#DRIVE Rally | PC Early Access Review
I love racing. I spend my Monday and Thursday nights in an iRacing league. https://sofaracingleague.com/ if you’re interested. When the opportunity to review #DRIVE Rally arrived, I quickly answered, “Sure!” Any opportunity to let my gaming PC flex its muscle for a quick lap is one I rarely pass up. However, even after the first 15 minutes, I was slightly let down. Then I played it longer. Come along for the ride!
Lack of Story
The trailer made it seem like there would be some manner of campaign mode. There is not. The “championship” mode for #DRIVE Rally is racing in rally-style segments across multiple areas of the world and using multiple vehicle options. Your goal is to win the rally. A small disappointment was that you are always racing solo. The gamer is trying to beat the clock and there are no other cars on the road. In the long run, that’s for the best since the courses are relatively narrow. In order to pass, you would have to go off-road which gives a penalty. However, being alone is lonely. I prefer to race against opponents, not a clock.
If you’re not familiar with rally racing, it’s similar to the Tour de France. If you’re still scratching your head, here you go: A rally race is made up of several segments which combine to make the rally. The shortest combined time after all segments are complete is the winner of the rally. The driver does not have to win a single segment as long as he/she was consistent enough over all of the segments combined to be faster. This is the game. One rally after another. The title is accurate: #DRIVE Rally.
A Variety of Control Options with Varying Success
I will give #DRIVE Rally some credit, they offer many options to play the game! Keyboard or controller are both valid options. I found the most success using the keyboard. The controller was my preferred method since I’m a console player at heart, however I enjoyed the slight increase in success when switching back to keyboard.
I have my steering wheel and pedals for my iRacing nights. I thought, “Huh, I wonder if this will work.” Short answer: It did. However, I had to turn the wheel almost an entire 360 degrees just to make a simple turn. It was not successful. Rather than spend time calibrating, I immediately returned to the controller so that I could enjoy the game.
Cartoon Rally Fun
The graphics are cartoony and cel-shaded. It makes the game feel a bit more light-hearted and welcoming for all age groups. #DRIVE Rally would be a nice choice for somebody who just wants to try out a game where you drive fast and has an easy learning curve. The graphics are inviting for that purpose.
There is also cartoony music and voice acting throughout the game. This keeps the mood lighter while you’re doing your best to go fast! I mentioned above how #DRIVE Rally offers several location options to choose for your rally. Each location has a different driving coach who tells you how you’re doing and also lets you know which direction the upcoming turn is AND the severity of that turn. “Right 1” is a very slight right hand turn, “Right 2” likely includes a little braking, while “Right 3” will require a good amount of speed reduction. Even more, the voices are stereotypical for each location. Is the rally in Texas? Expect a southern drawl. Is the rally in Germany? The coach sounds like an Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator. It’s a lot of fun. Since each rally only lasts the gamer 10 to 15 minutes, you can switch up the locations before the character wears thin or gets too repetitive.
Final Verdict
I would have liked more opponents on the track with me. I would have also liked there to be a campaign. The trailer indicated some manner of interaction with the characters, maybe even a cutscene. Sadly, at the end of each rally, I was returned to the main screen to select my next option.
Otherwise, it was fine. I was able to adapt to the controls and the voice acting kept me focused on trying to improve my segment times. Unlocking better vehicles as I played was also a nice bonus which helped whether via improved engine speed or grip through the turns. As an entry level game, #DRIVE Rally checks the boxes. If you’re a gamer who likes to improve on personal best times, #DRIVE Rally will scratch that itch for you!
To hear me talk more about #DRIVE Rally, be sure to listen to the October 4, 2024 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast around the 1:40:53 time stamp.
This review is based on a PC Early Access copy of #DRIVE Rally provided by Evolve PR for coverage purposes. As of the time of this writing, it is exclusive to this platform.
