DriveClub Game Review. At this year's E3 we expected to see more of DriveClub's multiplayer functionality (namely the interaction your racer has with fellow crew members), but Evolution Studios instead gave us a demonstration of the dynamic weather conditions.
The sun is in the appropriate location for all of the real-world tracks, and moves accordingly with the changing of time. This may sound like a trivial detail, but the light source tied to the sun plays a large role in the racing. Clouds are not static images on the skybox. They move with the wind, and are different every time a race loads. A representative from Evolution Studios demonstrates this technology by showing us how a cloudbank can block out the sun, and dramatically affect the lighting on a track. The muted color palette makes it harder to pick out objects in the distance, and differentiate upcoming turns.
On a track set on a mountainous area in Scotland, the rain affects visibility and the driving conditions. We're told that the rain is not an illusion and that it is fully simulated across the region. Puddles form in certain areas on the track, and all of the cars kick up mist as they roar through them. Lights, roadside flags, and the terrain are all reflected on the slick roads. When the rain ends, the puddles evaporate based on the amount of wind at the time and the depth of the water.
The final demonstration is a blizzard that no person should ever be caught driving in. Cars just 20 feet in front of ours can hardly be seen and are mostly recognizable by their taillights.
All of the weather effects look fantastic, and if this technology plays out like Evolution Studios hopes it will, should elevate the difficulty and give players a sense of unease when driving toward dark clouds.
Evolution says that these beautiful sights can be captured in a photo mode, which they hope to add to the game at some point in 2014. DriveClub ships exclusively for PlayStation 4 on October 7.
Platform: PlayStation 4
Style: 1-Player Racing (12-Player Online)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Evolution Studios
Release: October 7
