiting for the servers to be fixed."

I figured that would actually be good thing for them to do, provided they update the review to announce when the servers are back up. Being quick to inform the public about unavailable servers, which both you AND the developer have acknowledged online is a vital aspect of the game, can potentially make consumers hold off on putting down $60 for a game that seemingly wasn't prepared for its launch. I thought this was the kind of reportage and honesty the community wanted to see more in gamez jurnalism. Now we're condemning them for having the audacity to inform the gaming public of their (current) experience with the retail version?

"The game still shipped with the multiplayer, just with down servers."

Ridiculous.

[TheFanboySlayer]

Agree 100%

[Hestrela]

DC is good is ridiculous most reviews gave it 60/100 scores... the game is just like GT5 at launch with poor scores but with all the updates it is an incredible game. The problem at SONY are the low ressources studios have compared to microsoft. They can pull a Forza game in just 2 years with great value, we have to be honest here. Lets hope Evolution doesn´t give up and bring us a driveclub2 that shuts everybody´s mouths......

[jwillj2k4]

I would actually say it was reviewed incorrectly due to the reviews being about what the game was advertised as, as opposed to what it actually is. I'm sorry, but too much slack is being given to game studios releasing their games with the 'promise' of more to come. Destiny was different due to the fact that they wanted the game to be populated before a review, fair enough. On the other hand, Drive Club's most advertised feature is broken, and the reviews should reflect this. It's almost false advertising since the server's never worked since release. We aren't your testers, we are paying customers. Get your shit together before releasing your product. I wouldn't be surprised if an attempt at a law suit came from this.

Shits disgusting.

[u4one]

As an avid racing game fan and an owner of Driveclub, I'd say it deserves a 7.5 imho. It's good, but compared to other racers, it's lacking some pretty big features that aren't coming in updates I've read about. It's a fun game but I find myself at odds with the physics, and desire to want to get in and tweak the cars, swap out parts, throw some rims on, change brakes and gearing. The general lack of selection of cars is also really disappointing - especially when they are all the standard euro cars that you assume have to be there. No Caterham Superlight, no Stingray, no Lancia, nothing Hennesey or KTM etc. Forza/FH2/Gran Turismo/project Cars all have about 5x the car selection and you can upgrade them, tune them etc til they are perfect for you and whatever event you are about to enter (I have yet to actually play Project Cars but it will have these options).

The AI is fairly robotic and even abusive at times. It actually is one of my bigger gripes. The game looks good and sounds great but overall it feels incomplete to me. Just my personal feelings as a huge race genre fan.

[GamingTruth]

all these complaints about a new ip and a new engine all at once with barely over a year probably less with finalized hardware to even develop for

[xPhearR3dx]

I know this was written 5 days ago, but within the first few paragraphs, you admitted you only played the game 2 hours at the time of writing. Honestly, everything said after that statement really means nothing. Yeah, you're already addicted to this and that, but you know what, you only played the game 2 hours. You SHOULD be. If 2 hours in you don't feel that "Can't put the controller down" feeling, that raises a red flag. A brand new game you barely played should make you want to continue playing.

However, once you reach, 10, 15 or even 20 hours. Are those same things at 2 hours in still fun? Was there enough content to even last 10 hours? All that aside, the game suffered a HORRIBLE launch. Not to mention features missing and the game not even available for PS+ users. Add all that on top of the almost year delay and yeah, people are disappointed and probably pissed. When you delay your game, especially for nearly a year, you better have something to back it up. DriveClub didn't.

[Bennibop]

I am still playing it 18hrs in now and am totally hooked as are all my mates who also own it. Never played a driving game that has got me so hell bent on beating my friends times. Actually like the game more now!