Driver: San Francisco, released in September 2011 is one of the
more unique driving/adventure games released in the past few years. It's part
of a larger Driver series which, with one exception, follows the adventures of
Detective John Tanner, originally of the NYPD as he uses his mad driving skills
to fight crime.
Nothing stops criminals like reckless endangerment of the public in
high speed pursuits.
In the latest iteration of the Driver franchise, Tanner
finds himself in San Francisco, where his arch nemesis, Crime lord Charles
Jericho is waiting to stand trial. However, in a twist of events Jericho
escapes with some assistance from unscrupulous prisoners and guards, as well as
a femme fatale with a rocket launcher in a news chopper. This leads Tanner to
pursue in his stylish but practical car across the Bay Bridge. Eventually,
after the player maneuvers through some unwieldy commuters (who don't appear to
stop for anything, sirens or not) Jericho is nearly stopped, and the two
vehicles (Tanner's, and Jericho's annexed prison transport) are at a standstill
for the briefest of moments. Suddenly, a truck appears seemingly out of
nowhere, crashing into our would be hero.
Those of you who want
the video summary of what I just wrote, click this. The cinematic is quite
nice.
Now, this is where the game takes a turn for the
interesting. Detective Tanner, hurt, and seemingly in a coma awakens in San
Francisco once more... but not. Mysterious signs with messages like, "Do
it again," appear in the game, and Tanner begins having out of body
experiences. Soon he discovers that he has the ability to "shift" out
of his own body and into another driver. This becomes particularly useful
during high speed chases that take place throughout the game. A well placed
taxi in the path of a pursuing vehicle can end such events without too much
trouble.
\
The shift mechanic is
shown here quite decently, apologies for the language barrier... not everyone
speaks German after all.
The game, despite being favorably reviewed across the board
was largely ignored after release, a true shame given it's replayability
factor. Indeed, it offers a variety of
multiplayer modes like "Mass Chase" (one player is the getaway
vehicle, while the others pursue in police cruisers) and simple race modes as
well. Graphically it's quite decent, even if it isn't running a pretty engine
like Frostbite.
I'm looking at you
NFS: The Run.
Some of the vehicles tend to fishtail quite easily--
actually all the vehicles do, but it does add a level of challenge to an
otherwise easy driving experience. The voice acting isn't the greatest either,
though it's helped along by a few clever or at the least chuckle worthy lines
gurgled out by the cast. It's especially entertaining to shift into the vehicle
with a passenger, who scolds your driving abilities... particularly if you
crash often.
One of the more overlooked aspects of games these days in the soundtrack. Some of them like Mass Effect 3 have occasionally bombastic scores, but others aren't expected to have any sort of creative audio. Developers often resort to simple background tunes, but not Driver: San Francisco. DSF has one of the most unique game soundtracks I've seen in awhile, with a mix of funk music, rock, and alternative rock to help keep you speeding through the busy streets of San Francisco-- and enjoy it.
All around, Driver: San Francisco has all the aspects of a
entertaining game, and we at Raving Reviews recommend it heartily!
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