Tanner is back in Driver: San Francisco, but things are not the way we remember them. This time John Tanner is chasing after crime lord Charles Jericho. As the game begins, you find yourself in hot pursuit through the streets of San Francisco.
Things go sour rather quickly for Tanner while in pursuit of Jericho, as he falls victim to a tragic car accident leaving him in a coma. Things happen quickly in the beginning, acting more like a tutorial for the overall game.
There were a few changes made to Driver: San Francisco that should be addressed immediately, especially since this is not the same game we remember. Driver: San Francisco is more like the original Driver; you are stuck behind the steering wheel with no way of leaving the car. In the previous two Driver games, you could travel on foot and also engage in combat. These features did not make it into Driver: San Francisco.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing in my opinion. In previous Driver games, we did not have the Shift ability to jump from vehicle to vehicle at will. Let’s say you’re losing a race. You can quickly jump from your vehicle to the one in the opposite lane. When this happens, you can sway the race in your favor by taking out the car ahead of you, then instantly transferring back to your vehicle and continuing the race.
Driver’s Story Mode spans eight to nine chapters. After the tutorial missions, you can pick activities and events at random without any intervention from the story. D:SF has an open world concept; you can basically do whatever you want, when you want to do it. These side missions are more than just filler for when you don’t feel like playing the main story.
You have something called willpower; this is needed to progress through the main story. Each section of the story is locked from the beginning, meaning you will have to participate in the aforementioned side missions to gain enough willpower to unlock the next chapter in the story.
As will points are gained, they can be used as a form of cash to buy garages, different cars and upgrades. Accessible from the garage(s) is a challenge section where you can unlock special events like car chases, time trails and other goodies. This can be done by collecting movie tokens that are scattered throughout the game world and by completing goals and finishing events. The activities, dares, and missions are very quick and fun to play. They can range from drifting, cop chases, getaways, takeover maneuvers, and more. Like mentioned earlier, these events will give you enough will power to purchase garages, upgrades, etc.
The further you progress in the story, the more of San Francisco you can explore. Every time a new section of the map unlocks, more dare missions and events become available for you to participate in.
The story is very involving; it feels like you’re experiencing a classic cop movie even though the game takes place during modern times. Surprisingly, there is a collection of music from the 60’s and 70’s, so you can’t help but think of Starsky and Hutch as you cruise around San Francisco in your beautiful Dodge Challenger.
You can collect one hundred and forty different cars in D:SF. These vehicles range from the Nissan Skyline to the outrageous Ford Mach 1. You can even drive a garbage truck if you’re into that sort of thing.
There is a total of twenty-eight car/truck manufactures to choose from; Mclaren, Jaguar, Range Rover and RUF are just a few of them. The vehicle models are gorgeous and look absolutely stunning. Each vehicle comes complete with its own unique dash view; everything looks authentic to the vehicle model being driven.
Every car and truck handles like the real thing. When you slam on the handbrake while making a hairpin turn, you can feel the weight of the car shift as it slings across the street leaving skid marks.
The voice acting is top-notch and the same high-quality we come to expect from Ubisoft. Even the side missions have good dialog and that is not something you see very often. Normally, the main story comes first and everything else takes a backseat, but this is not the case for Driver: San Francisco.
There is over two hundred kilometers (i.e. 124 miles) of roads, alleys, and freeways that interconnect and also lead to the Golden Gate Bridge. You can drive to iconic locations that are scattered throughout the San Francisco area.
Online play is a rush; there are eleven heart-stopping game modes to choose from. When you throw the new Shift feature into the mix, you end up with some crazy competition that has plenty of action.
There’s no telling what will happen in an online match. Just when you’re in front leading the pack, someone in last place could Shift his way to victory. This is not your father’s Need for Speed; you’re dealing with new mechanics when you take D:SF online. Just remember that when you’re online, it’s about sabotaging the competition and Shifting your way to the finish line.
Driver: San Francisco will keep you busy with just about 30 hours of gameplay, especially if you decide to finish everything the game has to offer. This doesn’t include the online multiplayer events or any of the trophies you can unlock.
If you are a fan of the Driver series, Driver: San Francisco comes highly recommended.
James ‘DaRipp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: Playstation 3 (Also available for Xbox 360)
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
ESRB: M (Mature)
Price: $59.99
Driver: San Francisco’s Official Website
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| Outstanding environments and wonderful vehicle models make Driver a must-have for car fans and enthusiasts of the Driver series. | |
| Sound |  |
| Rocking music that ranges from classic to recent. The voice acting is also top-notch. | |
| Gameplay | |
| There’s plenty of action both offline and online. | |
| Overall |  |
|---|---|
| Driver has an excellent story; it will keep you captivated and immersed in the game for hours. | |
