Driveclub VR was one of the most highly anticipated PlayStation VR titles this year, and for good reason. Racing is one of the best genres for virtual reality units, showcasing the thrill and immersion that headsets can bring for players. But, like many burgeoning technologies, time is necessary to allow virtual reality conventions to settle. This seems to be the case with Driveclub VR.
Digital Spy’s reviewer wasn’t happy with the release at all. Calling the game a “vomit comet,” Gaming Editor Sam Loveridge and her fellow players felt sick twice while playing Driveclub VR in just half an hour. “[M]id-race, we were ripping the PS VR from our face and sprinting to the bathroom to hurl,” Loveridge wrote. “Yes, Driveclub VR really is a vomit comet.”
PushSquare was critical as well. Calling the VR version “a visual eyesore,” they, like Digital Spy, noted that the original Driveclub‘s dynamic weather and gorgeous graphics were missing from the VR release. “There’s no shortage of effort been invested here, but we can’t help but wonder whether the rewards were worth all of the evident exertion,” they wrote.
IBTimes UK was, meanwhile, quite pleased with the game. Calling Driveclub VR “one of the most natural and easy-going” launch titles on the PlayStation VR, the reviewer praised the game as a “great entry point” for virtual reality users. “It is certainly one of the more feature-rich VR games available at launch, and also boasts the most depth,” reviewer Ben Skipper noted.
Lastly, VideoGamer’s Tom Orry was also critical of Driveclub VR‘s graphics drop, but was pleased by the overall VR experience. Calling Driveclub VR “a great example of how VR adds to an experience,” he praised the game’s immersion, even though he compared the graphics to a PlayStation 2 release. “[Y]ou might think you’re going on a beautiful holiday to the south of France yet end up touring the sites of Hull,” he wrote. “That’s a metaphor, by the way, you don’t get to drive in either location. I’m saying Hull isn’t very nice to look at. Like Driveclub VR.”
Driveclub VR provides the experience that a VR racer needs, but struggles when it comes to graphics and motion sickness management. But kinks are common problems during first generation releases. Hopefully the next wave of virtual reality racing games will learn from Driveclub VR and build better VR experiences.
