We've been hard at work over the past weeks, and today's update brings one of the biggest additions to the demo yet. From the new Driver Files progression system and Photo Mode to improved handling, new NPC encounters, visual upgrades, and dozens of fixes, there's a lot to check out.
As always, thank you for playing and supporting the game. Your feedback continues to shape Driving Rogue, so if you haven't already, come join us on Discord!
Here's everything included in this update:
Added a player profile that tracks your driving stats, including your average grade, most-driven car, and best scores.
Added Missions with progression tracking that unlock new cards as you play. This is a simplified version of the full game's system, adapted specifically for the demo. Don't forget to claim your unlocked cards and traits before using them!
Added Driver Titles, a new progression system that unlocks exclusive traits and passive bonuses. These traits stay active regardless of which car you drive, letting you customise your playstyle through gameplay progression.
Added player progression
Added experience and levelling, allowing you to progress through levels and unlock new content as you play.
You can now capture your favourite moments with a fully featured Photo Mode, complete with a variety of camera settings and effects to help you get the perfect shot of your car.
A huge thank you to ZaKoN, who first suggested this feature and helped us shape it into what it is today. We hope you'll have as much fun taking photos as we had making them!
Below, we've included some of ZaKon's amazing shots captured using the new Photo Mode!
Added Dynamic Shadows (Graphics option)
Added a new Dynamic Shadows graphics setting that brings more life to the world. When enabled, your car and NPC vehicles cast dynamic shadows that react to the surrounding lighting, making nighttime drives feel more immersive and visually rich.
Added a new High Quality Motion Blur option that delivers a stronger sense of speed while staying much sharper than the previous effect. It's designed to be a balanced middle ground for players who want the extra feeling of motion without the image becoming overly blurry.
Added NPC Racers that challenge you to score duels during your runs. Racers can show up as random encounters during Challenge Races. Beat their score and cross the finish line before they do to claim victory!
Watch out for the new Cargo Vans driving through traffic! Slipstreaming behind them will cause them to drop their cargo onto the road, so be careful not to end up directly in its path.
Updated vehicle handling and drifting
Improved the overall driving and drifting feel to make cars more responsive and natural to control. You should notice a smoother and more confident driving experience right from the start.
Updated launch behaviour
Fine-tuned launch mechanics for better responsiveness and more consistent starts.
Updated traffic AI
Improved traffic vehicle behaviour and spawning to create more natural and varied traffic flow.
Updated race balance
Daredevils no longer appear during the first stage.
Cargo Vans and oil hazards now start appearing from Stage 2.
Obstacles are now tied to race stages instead of biomes, creating a more consistent progression.
Updated the tutorial
Improved the tutorial flow to make learning the game's mechanics smoother and easier to follow.
Updated multiple road sections
Improved buildings, props, sidewalks, and the overall look of several road sections throughout the game.
Updated environment assets
Gave our Residential and Commercial biomes a visual overhaul with improved assets and rendering.
Fixed various environment issues
Fixed a variety of environment, material, and texture issues across the game.
Added new UI sound effects
Added sound effects to various UI interactions to make menus feel more responsive and polished.
Updated drifting audio
Improved drifting sound effects with better volume balancing and pitch modulation for a more dynamic driving experience.
Fixed various audio issues
Fixed a variety of sound issues affecting races, tutorials, the pause menu, and multiplayer.
Added NPC dithering effect
NPC vehicles now use a dithering effect when spawning, making pop-ins much smoother and less noticeable.
Updated visual effects
Improved vehicle, weather, and post-processing effects to further enhance the overall visual experience.