Driv3r

Driv3r Description

It's now been five years since the last instalment in Reflections' Hollywood car chase-inspired Driver series - a time that, apart from the similarly-themed Stuntman, has been devoted to this: the much-awaited yet oft-delayed DRIV3R. Not far removed from Driver 2 - apart from a generally larger scale to the proceedings and the obvious improved visuals - the game delivers the usual addictive blend of driving-based missions and on-foot shoot-outs (this time in greater supply), all tied together by some lengthy CGI-fuelled narrative. You step into the shoes of Tanner once again, the undercover cop and master 'wheelman' who, in typical fashion, will do whatever it takes to bring the bad guys down. The story this time sees Tanner, along with longtime partner Tobias, infiltrating a global car theft ring - a task that, as you'd expect, involves plenty of car chases and firefights, as well as objectives such as tailing gangsters, chasing witnesses, stealing cars and, well, shooting lots of guns. In similar vein to GTA, the game world is both expansive and detailed, with three large cities playing host to the tyre-screeching action, including Miami, Nice and Istanbul. Within these lies over 150 miles of major highways and city streets to explore, as well as a good deal of uncharted open areas, alleys (complete with cardboard boxes, no less) dirt roads and smaller byways. As far as the actual cars are concerned, things have expanded here a little, with Tanner now able to take to the wheel (and other assorted controls) of over 50 different vehicles, including not only the standard four-wheel types, but also motorcycles, boats, police cars, vans, mopeds, muscle cars and even 18 wheelers. Each of the vehicles benefit from fairly intricate destruction models, meaning that they crumple and break realistically as you less than subtly wreck the hell out of them. As well as the main single-player experience (known as Undercover mode), DRIV3R also offers an option called Take a Ride, which allows you to select your city, time, vehicle and weather options before going for a spin at your own leisure. And as befits such a title, there's also the addition of a number of Driving Games offering a large array of painfully addictive challenges such as Quick Chase, Trailblazer, Survival, and Checkpoint Race. On the whole DRIV3R is an accomplished racer, which once again showcases Reflections' ability to do what it does well. If anything it's let down a little by the pedestrian-based missions, which suffer from awkward controls and a few annoying bugs, but the driving is what it's essentially all about and this is both a great deal of fun and very difficult to put down.

Major acting and scriptwriting talent are involved from the ground up in the creation, production and performance of DRIV3R, including Michael Madsen as Tanner, Mickey Rourke as the sinister Jericho, Michelle Rodriguez as the sexy Calita and Ving Rhames as Tanner's partner, Tobias Jones

Three gigantic and true-to-life cities, including Miami, Nice and Istanbul, with more than 30,000 buildings hand-placed and decorated for intricate detail and ultimate immersion

More than 150 miles of major highways and city streets to explore plus countless uncharted open areas, alleys, dirt roads and smaller byways

A stunning graphics engine capable of creating massive photorealistic environments - both indoor and outdoor - filled with hundreds of destructible objects to be smashed and blasted both in vehicles and on foot

Complete destruction models will allow vehicles to crumble realistically as they are bashed, smashed and driven to the limits of their design

Unmatched driving and physics engine will create the most realistic vehicle performance in any game

A deep, narrative storyline that plays like an interactive movie, recreating the attitude, action and car chase sequences of modern gangster films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Pulp Fiction; nearly an hour of CGI video will flesh out the plot with dramatic scenes of sinister crime syndicate dealings

Multiple solutions to missions will allow players to plan strategically before they move in on the crooks and choose between a full frontal assault or a more surreptitious alternative, depending on gameplay tastes

Some missions will allow players to switch characters, providing for gameplay variety

Driver's signature "Film Director" function, which records every move made in the game, will allow gamers to place cameras anywhere and direct and save their own Hollywood car chase

More than 50 controllable vehicles, including motorcycles, boats, police cars, vans, mopeds, muscle cars and fully articulated 18 wheelers

Multiple difficulty settings will create compelling gameplay challenges for all levels of gamers, from the new recruit to the hardcore Driver fan.