#DRIVE Rally Early Access Preview (PC): Pure Nostalgia Can't Cut it Anymore in 2024

#DRIVE Rally is made by Pixel Perfect Dude, a "micro-indie" team from Poland. They previously released #DRIVE, a mobile game that presumably found its way onto over 25 million smart devices. Granted, this doesn't mean it has 25 million active users, but that's the number of people who downloaded it and perhaps even tried it. It's nothing to scoff at; marketing-wise, it's a nice figure to flaunt.

For #DRIVE Rally on PC and macOS, the team aims to blend retro-inspired visuals with modern gameplay mechanics. In my experience, they nailed the graphics part with the low-polygon style, but I didn't encounter any dazzling "modern gameplay mechanics." The controls and physics feel alright, but nothing amazing. Like Todd Howard would shamelessly say, "It just works."

There are twelve rally cars to choose from, with tongue-in-cheek names like Das Holzwagen, The Doggo, The Bobond, etc. The vehicles come in three classes, for a total of 36 variations. You can customize elements like the hood, fenders, bumpers, exhausts, spoilers, wheels, etc.

The game boasts 48 tracks across four different environments: muddy forest routes, desert, snow, and something resembling a swamp. Your copilots have a corky personality that some might find enchanting. One of them sounds like you're taking directions from Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The game design is so simple that there's not much I have to say about it. You just race, and that's it. I found no progression system, XP-based leveling, performance tuning, or anything of the sort. I get the idea behind the simplistic 90s design philosophy, but after a while, it gets stale. You can only do so many races without feeling like Déjà vu. The core gameplay functions well, but that's about it.

Worth Your Time?

In the great and overcrowded gaming landscape of 2024, the bottom line is this: you must seriously step up your game to have a seat at the table. Low prices like #DRIVE Rally's $20 are enticing, but only when taken out of context.

With so many free-to-play games out there, either stand-alone or part of a subscription service like EA Play, Ubisoft+, Game Pass, or PS Plus, I don't think this one has the chops to make most players prefer it over other titles. As I've said earlier, the game isn't bad on its own, at least not for 90s-era-inspired rally racers.

With genre-defining bangers like Forza Horizon 5, The Crew Motorfest, Gran Turismo 7, Fortnite's Rocket Racing, Mario Kart, and so on, you have to innovate to draw attention away from these monsters. I'm certain there's a small audience for it, but after the initial shine wears off, I found nothing there to keep me invested. Nowadays, nostalgia and tongue-in-cheek quirks are not enough to make a game stand out.

You still need to hook people with something else, something unique. Or at least put a clever spin on a tried-and-true gameplay mechanic and take the medium further by improving it. Don't just recreate an old-style game one-to-one. Luckily, because it's still in Early Access, the studio has plenty of time to implement enticing game systems that make players feel like they're racing for a purpose.

Can You Run It?

On Windows devices, the minimum specs ask for an Intel Core i3 2.5GHz or equivalent CPU with a GeForce GTX 650 or AMD counterpart. You also need 4 GB of RAM and 5 GB of storage space. The recommended list shows you need an Intel Core i5 3.0GHz processor with a Geforce GTX 970 or AMD equivalent. This time, it requires 8 GB of RAM to run properly.

MacOS users can also participate. MacOS 11.0 version is required, sporting an Intel Core i3 2.5GHz and Geforce GTX 650 or equivalent. For MacOS 13.0, you need an Intel Core i5 3.0GHz or Geforce GTX 970.

My rig has an Intel i9-13900k CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4080. Running a 4K resolution with everything dialed up to 11, I was getting anywhere above 250 fps. However, my 4K monitor only supports 144 Hz, so I turned the V-Sync on, and that was that—there was no point in over-soliciting the system.

As for negative technical experiences, I only remember two issues, which will undoubtedly get patched at some point. One was the checkpoint sticker with race times that sometimes didn't disappear during the entire race. It happened several times initially but didn't occur in later races.

One truly annoying problem was a micro-freeze occurring every race just after the initial countdown. It happened one or two seconds after every launch, which was noticeable. Other than that, the game runs great.

Conclusion

As a gaming industry enthusiast, I believe that in 2024, developers must think beyond technical considerations and factor in a "what does the audience want" perspective. Granted, that should be the publisher's job. Sony recently found that out the hard way with a massive $400 million loss on Concord. Not to mention the $3.6 billion Bungie headache that turned into a splitting migraine.

It's obvious the developers invested love and care into their game. I sincerely hope they find enough of an audience to make the team's struggle worthwhile and cover all the development and publishing costs. If, regrettably, that doesn't happen, there's a valuable lesson to be learned here.

That said, it's still more charming than Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. I've ranted enough about this arcade rally title, but you don't have to take my word for it. I suggest you try out the demo on Steam. If you end up liking it, it will be available on September 25 for 20 bucks.