DRIV3R

"Driver Fan Says: "Enjoyable""

I will always remember the first time I played Driver. It was unlike any game I'd played previously. The graphics, then, were realistic, and the constant sense of being pursued by the police made for a thrilling experience previously unknown to me. I would always play the Miami stage, go to a particular jump, and laugh endlessly at the crazy-light physics the game employed. Then I would replay it in slow motion to my hearts' content. This was Driver 1. Sure it had its faults a-plenty, and it hasn't stood well against the test of time, but those memories will never rust.

There were many years between Driver 2 and Driver 3, or rather Driv3r. And what's up with that? Driv3r? A 3 hardly looks like an E. Maybe upside down, like on a calculator, it would make sense, but here it looks a bit out of place. I end up pronouncing it /Drive-three-er/. I guess they wanted the game to look 'cool'. But anyway, enough with the memories and nonsense, lets rip into it.

GOOD THINGS
+DRIVING IS FUN+
Well, that IS what the game is about, isn't it? According to the titl3, it sort of is. Well, I love the driving parts of the game. The physics are different for each car and they all feel and sound like real sports cars. Whether you're in Nice or Turkey or Miami, the cars all feel and look authentic, like the developers really did their research. While you're driving, you'll be pursued by the cops in classic Driver fashion, with the felony bar indicative of the fury of their pursuit, although it seems in story mode it's usually all the way up or all the way down. Also in typical Driver lore, your radar shows the cone of vision of the police cars on the road. Enter into one of these cones and they'll chase you until you lose them or destroy them. There's a real sense of accomplishment when you lose them, but usually their chase is just annoying.

+HEAR IT PURR+
Like I said before, all the cars sound just like they should, roaring and purring as you imagine they would. And that's funny, because it seems every car in the game is a nice, well-kept, expensive vehicle. I guess the game takes place in a very economically stable Miami, Nice, and Turkey. You never have to walk far to find a decent automobile to take. The soundtrack is fantastic. I'd never heard of the groups on the album, but after playing through half the game, I had to buy the CD. It's now my favorite soundtrack and one of my favorite albums of all time, and I do love my soundtracks. I seem to never get tired of the album. The only problem is that I wish they'd put all the tracks in the game on the CD. The real-time music is nowhere to be found, unfortunately. Plus, the voice acting is superb, with a lot of famous voices to enjoy.

+LOOK AT THE SHINE+
I'm usually not very critical of graphics. My favorite video game is Final Fantasy 7, so obviously it doesn't matter much to me. However, watching the cutscenes in this game blew me away. They're some of the best I've seen on the PS2, if not The Best. There are even times where I catch myself wondering if it were real footage (not often, but still). There are plenty of cutscenes to enjoy, with one shown about every other mission. These scenes, as well as the driving, will keep me replaying this game in the future.

NEGATIVES
-SHOOT ME-
Definitely the worst part of this game is the shooting In their attempt to compete with Grand Theft Auto, Driv3r threw in some guns for Tanner to use. This feature was obviously put together last-moment because it's just so bad. The game gives you a full arsenal in most stages, with everything from machine guns to grenade launchers. You'll have plenty of ammo most of the time, too. My main issue with the shooting parts is the mere simplicity of it. Place the target reticule over the enemy, press or hold the button, they're dead. There are no evasive maneuvers, no points, just shoot and kill. Some of the weapons are fun to use, like the lightning-quick machine pistol, but once you get the M16, there's no use for any of the other weapons. Often times you can kill enemies by simply shooting them from afar while they stand around and take it. That's right, no AI, just lifeless drones. The last boss is just boring, too, because he just takes so many hits without any real challenge to speak of.

-DIFFICULTY/LENGTH-
I'm not going to whine about the difficulty too much, but like its prequels, Driver 3 suffers from some uneven pacing throughout. There will be many missions, especially the chasing missions, that you'll be stuck on for an hour, simply because the enemy car is just too freaking good! I recall one of the last missions that I often throw down and give up on. There's only one checkpoint, and it takes quite awhile to get there. It's simply a manner of memorization and improving your skill, which could be what they were shooting for. After all, that's how it used to be with video games, back in the NES days, so it's not too bad. I sometimes rather enjoy the challenge, but usually it's just frustrating.

-THE ENDING-
Now, I'm not supposed to give away the ending, so I won't! However, it's worth mentioning how bad it is. It's one of the worst modern-day video game endings I've ever seen. It just kind of…ends. Really, like they forgot to finish the game. Leaving it open-ended? Rather confident of them to think they'll earn a sequel, doncha think? I believe there was another Driver game, but it totally slipped under the radar. Bottom line- give some finality to your game before you release it…

LAST WORDS
Many regard this game as something negative, and I can see why, but all-in-all, I think the good outweighs the bad. I wouldn't go out of my way to play it, but if you're a patient person or just want to see some great visuals and drive something rockin', give Driv3r a shot.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/22/08

Game Release: DRIV3R (US, 06/21/04)