Starting off by immediately saying that this game is certainly not worth $60, including the DLC at the moment. While Dirt to Daytona was a great game back in 2002, it hasn't aged so well in an era with F1 2016, Dirt Rally, and others. It kinda sucks that for PS4 owners, this is your first shot at a NASCAR included title (Project CARS not counting because no circles.)
Let me start by saying that I am no stock car expert. I do road courses. Open wheel and GT cars are my thing, but with the game on full blast simulation mode and 105% AI, I should not be gapping the field in any game mode by 3 tenths to half a second a lap on an oval. But on default setup, on a DualShock 4 controller, I was doing just that, which gets depressing after a while because the AI look fun.
Career mode is not as great as I thought it would be. Four number options, which is frustrating. The driver customization tools are great for a game that only lets you see your driver in a menu or in victory lane. It seemed far too overdone for how little you actually saw your driver in motion without a helmet. The sounds of the game definitely aren't new. Most are completely unchanged from 2002, which made me cringe, and I for one have never really cared about how a racing game sounds. And it's literally impossible to spin out without being involved in the Big One anywhere, which is just upsetting. You're kinda just stuck in a quantum state of half-hooning, half-racing and the switch flips rather quickly if you screw something up. With ETX titles, we all complained about the AI, but now we have to complain about everything but the AI. ETX-1 DMR-0
Online...oh boy. This was where I was glad I was playing on an empty stomach. Netcode is actually comparable to what GT6 was like before course maker came out, which is respectable given the 40 car thing. But...no options, no tuning, and that fixture where if you spin and fall behind then get warped back to the pack...I'd be okay with 20 cars and at least ETX's options for online. It gets very disorienting very quickly, and that's not good for a game type that really has one objective. But, as I said, the netcode is fantastic if you are used to current GT6 standards, Project CARS, or McDonald's internet. It's easily comparable to F1 2016 with how smooth the connection between players can be. It's literally the only positive thing about the online portion, but it's the biggest positive to have. ETX-1 DMR-1
Other things I found about the game...the game has a GT sense of damage apparently. I never really saw any visual damage on the cars, but mechanical damage was crazy sensitive. The tracks also feel kinda neutered. Tracks aren't really as bumpy as they are in real life, on a G29 or a controller. It's surprisingly smooth everywhere. I don't need to go over the fact that most of the venues are initially locked in the non-Career modes. We all know it's stupid.
In all, if this game was a $30-$40 game including DLC instead of a $60 game plus $20-$30 for DLC, I'd be okay. I wouldn't ever recommend it, but I wouldn't be in a state of hysterical laughing and crying. For those that are willing to pay $90 for this game, please get your head checked immediately. There are some things that could get patched in a future update, like the ping pong-like controls on DS4, or the AI being really slow. But the game isn't ever going to be worth the initial $60, so wait for it to go on sale for about 40-50% off. Save your money and hopefully wait until after a couple of months have passed.
