The Drone Racing League Simulator
- November 1, 2017
- The Drone Racing League
- 26h median play time
Get on Steam"The Drone Racing League Simulator is a true-to-life drone racing game that utilizes advanced aerodynamic modeling and one-to-one physics for an authentic experience. The game includes an interactive training tutorial, replays for perfecting racing lines, and the option to connect your transmitter for added realism. Master the simulator for a chance to become a professional pilot in the Drone Racing League."
Mac OS
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Excellent training mode that helps beginners learn to control drones effectively.
- Great variety of maps and customizable drones, providing an engaging experience.
- Active community and developer support, with regular updates and improvements.
- High hardware requirements make it unplayable on standard laptops without discrete GPUs.
- Physics can feel floaty and unrealistic compared to real-life drone flying.
- Some users experience bugs and crashes, particularly with controller setup and menu navigation.
- graphics133 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising them as impressive and well-optimized for various hardware, while others criticize them as dated or lacking polish. Many users appreciate the visual quality and detail of the maps, noting that they enhance the overall experience, although some mention performance issues and subpar optimization. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good for a simulator at this price point, there are calls for improvements to keep up with modern standards.
“DRL Simulator boasts impressive graphics and sound design, creating a visually stunning and immersive world.”
“The graphics are excellent and the maps are exceptionally well done... you will spend hours just exploring one of them!”
“This game has amazing graphics that don't bore you, has realistic physics and an amazing development team.”
“A bit dated graphics, otherwise ok.”
“Outside of this, the graphics in DRL are of the worst that I have seen in anything produced in the last ten years.”
“My only complaint is that the graphics are about 10 years outdated.”
- story40 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game lacks a traditional narrative or story progression, focusing instead on a series of training missions designed to help players develop their flying skills. While some users appreciate the interactive and engaging nature of these missions, others express disappointment over the absence of a single-player campaign, achievements, or a sense of progression. Overall, the emphasis is on skill-building rather than storytelling, with many players finding the training missions effective for beginners.
“I cannot stress how good the training missions are to hone your skills and point you in the right direction to learn the skills necessary.”
“From basic training missions to get new pilots into the air to very challenging tracks with the ability to create your own in a featured map editor.”
“Imagine a racing game with no story, no progression, everything is unlocked from the beginning.”
“Why release a game without any 'single player' progress save (where it saves what missions you completed, etc), no achievements, no online racing and no leaderboards?”
“Moral of the story, you never know what life holds in store for you, and if I would have given up when all the odds were stacked against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- gameplay31 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, praised for its accessibility to both beginners and experienced players, with solid mechanics and good graphics. While many users appreciate the tutorials and the ability to learn drone flight mechanics, some note that the flight physics can feel unrealistic and the menu interface is confusing. Overall, it offers a fun and engaging experience, particularly for those new to FPV flying, though it may not fully satisfy seasoned pilots seeking a realistic simulation.
“I have 41 hours on this game and really love it; it has awesome tracks and building mechanics.”
“Great tutorials, good gameplay; I'm satisfied.”
“The physics are pretty good, although crash mechanics allow you to recover from some serious impacts. Nevertheless, this is an excellent training aid whether you want to race, freestyle, or just learn the ropes.”
“Ok so to start this game is good from a standpoint for how cheap it is but the mechanics in this game are alright because your drone feels a little too floaty.”
“I would recommend this game to the person that is interested in the hobby and just wants to fly a FPV drone without actually getting one, but if you are a current pilot looking for a simulation to practice your skills then stay away as the flying mechanics don’t feel like the real deal.”
“I'm fairly new to drone flying but the mechanics in this game are very unrealistic.”
- stability25 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and various glitches, particularly during loading and mission transitions. Many players experience issues with collision detection and buggy menus, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. While some users note that it runs well on lower-end hardware, the overall consensus is that the game is plagued by significant stability problems.
“I have been running this on an ultrabook with Intel graphics, and it runs great.”
“Good sim, recommend you try it out, especially at the current price. It runs great with low graphics on my Ryzen 2500U laptop. I fly FPV and find the sim pretty accurate, and you can change physics if you don't like some aspects. In terms of online play, I like it more than Liftoff, but it has its ups and downs.”
“Works with the radio I bought as a controller, and runs great.”
“The game freezes constantly.”
“Glitches after restart/crash, broken waypoints, bots flying through walls, long waiting times, annoying beep sounds when passing a checkpoint.”
“I have a 50/50 chance that it loads or it freezes on the loading screen and crashes.”
- optimization22 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game receives mixed reviews. While many users report smooth performance across various platforms, including lower-end PCs, some express frustration with poor optimization, particularly regarding graphics settings and control binding. Recent updates have improved performance for some, but issues remain for others, indicating a need for further refinement.
“The game runs smoothly on most platforms and helps a lot with the flight of drones.”
“There has been a performance update a while back which has made it run smoother on my potato PC.”
“The graphics are great and can be adjusted to whatever computer you have, so you will have optimal performance.”
“And don’t even get me started on the abysmal optimization – you’d think with visuals this rudimentary, they could’ve at least ensured smooth performance!”
“Performance - I have a very beefy PC, I can run full specs fine but it just doesn't feel that smooth.”
“You can only navigate the menus with a controller or keyboard, the control binding is very clunky, the graphics settings have weird effects on performance.”
- music11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, enhancing the overall experience and enjoyment for players, particularly during flying sessions. Many users appreciate the chill background tracks that complement gameplay, although some feel that the soundtrack could be improved compared to other games. Overall, the music adds a relaxing and immersive element, making it a key aspect of the gaming experience.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes to this music long enough to realize that I was going to be okay.”
“It was a good choice as I'm having even more fun, enjoying the music and the maps.”
“Amazing sim to learn how to fly. I recommend you listen to music while flying; it's the best.”
“Only complaint is that DCL has a better soundtrack.”
“It is too long for me to sit there doing nothing as the music swells and I stare at a still shot of a quadcopter and the race time counts up and some bars animate and here's a ranking and restart... oh now we have to reload the entire level?!”
“More music would be appreciated.”
- monetization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism for including unexpected microtransactions, which were not disclosed on the store page at the time of purchase. Players express frustration over the lack of transparency regarding the game's business model and request clearer communication from developers about future monetization plans, particularly whether additional microtransactions will be purely cosmetic.
“Steam includes a store page flag for games with microtransactions, and that should have been enabled instead of surprising customers with an unexpected business model.”
“I would request devs to fix their store page sidebar icons, and clarify their future plans regarding microtransactions (are more coming? Will they be limited to aesthetic only? Plans around monetization need to be super clear and should be on the store page so buyers aren't surprised.)”
“I would request devs to fix their store page sidebar icons, and clarify their future plans regarding microtransactions (are more coming? Will they be limited to aesthetic only? Plans around monetization need to be super clear and should be on the store page so buyers aren't surprised.)”
“Warning - this game includes microtransactions, despite the store page not indicating so (at least at the time of this review).”
“I don't mind free-to-play games, but I don't like when microtransactions are in a game I already bought.”
“And I *hate* being surprised with microtransactions when the store page doesn't indicate they are included.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often requiring significant time investment to improve skills. The level design and controls contribute to a lack of enjoyment, making the practice mode feel more like a chore than a fun experience. Enhanced keybind support could alleviate some of these issues, but currently, the grinding experience is seen as a major drawback.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“DRL Sim's practice mode is as tedious as it sounds, although DRL tried their best to make it as fun as possible.”
“If the game had support for keyboards with keybind settings, then this would be amazing because trying to decipher what buttons do what and mashing buttons just to try and get precise movement on an overly sensitive game is far too tedious and impossible.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the game offers strong replayability due to well-tuned controls, appealing graphics, and a diverse selection of maps. This combination enhances the overall gameplay experience, making it accessible for beginners while providing enough content to keep players engaged. In contrast, competitors are criticized for lacking similar replay value despite comparable pricing.
“The menus, graphics, and gameplay are slick, and there is a fair selection of maps, providing plenty of replay value.”
“The menus, graphics, and gameplay are slick, and there is a fair selection of maps, so there is plenty of replay value.”
“Watch DRL Sim crash and burn; now they expect people to pay the same price as other simulators that are 100% more realistic and 100% more playable content.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the DRL Simulator is highly praised for its authentic recreation of the thrilling environment found in official drone racing events, effectively immersing players in the excitement of competitive racing.
“One of the standout features of DRL Simulator is its focus on replicating the exhilarating atmosphere of the official Drone Racing League.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional response to the game is overwhelmingly negative, with users expressing frustration and disappointment due to technical issues that hinder gameplay, particularly with the interlink elite controller. This has led to a sense of dissatisfaction, contrasting sharply with their previous positive experiences with the original DRL sim.
