’90s arcade spirit meets modern rally — an interview with #DRIVE Rally’s Dariusz Pietrala
Set against the nostalgic backdrop of the golden racing era of the 90s, #DRIVE Rally isn’t just another entry in the racing scene. Developed and published by Pixel Perfect Dude, it aims to recapture the unadulterated fun of ’90s arcade driving while layering in modern systems — co-drivers with personality, varied stages, and deep customization — since its September 25, 2024, release.
In this exclusive Q&A, Creative Director Dariusz Pietrala talks retro inspirations, stage design, co-drivers, wheels/pedals support, and how a five-person team keeps the game humming.
Gameplay Video
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Retro Revival and Inspiration
Q: What specific elements from the ’90s racing scene influenced #DRIVE Rally most significantly? How did you ensure these elements resonated with both retro enthusiasts and new players?
Check out the #DRIVE Rally 1.0 launch article here.
“I think that the thing that influenced the game the most is the fun factor. Racing games in the 90s were definitely more fun in terms of driving. We’ve spent a lot of time polishing the driving as much as possible to make it easy to pick up but also challenging. That should make the game fun in the long run.”
Designing Diverse Landscapes
Q: The game features a variety of racing environments, from Dry Crumbs to Revontuli. Could you share the creative process behind these distinct settings? What challenges did you face in bringing such diverse landscapes to life?
“The main challenge is to make it believable and fun at the same time. So what we do first is we check in real life locations. Then we watch some movies, and then some cartoons. And if we get enough references, we try to mix it up to make it look like nothing you’ve seen in racing games before.”
Gameplay Snapshot
The game employs classic arcade driving mechanics that are easy to pick up for beginners but challenging enough to keep seasoned players engaged. Multiplayer co-op lets friends hop in as co-drivers. With 30+ unlockable skins, players can tailor their cars for personality as well as performance.
Legendary Cars and Customization
Q: What goes into selecting and designing cars that fit the game’s ’90s theme? How do customization options enhance the player’s connection to their vehicle?
“When designing cars we always look at the trends from a certain period of time. And then we mix it up. So you’ll get cars that look max 90s. In #DRIVE Rally, on top of that, we’re adding visual customization which can change the car’s looks even more. And players will be able to pick some parts that they wouldn’t even think would fit the car at first.”
Dynamic Co-Driver System
Q: Can you elaborate on how the co-driver system was developed? What makes your co-drivers more than just navigational aids?
“It’s definitely more than navigational aids because it alters the standard pacenote system that you get in other games. So the mood of the co-driver depends on how you drive and that makes each run different. A small addition to the fun factor.”
#DRIVE Arcade Mechanics
Q: Your game combines accessibility with depth in its driving mechanics. How did you balance these elements to cater to both beginners and racing veterans?
“I guess we’re gonna see how it worked out, but we tried to make the driving easy to learn. It should feel arcadey, so the car should react to every input. In terms of something for pros we’ve made the stages a bit more challenging than in usual arcade racers. So even if you learn how to drive fast you’ll have to learn all the tracks to beat some better opponents.”
Performance Optimization
Q: How do you optimize #DRIVE Rally for various hardware specs to keep performance smooth?
“We always try to optimize early. We started #DRIVE on mobile so it wasn’t that hard to be honest. We were using low poly from the beginning and then added some simple shaders and a few tweaks to the lighting. We’ve also played the game early on a mobile device just to see if it could run there.”
Community Engagement
Q: How does the #DRIVE community on Discord enhance the experience? Any community-driven cars or features so far?
“Our Drivers from Discord always have some great ideas when it comes to cars. One of the cars is actually designed by one of the oldest moderators of the server, Sideways. In terms of features, we’re going to start doing that when we launch Early Access, so everybody should feel invited to help us make something awesome.”
Racing Accessories (Wheels & Pedals)
Q: How do you approach compatibility and mapping for external accessories like steering wheels and pedals?
“We’re a super small team, so we’ve used a tool for that. And we only tested on a handful of steering wheels. So at the moment we’re sure it should work with most popular devices and if not you should be able to map anything really in the game’s options menu.”
Meet the Team
Q: Who’s building #DRIVE Rally?
“The team is only 5 but we’ve been creating this world for a few years now. At the moment I would say there are 2 devs (Paweł and myself), and 3 artists (Damian, Łukasz and Magda). But everyone wears a lot of hats, really, mainly because we’re also publishing the game and doing the marketing in-house.”
Q: Anything else for fans to look forward to?
“We’ve got a lot of things planned for Early Access, also a lot of ideas. But we’ll need a lot of help from the community, so join our Discord server and help us make one of the best rally racing games out there.”
Closing Thoughts
With its co-driver mood system, varied locations, and customization, #DRIVE Rally blends nostalgia with fresh ideas — built by a five-person crew and shaped by an active community. If you’re into the spirit of ’90s racers with modern twists, this one’s worth your grid slot.
Want more on Pixel Perfect Dude’s throwback racer? Don’t miss our earlier feature:
DRIVE Rally Unveils New Retro Racing Trailer
Written by Ronny Fiksdahl, Founder & Editor of Fix Gaming Channel.
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