"BeamNG.Drive" is currently an Early Access title, so this is not a proper review of the game. It will instead be a collection of impressions of mine in regards to this game.
A Note About This Post:
The version of "BeamNG.Drive" as of the time of this initial blog post is Alpha v0.14.0.4, which is what this blog post is based on.BeamNG.Drive
"BeamNG.Drive" (NG stands for "Next Generation") is a driving simulator that allows you to go almost anywhere and do almost anything related to operating vehicles. Its history dates back to about 2013. It builds upon the modding and physics abilities of "Rigs of Rods" to include many more kinds of vehicles. Maps you can access in this game are expansive. There are no goals for you to accomplish in this game. For the most part, this game is a sandbox of doing almost anything that involves operating a vehicle. Feeling like taking on challenges? "BeamNG Drive" features some driving scenarios for various maps. Do not, however, expect these to be anything easy. Just like "Rigs of Rods" had a healthy and active community for modding, the same applies for "BeamNG.Drive" If anything, "BeamNG.Drive" is better catered towards a variety of vehicles instead of "Rigs of Rods" seemingly more catered towards heavy vehicles than average automobiles.
I was drawn into the appeal of "BeamNG.Drive" when I learned you could take creations from "Automation: The Car Company Tycoon Game" and be able to drive them in "BeamNG.Drive." And of course... be able to wreck those creations to your heart's content. I have also seen a lot of videos on "BeamNG.Drive" featuring various brutal crashes and unique challenges.
Not every PC can readily handle "BeamNG.Drive." You can scale down a lot of options to ensure you can play the game. The game can still be enjoyed even if you don't fully meet the requirements for it. Even as a last resort- you can disable crash physics to improve game performance! To a lot of people, this is a foolish thing to do because "BeamNG.Drive" is all about wrecking cars to most people. "BeamNG.Drive" is a driving simulator at heart. Maybe not driving sim levels of rFactor or Assetto Corsa, but still fairly realistic for the most part. So even if you disable crash physics, it still doesn't take away from "BeamNG.Drive" being a solid simulator for driving.
In some respects, "BeamNG.Drive" can be thought of more like "Hard Drivin'" or "Race Drivin'" in the sense of driving simulators that have a variety of stunt track elements. Maybe these games were an inspiration of making this game.
After having played a good bit of "BeamNG.Drive," I can go ahead and offer up some thoughts on it in case you want to enter the realm of this game. So please feel free to read the next section.
BeamNG.Drive - Talking Points
There is a lot to do in "BeamNG.Drive!" Despite this, let me sort of guide you in the right direction in regards to playing this game.
Game Modes.
Here are the modes you can take part in:• Try the Campaigns to take on a series of challenges. Complete all events in the Campaign them all to win! The Campaigns are more like championships and stories.
• If you want to take on driving missions, try the different Scenarios. The Scenarios range from individual driving missions to races.
• Do the Freeroam to drive around any map In any vehicle(s).
• Perform a Time Trial to take on any course with any vehicle.
• Can you properly take people around on Bus Routes? Try the Bus Routes mode. Select a bus, a map, a route, and you're set!
• Later builds of "BeamNG.Drive" allows you to run a mode called "Light Runner." I know very little about this mode except that you are racing neon-style cars around a track in a futuristic setting.
As of the time of this initial blog post (December 11, 2018), the game has a "Career" option, but it is coming soon to "BeamNG.Drive."
Vehicles.
You can operate any number of vehicles in "BeamNG.Drive." Vehicles ranging from compact cars to exotics and race cars can be driven as hard as you like across any such map. None of the default vehicles are licensed. The default vehicle you start off with is a basic Gavril D-Series D15 V8 4WD (A) pickup truck. This truck is more than suitable to take on on-road and off-road duties. Though if you want something more capable, try some of the other D-Series trucks or maybe even a totally different automobile.You can filter all of the different vehicles by drivetrain or certain other specifications. One thing to note is that this game is different with AWD and 4X4. AWD is more like for your rally cars or high-performance road cars. Vehicles with 4X4 are great for rock climbing and serious off-roading. Other factors, such as transmission type, weight, nationality, value, and more can be used to further filter your vehicle choices. The models themselves even come in various trim levels. These include normal models, tuned models, and even racing variants. It goes without saying that there should be no problem finding any vehicle to use in "BeamNG.Drive."
A vehicle used can be replaced, or you can place in extra vehicles to use instead or even apply AI to extra vehicles. You can use the Garage to even customize some of the vehicles in your BeamNG.drive collection. You can even remove certain elements on a vehicle to affect the performance and look of your vehicles. For example, removing a rear racing wing of a car will greatly affect the rear-end downforce of a vehicle. Make these modifications carefully and be mindful of what can happen to your vehicle with certain modifications.
Of course, if you are not truly satisfied with what "BeamNG.Drive" offers by default, you can always download more vehicles and even make your own. The latter, though, can be a quite tedious process to make new vehicles. Thankfully BeamNG.Drive's home page has a Wiki that instructs you on how to design your own vehicles from start to finish. So be sure to visit the game's official website for more details on this.
Maps.
The maps in "BeamNG.Drive." encompasses a variety of environments. These include race tracks, open-world maps, and more. You can drive on regular roads or even take on off-road disciplines. If you have an off-road capable vehicle, you can take on rock climbing in certain maps. This will allow you to take on a number of different adventures. This is a look at some of the different maps you can engage in...• Try the "Grid, Small, Pure" map to test out the basic performance aspects of your vehicle. There are no obstacles around (unless you place some in, of course), so feel free to use the seemingly unlimited space to do any kind of vehicular madness you so crave.
• A map you can use as a baseline for game performance and car performance is the Gridmap. This map allows you to drive around a course with a handful of obstacles to test out the performance of your car and even opportunities to wreck your vehicle.
• If you crave a true off-road adventure, try the Utah maps. Utah allows for rally racing and even rock climbing. Use this rocky setting to fulfill your off-road desires or even to go full speed on the dirty tarmac.
• Visit the "Automation Test Track" to race a 3D representation of the test track used in "Automation: The Car Company Tycoon Game." If you have any creations you ported from Automation to BeamNG, you can drive and race those creations proper on this map.
• Visit "East Coast, USA" to race on mostly tarmac roads with forest areas and small villages.
• Try out "West Coast, USA" to race on a variety of locations ranging from urban locales to some interesting on-road and off-road locations. This is one of the largest and most diverse maps in the game.
Be warned that some maps can be massive. Therefore, some of the maps may take even a few minutes to fully load the entire landscape and all the different objects that come with the map.
Repository.
Visit the Repository to download individual mods to enhance your "BeamNG.Drive" experience. You can even download Automation creations made for "BeamNG.Drive" from the Repository as well.These are all to help you get started with "BeamNG.Drive."
BeamNG.Drive: Thoughts and Impressions
Allow me to share some general thoughts on this game.
Driving
As far as driving is concerned, do not look to "BeamNG.Drive" to replace rFactor or Assetto Corsa. However, it still has a good sense of simulation in driving. You actually can have simulations of tire wear and loss of traction. This game even has some simulations such as a loss of horsepower at higher elevations.Certain vehicles even have certain modes. For example, you can make some adjustments if you have a 4X4 type vehicle. You can even toggle driver aids and such while driving.
Crashing.
"BeamNG.Drive" is a driving simulator while also being a great crash simulator. The crash physics can be quite insane. You could literally turn almost any vehicle into a metallic pancake considering how hard you can wreck these machines. The soft body physics were what made "Rigs of Rods" such a respected game even before "BeamNG.Drive" came along. I'll tell you this much- if you're a fan of the Burnout games, the crashes in this game are much more serious and much more realistic than in the Burnout games.Environments and Maps.
The maps can be massive in this game. This means you can do many things in one map. It can also, however, be too massive on your PC if it isn't up to snuff. If you can't take the massive and detailed maps, you may have to stick to either the "Grid, Small, Pure" map and do your driving madness there.Vehicles.
I like how you can modify some vehicles to offer different performance characteristics. The variety of automobiles are also great. Individual vehicles have multiple variations to offer different levels of driving. You can even click on parts of your vehicle with your mouse to do things like roll a car back onto its wheels after rolling over. You will be kept busy for sure. You can drive/fly using your keyboard, a gamepad, or even a steering wheel. Try a different variety of vehicles as well as different configurations of the same vehicle.I have not attempted yet to make a car in "Automation: The Real Car Company Tycoon Game" and then drive it in "BeamNG.Drive." So I can't comment on this aspect of the game. I will let you know if I do attempt this, though.
Hopefully this gives you a little perspective on BeamNG.
BeamNG.Drive - Final Thoughts
I think "BeamNG.Drive" is only going to get better once it no longer becomes Early Access or when the final Beta drops. While the game is known for its crashing, the driving dynamics are pretty good also. I still say you are better served with a proper driving sim if you want incredible physics for dedicated racing and driving games (like Assetto Corsa). Still, "BeamNG.Drive" is to be respected as an overall driving game rather than just a crashing game, though crashing your vehicles is just as appealing. This is a game you can appreciate if you are moving on from "Rigs of Rods" or if you plan on making a car from "Automation: The Car Company Tycoon Game" to play in "BeamNG.Drive." You have your options, but this game is fairly solid if your PC can handle it (even on the lowest settings).
BeamNG.Drive is trying to be your general driving simulator. What adventures will YOU take part in with this game?
Video Preview.
Here is the official video showcasing "BeamNG.Drive." Take a look:^ BeamNG.Drive: Steam Early Access Trailer
...and here is an older video of BeamNG.Drive...
^ BeamNG.Drive
For More Information...
Visit www.beamng.com to learn more about "BeamNG.Drive." The site features a free tech demo so you can play-test the game in an older build to see if your PC can handle it. Visit the site also to buy this game on Steam.I hope this post was to your liking. If so, feel free to Subscribe/Follow for the latest posts of mine! Do so for my other blogs if my content interests you equally. Your comments are always welcome. But remember- spam and other suspicious posts will not be tolerated. So think before you comment. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
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