Now is a great time for PlayStation to revisit the Need For Speed ​​competitor

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The racing game genre has ironically slowed down in recent years. Although franchises like Need for Speed and Gran Turismo they still get regular releases and are successful, slowly becoming more specialized over time. But the racing scene is still full of potential and the Sony is once exciting Driveclub this might be the shot in the arm he needs.




Although it suffers from the same stagnation issues found in other major racing franchises, Driveclub it has several key elements that help it stand out. A game that takes more of an arcade approach with its mechanics a la Need for Speedsees the player racing in various locations around the world, similar to his competition. However, the online club aspect is what makes it truly unique: players could form clubs with others and the collective efforts of each club member would affect progression, prestige and ranking. This made the game's online side appealing to many players, and its core gameplay was supported by a strong physics engine, engaging game modes, and cutting-edge visuals that are still impressive today. Unfortunately, the game's servers were shut down in 2020, making online play impossible.


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Why PlayStation should revive Driveclub

Driveclub could be a compelling competitor in speed

Right now, as for many years, Gran Turismo is PlayStation's premier racing franchise. There is a good reason for this: Gran Turismo it consistently reaches and even exceeds the bar of high quality, offering impressive technical performance and visuals along with engaging online and offline game modes. But Gran Turismo leans a bit further towards the simulation end of the continuum of arcade simulations that racing games rest on. It's certainly still accessible, but realism and depth are slightly prioritized over satisfying mechanics, controls, and physics.


in contrast Driveclub it is located further on the arcade end of the continuum. Although the update after the release of the pro Driveclub Adding more simulation features and options, the game's physics and controls prioritize fun and accessibility over realism. Thus, Driveclub can be compared to Need for Speedor even Forza Horizonas it has some wiggle room for those looking for a driving simulation while still putting fun and simple controls front and center. With the PlayStation, it seemingly puts all of its racing eggs into the game Gran Turismo cart, it might be smart to spice it up, bring back your proprietary arcade racer and offer something new.

What a modern Driveclub could look like

Sony shut down Driveclub developer Evolution Studios back in 2016, so any potential revival of the IP would have to be without his involvement. This is unfortunate, of course, because despite the launch difficulties Driveclub proved Evolution Studios to be a more than capable developer with the talent, experience and creativity to drive a serious racing competitor.


But looking to the future, Sony certainly doesn't want first-party studios to take over Driveclub license. Perhaps the most obvious pool to draw from would be Polyphony Digital, whose developers Gran Turismo; Perhaps Sony could separate some of this team and work on a new one Driveclubusing the studio's considerable experience with racing games for a unique twist on the genre. Given Polyphony's years of experience with online racing games, it's not hard to see how its developers could revive Driveclub's online multiplayer ecosystem.

Whichever studio picks up the IP in this hypothetical scenario, it's fair to say Driveclub he deserves a second chance. It's always sad to see a game shut down before its time, but DriveclubA tragically short life is especially disappointing given how promising it was. Sony should jump at it again and strengthen its presence in the racing genre.

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