Wherever we can we've used the data actually used to build the cars. "And then, of course, we've got highly detailed information on the manufacturers. You find that around the cars and throughout the world as well," Perkins explains. "We developed our own system for actually capturing surface data. Every surface is built to reflect light according to real-life values a time-consuming process that - according to the team - means each car takes up to seven months to produce. To achieve DriveClub's consistency in lighting, reflections and effects across the world, a materials-based system is in place across all cars and tracks. Gameplay sticks to 30fps with perfect frame-pacing. The only sign of struggle comes using an 'orbital' debug camera towards the end of the demo, where tearing briefly kicks in. The grass gets wet differently to the rock, which is different to the tarmac, which is different to the plastics." DriveClub gives up its original 60fps goal, instead pushing for a rock-solid 30fps, improved effects and an added weather system. And of course all the materials interact differently. It goes all the way to the top of the mountain, so if the sun pokes through you'll get massive highlights where the rock formations are. We're not doing this just locally to the track surface. "One thing you can see, everything's reflected in the road surface. The building blocks were already in there it was a case of the extra time gave us a chance to finesse the game as it stood and then build in all the extra elements, the weather systems. You can't do Scotland without rain, and you can't do Norway without snow. "It was always at the back of my mind to keep the game's systems as dynamic as possible. But was weather the main reason for the game's eight-month delay?
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The ability to simulate full atmospheric conditions, such as time of day, cloud and wind, is a major addition, and one that's due to develop further with a weather update, adding effects like rain and snow. It all feeds back, and because of the atmospherics and the draw distances it's all mixed in - from the cars to the roads to the mountains to the skies."
You play the same track 20 times in a row and you'll get a different sunset every time. "We've got a fully volumetric cloud system. We run everything real-time, and some of the demonstrations I've done you can speed the time-of-day to up to 500 times and see all the clouds roll by," Perkins continues.
"It's the whole dynamic nature of the game. But a drive through an overcast Scotland track in a Mercedes SLS screams aloud the team's proudest achievement. Systems for depth-of-field, the lighting model and reflections have all been upgraded, alongside the eventual arrival of a weather system (coming after launch). It's a classic trade-off one in favour of visual integrity over performance, putting the PS4's horsepower to use in different ways. Asked if he's happy with the capped refresh, Perkins is convinced: "Yes, as an artist I'm always happy for pretty." The switch from the original 60fps target to a locked 30fps has proven controversial, particularly given DriveClub's place as the PS4's first major racing game. We gave you exactly what was running on PS4, we knew what we needed to improve." "It was good to get 3500 people playing it over three days - you don't get that amount of detailed feedback that quickly anywhere else other than E3. "We came with a very honest build," he recalls.
The studio's art director Alex Perkins says there was a lot for the team to reflect on after its 2013 E3 showing. The frame-rate is smoother, the landscape detail massively upgraded, while a slew of new effects and lighting tricks are added. And sure enough, its appearance at Sony's 2014 Gamescom conference has shown a project revitalised in all the right areas. In our first technical preview of DriveClub last year we had Evolution Studios' racer down as a promising, if rough-edged effort - a pre-alpha build that clearly needed work.
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