We are now nearing the end of 2016, a year which arguably was a host to a multitude of tremendous releases. Titles such as Uncharted 4, The Last Guardian, and Overwatch, have swept both critics and consumers off of their feet, as they offered both entertainment and quality which could only be reached by select few. However, just like the year before, 2016 has unfortunately under-performed when it came to the racing genre, as Forza Horizon 3, was the only racing title which could be described as above average, well, it was the only title until now.
On 13th of December, the PlayStation Store was updated with all the newest deals and releases, just like it does every week. And amongst the many new titles and DLC which have made their way onto the said platform, was one of the best, if not the best racing game of this year, Drive!Drive!Drive!.
As described by the developer, Different Cloth, Drive! Drive! Drive! is a brain melting racer, which requires the player to control multiple vehicles, on multiple tracks. In-game, the player can only control one vehicle at any given time, however, in order to achieve the best possible result, he or she has to constantly alternate between the tracks in order to ensure that all vehicles are in the best possible position. One could argue that once the player’s vehicle is situated at the every front of the pack, in the first position, the player no longer has to worry about controlling it. However, due to the application of the Artificial Incompetence™ by the developer, which is designed to make mistakes and lose the pole position, the player in control of the game is forced to constantly alternate between the two, three, or even four individual tracks.
In-game tracks can be either stacked on top of each other, resulting in a pyramid of twists and turns, and all out chaos which can be caused by vehicles which can fall from one track straight onto the one that lays below it; or can be interwoven like a spider-web of futuristic concrete, which can create a range of spectacular collisions whenever vehicles are forced to fly through another tracks. In total, Drive! Drive!Drive! features 50 base tracks, and 50 additional tracks within its campaign, however, the complete experience comes with a track creator, which allows the player, or in fact players to create over 18 quintillion unique tracks for them to race against AI, or other players online.
Drive!Drive!Drive! features ten unique environments for players to experience, explore, and expand upon, and each and every single one of them follows the neon based, futuristic art style which is persistent throughout the entirety of Drive!Drive!Drive!. Eye catching, low polygon art style fits the title perfectly, as it allows the player to absorb the world of Drive!Drive!Drive! within an instant. And thanks to the artistic vision which Different Cloth has decided to adopt when it comes to this title, the visual facade is a sight to behold, especially when combined with the phenomenal soundtrack which has been created by ZOMBI.
Ultimately, Drive!Drive!Drive! is a phenomenal title, of which positives one could discuss for hours, however, as good as it is, Drive!Drive!Drive! also has its flaws, which at times can absolutely ruin the fun which can be had with the title. The biggest, and most jarring problem with Drive!Drive!Drive! is the fact that the Artificial Incompetence which is enjoyable at its best, is downright game breaking at its worst. When not in control of the player vehicle, there is always a chance that it may fall off the track, and when that happens, there’s a chance that upon the switch, it’ll be impossible to drive it, as it’ll simply be stuck in place. Same thing can happen whenever AI spins out of control, and when push comes to shove, the entire race has to be restarted. And by the fifth or sixth restart, the bag full of fun aspects of Drive!Drive!Drive! gets completely overshadowed by the handful of its flaws, which is unfortunate as otherwise, Drive!Drive!Drive! is a phenomenal indie title.