Driveclub arrives on PS4 with a simple promise: cars, tracks, and friends racing online. It delivers on all three, but not without friction.
Trailer, via PlayStation.
Cars and Tracks
The car selection is strong. From supercars to everyday road machines, Driveclub covers a wide range, and each model handles distinctly enough to reward repeated runs. Tracks twist through mountain passes, city streets, and open desert, giving players varied scenery across seasons and weather conditions.
Clubs and Social Racing
The social layer is where Driveclub tries hardest to stand out. Players build and manage clubs, recruiting members, setting challenges, and competing against rival groups. This structure rewards loyalty and teamwork over pure individual skill. It also creates a persistent online identity tied to reputation and performance.
Technical Troubles
The game launched with serious technical problems. Server issues, matchmaking delays, and patching errors plagued early weeks, turning what could have been a smooth experience into a frustrating one. These problems have since been addressed, but the scars remain visible in player memory.
What Works
- Fast, responsive handling across a wide variety of vehicles
- Beautiful track design that changes with the weather
- A club system that encourages genuine competition and cooperation
- A large roster of cars to collect and unlock
What Falls Short
The online infrastructure struggled badly at launch, with server instability causing repeated disruptions to the racing experience. Some players found themselves waiting far too long to get into races, which undermined the core appeal of the game.
“Driveclub is a great driving game held back by bad servers.”
That line sums up the tension at the heart of the package: a solid racer marred by external issues beyond its control.
Final Word
Driveclub succeeds as a driving game while falling short as an online service. Its cars and tracks are among the best the genre offers, but the club system relies heavily on features that were unstable at launch. Once patched, the core gameplay holds up well. As a package, it remains uneven, split between a strong racing foundation and a shaky online structure.
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