CityDriver PS5 – Steering Through Chaos in This Realistic Driving Sandbox
CityDriver realistic driving simulator PS5 drops you into a 1:1 scale sandbox of Munich, offering ten unlocked vehicles and a surprisingly deep driving experience. From sports cars to transit vans, the game lets you cruise, obey traffic laws, and tackle randomized tasks at your own pace. But beneath the surface of this laid-back simulator lies a mix of technical hiccups and design quirks that make the ride bumpier than expected. Gert Lush Gaming dives into the good, the bad, and the glitchy.
CityDriver Review Pros:
- Decent graphics.
- 36.02GB download size.
- Platinum trophy.
- Driving simulator gameplay.
- Ten cars to use, each are unlocked at the beginning and have different specs and range from sports cars to transit vans.
- Gameplay settings – automatic clutch, restart engine after stalling, engine start requires brake, engine start requires correct gear, gear lever requires brake, increase the field of view with speed, show points of interest, the icon above player vehicle, show Hud, speedometer visibility, mini-map, warming element, task messages, static Crosshair, speed indicator, and pedals visibility.
- Invert axis and sensitivity sliders including dead zone tweaking.
- Tutorial menu which is optional and here you get all the basics and rules of the road.
- The manual is used for reference.
- Photo mode.
- Four driving views.
- Create session has you picking a car and selecting a start point on the map.
- Tasks will pop up as you play and you can choose when or if you do them.
- 1 to 1 scale of Munich.
- Charge stations are about for your electric car to use.
- Four driving views including in-car and overhead.
- Objectives will pop up and give an optional navigation reference.
- Objectives randomize.
- You can switch cars from the menu at any time.
- Cars have a back camera to help with reversing and parking.
- The game has all the rules of the road implemented like traffic lights, give way, speed limits, etc.
- The radio can be turned on and off and the station changed along with allowing it to work outside of the car.
- The map fills in points of interest and you can select anywhere to set a route.
- You can get in and out of the car.
- The city is a sandbox and you can do what you want.
- 33 locations to start from on the map.
- Force feedback settings – force, centering force, velocity factor, engine vibration strength, speed effect strength, skid and slip effect, and road unevenness strength.
CityDriver Review Cons:
- Cannot remap controls.
- After a violation, I get a black screen where I can press buttons hear the music, and even move but I see nothing.
- Not the fastest loading time.
- The steering doesn’t feel great, it’s very light.
- The controls are plentiful but also overwhelming and awkward.
- You cannot Invert the axis.
- No way to just look at the controls.
- The music choices are not great.
- No official car manufacturers.
- Roads will have xs on them and it’s where they are not there so you get teleported back.
- Only a handful of cars so you see the same ones over and over.
- The AI are terrible drivers and don’t react to you at all and I would argue they don’t even acknowledge you.
- The navigation markers can be broken and not show the correct way.
- A lot of stuttering, freezing, and slowing down no matter the performance setting.
- No repercussions for running a red light, hitting a car, or speeding.
- The physics is set to over the top, I’ve hit a curb and flown miles, and I’ve seen cars in front of me just jump up for no reason.
- Cars will just disappear and reappear at random.
- Hitting pedestrians give a white screen saying about it and you apologize and vow not to do it again then you respawn.
- You don’t get anything not for doing the objectives and tasks.
- Got stuck in a loop whereby I would “accidentally” hit a pedestrian and then on every respawn I would have a pedestrian on top of me and that counts so I just kept vowing not to do it again and then immediately doing it again.
- So many pop-ins happen all the time.
- Anything from curbs to a light breeze can cause your car to somersault down the road.
- Unrealistic crash mechanics.
- Any activities or tasks are pointless and serve no reason other than something to do.
- Cars start to get an annoying sound after too long.
- No car damage.
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CityDriver:
Developer: ViewApp
Publisher: Aerosoft
Store Links –
Review Update Log
- 15 September 2025 – Refreshed SEO content by updating the title, meta description, main image, and opening paragraph.
CityDriver Review
Summary
CityDriver Review – The Thrills and Highlights of Gameplay
CityDriver lets you roam a 1:1 scale sandbox version of Munich with ten unlocked vehicles ranging from sports cars to transit vans. You can pick your car, choose a start point, and dive into a driving simulator that respects the rules of the road traffic lights, speed limits, give way signs, and more. Tasks pop up randomly and can be tackled at your own pace. There’s a tutorial for road basics, a manual for reference, and plenty of driving views including in-car and overhead. You can hop in and out of vehicles, switch cars mid-session, and even use charge stations for electric models. The game includes force feedback settings, a photo mode, and a radio that works inside and outside the car. Points of interest fill in as you explore, and the map lets you set routes anywhere. It’s all about relaxed or sporty driving with authentic vehicle physics and a decent range of gameplay tweaks.
CityDriver Review – Where It Falls Short: Key Negatives
CityDriver stumbles hard in several areas. Controls can’t be remapped, and the steering feels far too light. The UI is cluttered and awkward, with no way to simply view control layouts. Axis inversion is missing, and the music selection is poor. There are no official car brands, and the limited vehicle pool means repetition sets in fast. AI drivers are oblivious, often ignoring your presence entirely. Navigation markers break, roads glitch out, and performance suffers from constant stuttering and freezing. Crash physics are wildly exaggerated curbs launch you, cars vanish and reappear, and pedestrians trigger a respawn loop with no real consequences. Objectives feel pointless, offering no rewards, and the city is riddled with pop-ins and unrealistic reactions to minor collisions. Cars emit annoying sounds over time, and there’s no damage system to speak of.
CityDriver Review – Immersive Story and Narrative Elements
CityDriver doesn’t offer a traditional story or narrative arc. Instead, it leans into open-ended driving with randomized objectives and sandbox freedom. You’re not following a plot just navigating Munich at your own pace, reacting to traffic, and optionally completing tasks. While this suits the simulator vibe, it leaves the experience feeling hollow for players seeking progression or meaningful context.
CityDriver Review – Visual and Performance Aspects
Graphically, CityDriver is decent but not standout. The city looks fine at a glance, and the 36GB install size suggests some effort went into the assets. However, frequent stutters, freezes, and pop-ins undermine the experience. Cars randomly disappear, pedestrians glitch, and the physics engine overreacts to minor events. Force feedback settings are extensive, but they can’t mask the inconsistent performance. The lack of car damage and visual consequences further dulls immersion.
CityDriver Review – Overall Verdict: Is It Worth Playing?
CityDriver has potential as a laid-back driving sandbox, especially for those who enjoy exploring realistic city layouts and fiddling with vehicle settings. But it’s bogged down by technical issues, shallow objectives, and frustrating design choices. The driving simulator concept is solid, but the execution lacks polish. If you’re after a casual cruise through Munich with minimal stakes, it might scratch that itch. Just don’t expect depth, realism, or a rewarding gameplay loop.
Back of the Box Quotes:
“Drive anywhere, do anything just don’t expect the road to behave.”
