Now is a good time to revisit Need for Speed ​​Competitor for PlayStation

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The racing game genre has ironically slowed down in recent years. Although the French like it Needed for speed and Gran Turismo Still getting regular releases and being successful, they are slowly becoming more niche as time goes on. But the racing scene is still full of potential, and Sony's once exciting Drive Club It may take a shot in the arm that needs it.




Although it suffers from the same consistency problems seen in other major racing franchises, Drive Club There are a few key elements that help it stand out. The game, which adopts more of an arcade-influenced approach with its mechanics a la Needed for speedIt sees players racing in various locations around the world, much like its competition. However, the online club aspect made it truly unique: players could team up with others to form a club, and the collective efforts of each club member would influence progress, reputation, and rank. This made the online aspect of the game appealing to many players, and its core gameplay was overshadowed by a strong physics engine, attractive game modes, and industry-leading visuals that are still impressive today. Unfortunately, the game's servers were shut down in 2020, rendering online play impossible.


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Why PlayStation Should Revive DriveClub

DriveClub can be a compelling requirement for speed competitors

Now, like many years ago, Gran Turismo is PlayStation's leading racing franchise. There is a good reason for this: Gran Turismo Consistently reaches and exceeds the high quality bar, delivering impressive technical performance and visuals with engaging online and offline game modes. but Gran Turismo Leans a little further towards the simulation end of the arcade-simulation continuum that rests in racing games. It's certainly accessible, but the realism and depth could be a bit lacking in satisfying mechanics, controls, and physics.


On the contrary, Drive Club The arcade of continuity is further located at the end. For post-launch updates though Drive Club With more simulation-esque features and options added, the game's physics and controls prioritize entertainment and accessibility over realism. thus, Drive Club can be compared with Needed for speedor even Forza HorizonBecause it has some wiggle room for those looking for a driving simulation, while still keeping the fun and simple controls front and center. The PlayStation seems to have laid all its racing eggs Gran Turismo Basket, perhaps it would be smart to diversify, bringing back its proprietary arcade racer and offering something new.

What a modern drive club might look like

Sony shut down Drive Club Developer Evolution Studios back in 2016, so any potential revival of the IP would have to be without its involvement. It is clearly unfortunate that, despite its projection problems, Drive Club Evolution proved Studio as a capable developer, with the talent, experience and creativity to lead a serious racing competitor.


But looking toward the future, Sony certainly doesn't want first-party studios to take it over. Drive Club license. Perhaps the most obvious pool to draw from would be Polyphony Digital, the developer of Gran Turismo; Sony may separate part of that team to do new work Drive ClubLeveraging that studio's considerable experience with racing games for a unique spin on the genre. Given Polyphony's years of expertise in online racing games, it's not hard to see how its developers could make a comeback. Drive ClubOnline multiplayer ecosystem.

Whichever studio picks up the IP in this hypothetical scenario, it's fair to say Drive Club Deserves a second chance. It's always sad to see a game shut down prematurely, though Drive ClubIts tragically short life is especially disappointing given how promising it was. Sony should take another swing at it, strengthening its presence in the racing genre in the process.

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