Relive classic car chases your way…
The Story, like most of the best cop movies of the 70’s, Driver is about tight lipped lawman Tanner, who has to go undercover as a driver for a number of criminal gangs in an effort to expose their unlawful deeds. When you begin you’ll have to pass a test before the gang deems you fit or the job as their getaway man. You meet a several shifty characters such as Rufus, who’ll have you stealing and taking down rival wheelmen for him.
Driver’s graphics were truly fantastic at the time of its release. The cars are well detailed with headlights, different roof styles and even boot clips. Brief smoke effects and skid marks appear behind the types when the car is force to make that extra effort. Occasionally you’ll see a hubcap or too fly off for you vehicle, although this does become a bit mystifying when the fifth one flies off during a particularly tight corner, but you won’t notice this unless your looking to compare the game to a driving sim. Cop cars which you will be almost constantly interacting with are modelled like the real thing and most importantly, stand out from other vehicles. Damage models are pretty simple however and never amount to more then flying, pixalated blocks grating off your machine when it’s slammed, shunted or rubbed. Though dated now they still look entertaining, more so when played on a PS2.
Sound in the game is mostly a one trick pony. None of the pedestrians speak when you attempt to run them over – Crazy taxi style. The background music is fair, but can become almost none existent when the police sirens and ramming sound effects kick in. I found it best in the ‘Take A Ride’ mode where the soundtrack takes on a mellow stereophonic beat. The games individual and core sound effects definitely deserve some props nonetheless, as they make this one of the most convincing driving experiences ever. Take the sound of the engine for instance, takes a little time to pick up when the gas is hit, it whines when put under stress. Sirens fade in or out as you get closer or further away.
All other aspects side the real heart of ‘Driver’ that makes it such a gem is undoubtedly its gameplay. Each vehicle in the game handles slightly differently, making mastering the game’s basic and advanced controls a priority if you want to complete the game’s 40 missions. The X button functions as your gas, Circle acts as a ‘burnout’ to get you quick off the mark, Square is your brake and Triangle pulls the handbrake for instant stops and 180º spins. The Advanced buttons such as ‘Hard turn’ (L1) will become more important as you progress. To give you an example the X and Triangle button combo is one you’ll find yourself constantly relying on, to swing your vehicle round corners and perform smart dodges to evade the cops. Once you do this a few times you’ll soon get the hang of it and the game’s sense of control just becomes effortless. Dodging and weaving through traffic while chasing down a rival vehicle will yield some of the game’s most iconic moments as you score spectacular takedowns into walls and on coming traffic.
The game has 4 main modes: Undercover; the main story that follows Tanner’s journey into the seedy underbelly of LA, Training; a rather complex tutorial level for the games first mission (also serve as the practice round and example gallery), Driving Games; a number of preset task such as ‘escape the cops’ or ‘ram another car till it’s totalled’ for you to complete, and Take A Ride; a free-roaming mode that gives unlimited time to spend cruising through the city of your choice. There are four cities in the game Miami, San Francisco, LA and New York (two of which are available from the start; the others have to be unlocked by carrying out missions in the Undercover mode). Strangely enough the first mission of the game turns out to be it’s biggest failing of all. With out any warning what so ever you are thrown into the driver’s seat to complete a number of insanely difficult manoeuvres in a car park. That’s practically all of the basic and advanced tricks I have alluded to earlier. And if that wasn’t enough you expected to do this with out wreaking the vehicle and in fewer than 3 minutes! This level was definitely the poorest design choice in the game, as it could stop some less experience players from even progressing to the main game. On the plus side ‘Take A Ride’ mode allows all you drive in any of the cities (you’ve unlocked) at your pace and can often make for exciting encounters with the cops.
Blocky pixels and infuriating training missions aside, Driver is an absolute joy to play. Fine, well balanced control mixed with exciting and unique car chases. A variety of game modes and missions also ensures that this package stays fresh for a long time. As well all this Driver also comes with a reasonably good movie making suite. But if your short on Memory Card space you might have to considers giving this a feature a miss as it takes you two blocks a piece, three if you count the main game. In all ‘Driver’ IS the best 3D mission-based driving game on the PlayStation. The Wheelman with the street cred’ to match!