DriveClub Announced for PlayStation 4 - VisceralBishop's Blog

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DriveClub Announced for PlayStation 4 Stuck

Posted on February 21, 2013 at 12:30 AM.

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We finally have solid, concrete information on Sony's next system, the PlayStation 4. During last night's event we received a lot regarding the new controller and what the system will actually have inside. The technical info is great, but we also had a handful of game announcements, one of those being DriveClub. Developed by Evolution Studios, the studio behind the MotorStorm franchise, DriveClub has been a concept in development for "almost ten years." In one of my most recent features, I mentioned how we wanted a new MotorStorm title, or maybe Evolution Studios was working on the next WipEout. After hearing about DriveClub for just a couple of minutes, I'm actually happy with what their next game will be and that it's something completely different.

Not a ton of gameplay was actually shown, but certain mechanics and features were discussed. Of the few minutes of footage during the on-stage presentation, you could clearly see how gorgeous the cars looked; including the interior where even in the seat you could see even the smallest fabric particles and they talked about how they modeled each one individually. When speaking about how the game would be played, "first-person" was mentioned. The cockpit view is how the game will be played, with Evolution Studios wanting to immerse you in the racing world. Fans of that camera angle will absolutely love that news, while it will take some time for others to get used to it.

DriveClub is all about "team-based racing," and those words were thrown around quite often when game director, Matt Southern, took the stage to talk about the game. After creating or joining a club, the main objective when racing is to compete in challenges, with you trying to help your club fight to the top of the ranks. You help out your club even if you finish third of fourth in a race. Every track has numerous challenges for you to compete in, either in real-time races or asynchronous. These challenges have several options for you to choose from, as the weather pattern, track, time-of-day and more can all be determined by you before the challenge is set up and sent out to other drivers.

Mobile devices and tablets are also scheduled to be supported, with you being able to view and access clubs no matter where you are in the world. Since challenges are a major focus of the gameplay, you can even create those right on your phone or tablet. Of course, what good is a racing game without exotic cars and beautiful locations? Well, in the trailer above and during the presentation, car manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Pagani. As the release of the game gets closer, expect to hear more about what cars and cities will be included in the full retail copy (my bet is on E3).

To say we are intrigued by DriveClub, well, that would definitely be an understatement. The visuals are of course a step up from current-generation systems, but this new racing IP looks to try something fresh and unique with clubs. We salute Evolution Studios and look forward to hearing and seeing more about the game in the coming months.