Now that I'm Level 45 (and my free two weeks of PSN+ has expired)... I'm really not enamoured by the game. It isn't terrible, but I certainly wasn't expecting such a middling experience after reading through this section.
The graphics can be utterly fantastic when weather is involved, but on a bright, clear day, I wasn't impressed. Though really, I think that's only on account of the lighting engine: cars just look sort of flat on-screen. The soft glow of the car selection screen does them no favours, either. But, I will echo sentiments read elsewhere about the circuits feeling lived in. There's life on the tracks that you just won't find in the empty, clinical world of GT, and to a lesser extent, Forza (their original circuits aren't quite as drab as the rest). Everything feels lived in, and Evo deserves praise for that.
Speaking of Forza, it seems someone took it as a personal challenge that FM5 went so overboard on the lens flare. There have been a few times where I absolutely could not make out what was in front of me because of it.
The sense of speed is fantastic. The sounds, if you're in the right view, are as well. The car selection is definitely upper-echelon-focused, but the picks contained within are inspired.
I'm on the fence about the post-release support. Undoubtedly, it's made for a better game. But that's because the vanilla version was lacking pretty severely. So, kudos for that, I suppose? NFS felt like a more complete arcade racer at launch than the launch version of this (I played very briefly before updating the game, to the tune of a monstrous 12gb). FH2 is massive by comparison, though I like the circuits of DC more, and I understand some are turned off by the more off-road-oriented races that can happen in FH2.
The physics are bizarre. The game pushed me almost to breaking in a longer race around an India circuit in an MP4-12C. Thinking I was in a groove, taking a turn almost exactly the same as I had previous laps, the car suddenly threw itself out from under my control. It did this on three separate occasions, always on the last lap when I was leading. There was also a KTM time trial I did in one of the free DLC expansion championships that had the car going massively sideways on a compression, and resolutely insisting on spinning out on an uphill hairpin, no matter what the approach was. I ended up running it into the wall, intentionally, just to get through.
Oh yeah, and the AI is pants-on-head stupid. Right up there with NFS', it makes GT's Bobs look like masters of race craft. Complete lack of spatial awareness will see them routinely driving you into the wall, or just sideswiping you on a straight. I suppose this could be considered realistic given the insanity you'll discover online, but I doubt it's intentional.
The lack of customization limits things. I know, I know, it's not that sort of game, but most of the competition has it.
Pluses? I know the physics aren't supposed to be hyper-realistic, and I'm fine with that, when it means some drives feel exactly like what you'd expect. The AMG GT S has been a favourite in the game, sounding fantastic, and having that malleable, playful balance you'd expect a compact rear-driver from the guys in Affalterbach. The McLaren P1 is mental, but in games like FM6, it simply feels fast, not impossibly so. In DriveClub, I found myself barely able to keep up on a time trial, constantly shifting up and down, toying with the DRS and KERS to get the best possible lap, while the car just kept on gripping, putting every last ounce of power into forward momentum. It was a thrill, a rollercoaster of laps that had me in awe of the car's abilities. Just as I would expect if I ever had a chance to sample the real thing.
Anyway, it's fun, and the Photomode is gorgeous, so I'll probably still play it a bit more. But as it is, I think GTA5 is going to be residing in the PS4 the most.
There are a bunch of extra accolades that are back in the running since the update and will level you up far more quickly as a result.
