Early Access is often a troubling proposition. Is the game ready for the public or are the public just glorified beta testers? That’s where we come in. Welcome to the Early Access Report, where Player 2’s writers tackle an early access title to determine if it is worth your time now, or is something you should keep an eye on in the future.
The Early Access Report - #Drive Rally
Key Information
The Game: #Drive Rally
The Pitch: Old School Arcade Rally Action
#DRIVE Rally is an arcade-inspired rally-driving experience set in the golden racing era of the ‘90s. Grab your co-driver and burn some rubber on iconic race-winning cars across a variety of terrains in some of the most iconic rallying locations in the world!
The Game Version This Report is Based On: 0.5.1.7
The Developer: Pixel Perfect Dude
Remember the days when the PS1 was the console of choice? When Arcades still had video games in them and not just ticket machines? When a game didn’t need microtransactions, DLC or season passes to keep people happy? I do and so does developer Pixel Perfect Dude and that memory is the clear guide for their early access title #Drive Rally. Clearly inspired by classics like SEGA Rally, VRally and Colin McCrae, #Drive Rally is an attempt to capture that pure arcade racing action of old, an attempt that is pretty darn close even in early access.
If you have ever played any of the previously mentioned titles, you know exactly what you are getting with #Drive Rally. This is arcade rally racing at its purest, racing from checkpoint to checkpoint trying to beat scores on the leaderboard, earn money to unlock new cars and customisations and basically just keep your rally car teetering on the edge of control around snow, dirt, mud and sand covered corners. I guess I can describe it as a “pure” experience, one that isn’t cluttered by any external noise, RPG-like systems or need to meet arbitrary goals. It is just you, the track, your car and your navigator and honestly, it was super refreshing.
The key to any game with this sort of setup is, of course, the driving model and #Drive Rally’s is pretty close to being bang on. There are instances where I feel the animations and some weird geometry in the track cause a little havok with how the car drives, but 98% of the time things are bang on. I also expect these little issues to be ironed out during the early access period so I am not worried that they will hamper the product at all when it hits version 1.0.
There is already a nice slice of variety on show in the EA release. 4 maps with 48 stages in each including a snowy region, forest, desert and temperate zone are available right now. There are also 36 cars that can be customised and four different navigators that join you for the race providing very important (if occasionally annoying) info on your route. It is honestly quite impressive how much is already in the game and according to the EA roadmap, there is a host of new additions to come including 2 new maps and navigators. This title is riding pretty high on the “bang-for-buck” scale, even at this early point in time.
Graphically, the developers have gone for a style that evokes the feeling of the classic rally games it is inspired by. It uses that technique I see often in these sorts of retro games by evoking how the old titles looked, yet remaining modern. It works well and there is more than enough detail in the world and cars to keep people satisfied, especially while trying to navigate at 150 kmph. Other presentation aspects, like the menus and car customisation screens feel a little clunky, especially when using a controller to navigate, so I hope some work is put into the UI before release.
#Drive Rally is exactly what you expect it to be and despite being in early access, offers more than enough content and quality racing to keep classic arcade fans happy. What’s more, the roadmap to version 1.0 is super promising, with tonnes of new content on the way, so diving in now will give you plenty to look forward to. The final cherry on top is that the game is currently under $30 AUD which I feel is really great value for what is on offer. Honestly, if you are missing this type of experience, I can’t see why you wouldn’t dive into #Drive Rally right away. It is absolutely the best option available for those looking to relive their classic rally racing days.
