Driver

"Makes the jump from PSX to GBC, with fun still intact!"

I must say I have always thought Driver in concept sounds weird, after all being a driver for a crime ring should make you a criminal, but you are a undercover cop so therefore it's ''legal''. Sounds more like an excuse to me. Driver was a huge hit on both the PC and Playstation game console, but does the magic carry over? Needless to say, the results may surprise you.

Gameplay: The formula is very simple, you drive around the streets of one of several cities and complete various tasks you were instructed to do by the crooks who hired you. These tasks range from picking up crooks, smashing enemy gangs food chains, or even dropping off stolen cars for a ''spray job''. However, it's never as easy as it sounds since the cops don't really appreciate you work all that much. They are passive at first but as your felony meter rises they get more and more aggressive. They'll even put themselves in harms way to take you out, including running you into Police barricades. Heck, they even team up to throw the book at you. Once your damage meter is filled you're done. To complicate matters further the missions are simply huge, so big in fact the game includes a map for the mission via the pause menu. Driver successfully makes the move from 3D to 2D, with insane difficulty and all. Quite simply, this is one of the most difficult GBC games you can get.

Graphics: While not terrible looking, Driver certainly looks very basic. Different vehicles stand out from each other which is surprising, so I guess that counts for something. Another nice touch is the flashing police sirens, it just goes to show the developers care for the details.

Sound: The engines noises sound very whiny, but I must give props for the police sirens. That actually sort of resemble the real thing, and cause a real sense of tension when the fuzz is closing in on you.

Control:Driver controls are well though out, and very easy to manage. A accelerates,B reverses,and the rest of the control is up to you and the d-pad. Sweet!!!

Verdict? A very well done game, but I'm afraid the high difficulty may scare some gamers away. Honestly, besides Metal Gear Solid this is the hardest GBC title I've encountered. However, if you can cope by all means get it!Hard, but a fun kind of hard.

Score:8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/30/02, Updated 07/30/02