The Next Driver Game Is Coming Soon, Probably Not What You Expected

After soft-launching last year in New Zealand, Ubisoft is gearing up to release Driver: Speedboat Paradise, around the world. The developer has announced that the free-to-play arcade-style speedboat racing game, which trades roads for water, will launch worldwide in April for smartphones and tablets.

In Speedboat Paradise, you play a "young, reckless driver trying to make a name for yourself in the ruthless world of underground speedboat racing."

You can relate to that, can't you?

Your "quest for fame and fortune" is interrupted when you cross paths with Driver series protagonist John Tanner. As you could probably gather, Speedboat Paradise is all about escaping his pursuit by driving really fast in a speedboat and doing jumps.

Speedboat Paradise features 32 races across five modes: classic, time trial, endurance, elimination, and duel. Locations include Miami, Cancun, Venice, and the Bahamas. Some races take place during the day, while others are set in the darkness of night.

The game offers numerous boats to earn and collect, either by in-game progress or spending real-world money. In terms of graphics, Ubisoft boasts that Speedboat Paradise features "cutting-edge" visuals and a "realistic wave system."

And in keeping with the Driver theme, players will encounter a variety of seedy characters along the way, including kingpins, car thieves, drug dealers, and more. Check out some images from the game in the gallery below.

The most recent Driver game for consoles was 2011's Driver: San Francisco. No new entries in the core series have been announced.

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