Driv3r (PS2)

Publisher: Atari; developer: Reflections.

For those that have never played any of the original Driver games on the PS1 or PC then lets start by giving you a brief history lesson:

The developer of the Driver series Reflections are a Newcastle based team that mainly specialise in the 'driving game' genre. The back catalogue reads quite impressively with titles such as the original Driver (1999), Driver 2 (2000), Stuntman, the Destruction Derby series and also the classic Shadow of the Beast.

In the original Driver game you took up the role of Jack Tanner, a rough around the edges-style cop that has adorned countless Hollywood movies. Although the character of Jack Tanner wasn't entirely predominant in the original game, Reflections showed that driving games needn't be restricted to driving from point A to point B, they could also include a lead character that wouldn't be forgotten as soon as you turned off your console.

The game itself was legendary and Rockstar should be thankful that they were shown how motorcar physics could work along with great gameplay.

[image=right]http://www.alternativenation.net/photos/data/500/479Driver3.jpg[/image]
Driver 2 was more of the same except this time the graphics were ramped up and we also had the introduction of seeing Jack Tanner on foot for the first time. Thankfully the walking/running sections were limited to being very infrequent. Driver 2 is where Jack Tanner really came into his own; we had a charismatic leading male that you actually cared about. If someone mentioned the name Jack Tanner to me I would automatically know who they were talking (the same as Gordon Freeman), but if someone asked me to name the main character in GTA3 or Vice City then I'm struggling (Tommy something?).

Now lets get back to the present, Reflections announced Driver 3 - or Driv3r as it's now known - about 3 years ago. A short time after, they also announced it would be appearing on Atari (who had previously bought out the Infogrames Company). So far, so good: a new Driver game and maybe a bit more recognition for the brand seeing as it had Atari's weight behind it.

This is where it gets messy.

Driv3r sees Tanner return as the same undercover cop attempting to bust a global car theft ring. Someone somewhere has ordered forty high powered automobiles (Gone In 60 seconds?) and Tanner has taken it upon himself to stop them.

You start on foot and for a huge part of the game you continue in this manner. This is my first gripe - why, in a game called 'Driv3r', are you on foot for the vast majority of the game?

[image=left]http://www.alternativenation.net/photos/data/500/479Driver2.jpg[/image]
When you walk it looks as if your feet don't touch the ground, and when you jump it seems as if you hover in mid-air. Running sideways makes Tanner look as if his hips are dislocated and if I wanted an inverted axis I would have asked for it. When I went to school down was down and up was up!

The game takes place across 3 cities: Nice, Istanbul and Miami. I believe that Reflections have attempted to replicate the cities but having never visited any of them, I couldn't be sure.

As you'd expect, Driv3r includes some driving sections, maybe more than I give it credit for. But when you've tried to walk with Jack Tanner you'll know why I'm upset. The driving engine in the main is lifted straight from Driver 2, no bad thing at all but when San Andreas hits the stores Driv3r will be straight to platinum. Also this version seems to let you drive through walls and sometimes it seems as if you're driving through the road. The default camera angle (there are only two) doesn't seem to let you see enough on the road in the distance which makes crashes inevitable.

The graphics are good but not exhilarating for a game that's been three years in the making. The XBox version looks like a port of a bad PS2 game when it should really have the look of Burnout or Need for Speed underground.

The enemy AI is laughable, you can sit at the traffic lights and edge forward ever so slightly and all of a sudden you've got the entire Florida police force on your back. I've found that I can stand next to a criminal and pump him so full of lead that he just stands, unflinching with an expression that would make you think he didn't have a care in the World.

The police cars, even when driving about normally, are the most erratic, clumsy hunks of scrap I've ever seen. The cops will chase you for edging forward at a red light but think nothing of driving through red lights, driving across several lanes on the motorway and careering headlong into traffic.

[image=right]http://www.alternativenation.net/photos/data/500/479Driver1.jpg[/image]
Read the box and it will tell you about the glorious locations, the numerous vehicles (including car, boat and bike) and the stunning cutscenes - which I should add are really impressive - but on the whole this game is a broken, unfinished shambles. There are some nice touches, but almost all aren't essential to the game i.e. cutscenes and fancy cars.

If you're a PC owner and have bought this game then hopefully a patch will be released to iron out the glitches (or even iron out the entire game). If you're a PS2 or XBox owner then I'd be surprised if you haven't taken it back to your local games emporium.

It's not the worst game I've ever played, but when a game that came out only last Friday has so many faults and looks so dated then it upsets me.

Must try harder, Reflections: the public won't stand for another Driv3r.


Driv3r is out now on PS2 and XBox, and will follow shortly for the PC.

Links:

www.atari.com

www.atari.com/driv3r

[Andy17x]

I've heard this game was pretty cack. Driver on the PSX was good one, the second one was pretty crappy. I won't be buying it.

[Kenny Macca Doo]

I loved Driver but thought Driver 2 was a let down really. From what the review says Driv3r just seems to be a continuation of that .

[go_han]

is driver 2 a good game ???

[mysterio]

Christ, i should've realised when there were about 40 2nd hand copies in gamestation that i shouldn't have bought this. It's literally a game that needs to be redone from the ground up. Horrible!