Once scheduled as a PlayStation 4 launch title, socially inspired racing game Driveclub is now available at retailers and through the PlayStation Network.

Critics have weighed in on the new racing game from Evolution Studios, the creators of the Motorstorm series, and you can see a sampling of review scores and quotes below. For more on Driveclub’s critical reception, be sure to read extended coverage on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Driveclub
• Developer: Evolution Studios
• Platforms: PlayStation 4
• Release date: October 7
• Price: $60

GameSpot — 5/10

“It exists, it’s pretty, and you race cars in it. Such an analysis might be terribly reductive, but it’s difficult to work up excitement over Driveclub, a simple racing game in which frustration is common and thrills are in short supply. This is racing in its most straightforward and driest form, free of frills, free of celebration, and free of pressing reasons to invest your time in it for the long term.” – Kevin VanOrd [Full review]

Destructoid — 7.5/10

“Driveclub is fast and easy to get into, nice to look at, and it has a lot going on in the background to keep you connected and competitive with your club members and other individuals. But that doesn’t change the issues in the foreground. Its approachable and enjoyable racing is marred by AI cars that love to unfairly bash and crash on the single-player side. And bugs with the interface and the networking kept me from fully enjoying the multiplayer side. Beyond all of this, it feels like Driveclub needs more race and event types. What it offers has kept me going for a couple of weeks, but how much longer will it continue to do so?” – Dale North [Full review]

Polygon — 7.5/10

“Driveclub doesn’t have any one element that makes it an incredible game or a huge leap forward for the racing genre, but it makes some smart choices underneath top-of-the-line presentation. And in embracing a social media-influenced setup to build enjoyable asynchronous multiplayer, it teaches a few important lessons other developers should learn from.” – Philip Kollar [Full review]

Joystiq — 3/5

“Driveclub is a well-made, sometimes irritating juxtaposition of the old and new. The career mode is old-fashioned and its AI is hopelessly ignorant, but the graphics and competitive jabs online feel perfectly fit for 2014. Embracing your fellow human is key to overcoming Driveclub’s faults, which ultimately make it a better staging ground for car-loving friends than an expression of automotive admiration itself.” – Ludwig Kietzmann [Full review]

PlayStation Universe — 9.5/10

“Driveclub blends the complexity of realistic simulation with inviting mechanics and gives just enough leeway to evoke heart-pumping power and intensity in every kind of racing fan. A graphical darling with fresh multiplayer ideas to match, Driveclub is irresistible and pushes the genre forward.” – Kyle Prahl [Full review]

Eurogamer — 6/10

“Driveclub is patently intended to attract a global, interconnected audience of fiercely competitive racers but, to quote the increasingly obscure 1989 Kevin Costner film Field of Dreams: if you build it, they will come. And, unfortunately, Evolution hasn’t quite built it.” – Mike Channell [Full review]

IGN — 7.9/10

“Driveclub is the best-looking racing game I’ve ever seen on a console, but down deep it’s a more modest, conventional arcade racer than the sprawling, open-world types we commonly see today. While it successfully creates fast and fun races with a great sense of speed, the overly aggressive AI grates, the difficult drifting seems at odds with the accessible handling, and the single-player loses zest once the solo content runs dry. I’m also surprised at how partisan the day-one car list is. That said, the tentacles of Driveclub can grip tight if you get invested in the game’s asynchronous challenges, and it’s very much geared around encouraging us to hop online and compete by making it so easy.” – Luke Reilly [Full review]

A list of additional scores from other publications can be found below:

• Game Informer – 7.75/10
• GamesRadar – 4/5
• USGamer – 3.5/5
• Hardcore Gamer – 2.5/5
• DigitalSpy – 4/5
• VideoGamer – 8/10
• The Sixth Axis – 8/10

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