DRIV3R - Hands On Preview

Whilst the Driver series cannot rightly claimed to have invented the racing/action genre, there is some truth that it certainly helped to push the genreâ??s popularity when the first title was released on the PSOne back in 1999.

Sadly a woeful sequel that tried to push the format too far and resulted in a shuddery framerate that quite frankly left it bordering on unplayable, ensured the series left on a dour note; however having spent a couple of years adjusting to next-generation development with the release of Stuntman, Liverpool based Reflections Interactive are back to amend the wrongs left from the last title and put the Driver series well and truly back on the map.

Following suit with the big name Hollywood actors providing voiceovers in the likes of Vice City and True Crime: Streets of LA, DRIV3R has attracted some major names to provide voice-overs in the shape of Michael Madsen, Mickey Rourke, Michelle Rodriguez and Iggy Pop â?“ from the opening credits which play against a stylish introduction sequence and chilled tunes you can tell that this is going to be a slick affair. In fact â??cinematicâ?? is perhaps the sole emphasis of DRIV3R whether itâ??s from the eclectic licensed soundtrack, to the way in which missions push you to perfection to achieve startling effects when it comes to viewing how you performed in the Film Director at the end of each mission.

Players once again resume the role of Tanner, a jaw-breaking, no-holds-barred undercover cop, who does whatever it takes to bring the bad guys down. This time around, Tanner and his long-time partner Tobias Jones must infiltrate a global car smuggling ring; setting the scope for plenty of trademark tire squealing chases, fierce on-foot fire fights and cop cars jumping 30ft in the air.

Now those hoping for yet another GTA clone are in for a surprise, despite its similarities and the overall structure of the game being close to the hugely successful series from RockStar, DRIV3R eschews open-ended gameplay in the name of tightly, scripted cinematic missions.

Much like Stuntman, DRIV3R has the intention of making the actual gameplay look so cinematic that your initial impression may be one of frustration, punishing the player continuously with â??Mission Failedâ?? until youâ??ve memorised every corner, every scripted event and where that car suddenly darts out at the end just when you thought everything is safe.

Youâ??re constantly pushed to perfect every mission as even the smallest mistakes will bring up the dreaded â??Mission Failedâ?? screen, that said thereâ??s certainly something extremely addictive about the search of a perfect mission, knowing exactly when that dumper truck is going to dart out so you can handbrake slide around it and snap back on course, just so that it draws a few gasps when you play it back through the Film Director.

It would have been very easy for this dynamic to begin to frustrate after only a short period, however thankfully from the missions weâ??ve seen so far, Reflections have created some of the most impressive and hyped weâ??ve yet to see in a game of this type.

One noteworthy mission taking place in Nice, takes â??Gone in 60 Secondsâ?? as an influence and challenges you to speed off and nick three vehicles, whilst a truck sets off from the same location to the finishing point â?“ itâ??s up to you to get to the carâ??s location, steal it and find out where the truck is to safely drive it onboard before moving onto the next vehicle. As with many of the missions youâ??ll spend your first few attempts trying to find the correct paths and discovering the hidden locations of the cars, however once everything has clicked and you realise such things as the other exit in the car park allowing you to get straight back onto the street in which the truck is, the sheer genius of the strong mission and level designs shines through and results in a very enjoyable, addictive and memorable gaming experience.

DRIV3R challenges the player to be perfect, and whilst this may come as frustrating for some, the truth is that we miss such challenges in modern videogames and also the end result can just look so startling in the replays that you get an immense reward for doing well.

Fans will be happy to know that the exaggerated physics of previous Driver titles have been enhanced significantly and make a welcoming return, so you can expect plenty of handbrake turns around the corners accompanied by clouds of smoke and screeching tyres.

DRIV3R features a huge selection of vehicles to get your hands on, ranging from an extensive selection of cars, motorbikes, boats and 18-wheelerâ??s! The physics model underneath gives a great unique sensation to each and every one; with the first time you attempt to take an 18-wheeler for a spin unlikely to be one youâ??ll quickly forget.

However itâ??s the sense of weight transfer across the widely varying terrain that provides the biggest indication of the depth and complexities featured in the DRIV3R physics model, whilst the use of a Burnout button to control over-steer and make a quick getaway from a handbrake slides adds a welcoming element of depth to the simple driving dynamics typically associated with the genre.

Despite a few glitches in the current build, driving provides a lot of entertainment whether itâ??s from actually taking on the missions or just doing your own thing. In particular the damage model on the cars is meticulously detailed and puts the likes of Vice City and True Crime to shame. As youâ??d expect from a game that calls itself Driver, the driving sections of the game are extremely enjoyable at this stage, whilst the sheer variety of missions provides a level of accomplishment not often witnessed in this genre.

Whilst the driving sections are and always will be the main attraction, the on-foot sections are sadly not up to scratch in the current build and unlikely to make any major drastic improvements unless the game is once again delayed. Whilst Driver refused to let you get outside your vehicle, Driver 2 introduced the concept of being able to steal other vehicles and walk around the city â?“ sadly without much success back on the PSOne.

Although the on-foot sections are not fundamentally flawed as with Driver 2, itâ??s fair to say that theyâ??re pretty much uninspired and rely too heavily on â??run-and-gunâ?? gameplay. Shooting is simply a case of lining up your cross hairs until they turn red and whacking the shoulder button as fast as possible, whilst the loose manual camera system makes frantic combat in tight areas a pain. The basic movements granted to Tanner such as a pathetic jump and an even more worthless roll make these scenes a lot less enjoyable then those when youâ??re in control of a few wheels; however being able to swim certainly came as a surprise when we tipped our car into the drink for the first time.

Sadistic Driver fans will also be surprised to learn that civilians no longer manage to defy death every time you speed towards them, whilst youâ??re free to take a pop at whoever you want â?“ although this will naturally send your â??Wantedâ?? meter through the roof.

From the missions that weâ??ve encountered so far in both Miami and Nice, Tanner can get his hands on a wide selection of weapons this time around including Pistols, Shotguns, Uziâ??s, and Grenade Launchers to mention but a few of those weâ??ve found thus far. To be fair some of the later gunfights provide more action and Reflections have neatly incorporated real physics to game objects, allowing you to drill a barrel with bullets and watch it go flying off into a pack of the bad guys.

As you progress through the game youâ??ll move from the heavily structured location of Miami, to the curving roads of Nice and ultimately the winding backstreets of Istanbul. Great care has been spent on each of these locations, whilst the sheer size, scope and complete lack of loading sequences gives an indication of what to expect. Much like The Getaway from SCEE the sheer rigid structure of the missions means that thereâ??s less incentive to go off and explore these fantastic location compared to the open-ended gameplay of GTA3 and Vice City, which actively promote you to explore the environments when youâ??ve had enough of the missions. It seems a shame that the developers have spent years and walked over 10,000 miles to painstakingly create these locations, when for the main youâ??re simply whizzing from one point to the other and not taking in the level of detail featured in DRIV3R.

That said, numerous mini-games make a welcoming re-appearance in DRIV3R, challenging you to take on such challenges as Survival â?“ survive as long as possible from the cops; Checkpoint Race â?“ speed to a set of checkpoints as quickly as possible; Gate Race - race through a series of cone gates; Quick Getaway â?“ speed away from a location and ditch the ensuing cops. The game contains a wide variety of these with numerous challenges per each category, whilst youâ??re free to take the challenges in each of the three locations when youâ??ve opened them up in the main game. These thankfully add a much-needed sense of fun away from the main game and allow you to explore the locations with fewer restrictions, whilst crucially upping the longevity stakes of the main game. In addition the game includes a Free Ride mode so that you can take in each of the locations at your own time, whilst the inclusion of Xbox Live! compatibility should please Xbox fans â?“ sadly we couldnâ??t get this mode to work and discover what lies in store.

Visually the game is mightily impressive, certainly the huge environments are created with an impressive level of detail, however itâ??s the lighting and shadows that help to create such a natural look. Perhaps more impressive is the organic nature of the locations, whereas other titles feel very blocked off in their structure, DRIV3R incorporates a significant number of backstreets, paths and elevation (particularly in later stages), that helps to create a more convincing environment.

As youâ??d expect itâ??s the cars that steal the show, featuring a huge number of damage points to ensure you capture every shred during those high-speed crashes along with an impressive level of detail, sublime lighting and reflection effects and quite possibly the most crunching explosions weâ??ve yet to see in a game of this type.