I don't believe Driveclub ever had openworld in mind. I think you are mixing it up with The Crew.
Driveclub only had issues with the non-existant online, and that is about it. I have no idea what the reviewers were thinking when they scored the game low because it didn't have openworld or deep car customization. I have yet to see anyone give that complaint to most other racers that follow the same style.
Driveclub is a great racer in my opinion and the gameplay is what keeps it interesting.







