So now that I've hit Level 12 and have played with both a pad and wheel, I figure it's time to write my own impressions for the game -
#DRIVECLUB is an excellent game, and I feel that I'm going to be playing it for a very, very long time.
Sorry to cut straight to the meat of things there - that's not something I usually do. With this game though I think it fits. If there's one thing that I love most about the game above all else, it's the fact that it respects my time and skill as a player. Mere seconds after inserting the disc into the system for the first time (no installation necessary), I was in a race against eleven other AI racers. Wow. I rushed ahead of the pack (somehow) and managed to win 1st place while figuring out the mechanics of the game. It was exhilarating and a lot of fun and I had a very positive impression after the game's first few moments. I said to my friend that I liked how quickly it got into the action and that it saved the slower introduction for later... only to find out that there was no slow introduction.
#DRIVECLUB wastes no time getting to what it knows players came for, and I applaud Evolution for knowing to do this. There's no lengthy explanation of the Fame system or the clubs. No cheesy story in the campaign that interrupts your session every few minutes to tell you what's happening. Not even loading screens are noticeable. It's unlike anything else I've played for a very long time.
See, I've only really played one other racer this year, which was Need For Speed: Rivals. As someone who's only a casual fan of the genre at best (I enjoyed NFS and Burnout on PS2, but apart from kart racers that's about it), I really enjoyed that game in spite of the horrendously boring tutorial segment that makes the first hour of the game a complete chore. I never had the motivation to actually beat it, but I enjoyed my time nonetheless and would recommend it to anyone looking for a new racer. This, though? This is miles ahead. #DRIVECLUB doesn't condescendingly explain itself to you like a child, nor does it waste time on pompous cinematics or chores that inhibit progress. I honestly don't understand why a free-roam structure is regarded inherently than the closed circuits this game provides, as the tight level design and pacing they provide adds an extremely addictive element to the game that is much harder to attain with a game that has you driving around for minutes at a time simply looking for an objective marker.
The mechanics are superb. The game controls excellently with a gamepad and genuinely feels very realistic with a wheel. Cars are weighty and as a result the sense of speed the game provides feels earned. People aren't exaggerating when they talk about it being incredible; the game is truly breathtaking at times. I really feel even the slightest bump against another racer or the wall, and the half second of airtime I got from small bumps on the road really makes me tense up. Trading paint with other racers is exciting as well, even at relatively low speeds. High speeds, on the other hand, are extremely intense both with or without opponents. As a whole I'm very satisfied with the gameplay. It's fun and exhilarating, which is exactly what I like in a racing game.
As others have noted, the unsatisfactory AA and AF are an issue. With that said though, the aliasing was not as noticeable when I used the first person camera modes, and the lack of AF was not noticeable in the zoomed out third person view. It's up to you to decide what's more important. Apart from that the game looks as nice as expected. At some points it's just good, but at others it's stunning. The tracks in the German Sports Series looked almost photorealistic to me.
Obviously I can't comment on the online yet, but as of right now I'm satisfied with my purchase. Servers aside there's nothing that really sticks out to me as an issue, though I did wish there was an optional tutorial/training mode that teaches novice racers how to drift properly. That's a racing game problem in general though, not just this particular one. I'd highly recommend it.
Back to playing now.