Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Circuit racer has cool social features, big privacy issues.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Driveclub
What's It About?
DRIVECLUB is a social racing game that encourages players to form clubs with friends or strangers and race as part of a team. Races take place on a variety of fictional tracks located around the world, with real-world cars ranging from simple hatchbacks (including VW bugs and Mini Coopers) to exotic sports cars from manufacturers like Ferrari and Pagani. Players can race in both single-player Tour races and multiplayer events to earn points that raise both their individual racing level and that of their club. They can create their own events with a few button taps and then share them with hundreds of other players. The more people who race in a user-created event, the bigger the point payout. Additional cars and custom paint jobs become unlocked as players and clubs advance in level. Once players have finished the solo events, they can keep playing the social side of the game for as long as they like, entering challenges and continuing to level up their clubs.
Is It Any Good?
Driveclub's Tour mode is surprisingly short compared to those of most racers, and it doesn't have arcade-style gimmicks such as the ability to rewind races or simulation-style options to tune and upgrade each car. Instead, its focus is on taking the concept of social racing to a new level. Players are meant to band together and work as a team to win races, grow their clubs, and just generally enjoy racing as part of a group rather than as isolated individuals.
Though Driveclub succeeds in its mission to be a social-first game -- and delivers impressive car handling and some wonderfully scenic tracks -- it never quite manages to go from good to great. There's little innovation in its traditional point-to-point, drifting, and speed lap races. The online features are intuitive and seamless, making it easy for even shy players to become a bit more social, but they fail to create a grander sense of purpose. You're still driving through the same types of races you'd find in other games, only now you're doing it to earn points for your club. What's here is fine and fun, but players might have expected something more from a game striving to define the next generation of console racing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about online safety in games like Driveclub. Chatting with other players online is fun, but it can be dangerous. What steps would you take if you found yourself chatting with someone who started harassing you, asking for your personal information, or suggesting meeting in real life?
Discuss driving safety. What are some common distractions to be avoided while driving? What's the difference between aggressive and defensive driving?
Game Details
- Platform : PlayStation 4
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Sony Computer Entertainment
- Release date : October 7, 2014
- Genre : Racing
- Topics : Transportation ( Cars & Trucks )
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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