Driv3r

Reviewed by JON MINIFIE

Herald rating * * *

The Driver series was at one time regarded as the only serious rival to Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto. With car chases as the theme, it could have easily turned out dire, yet the Driver games somehow captured the spirit of films such as Vanishing Point and The French Connection, particularly with the superb cinematic replays.

The Driver series was built on hardcore driving sequences set in and around expansive concrete-jungle environments.

These remain the highlights of Driv3r. However, taking a leaf from the GTA book, players are no longer confined to the car. Tanner is now free to roam around Miami, Istanbul and the French Riviera, can commandeer vehicles (there are more than 70), boats and motorbikes, and has weapons.

Driv3r is coming out on all major platforms — I saw both the Xbox and PS2 versions. Predictably, the Xbox version is better looking, featuring impressive lighting and a smoother and less pixilated appearance.

The game features voices from Tarantino favourites, including Michael Madsen and Ving Rhames, plus there is a fairly decent soundtrack with names like Iggy Pop and Phantom Planet.

The story plays out in Undercover, which slowly unravels a lengthy series of missions. At the options menu, players can also choose to Take a Ride, which lets you jaunt about freely, although it's almost impossible to stay out of trouble for any length of time. Cops are everywhere, so if you accidentally bounce a few pedestrians off your bonnet you'll soon find yourself in a white-knuckle chase.

Old school Driver series fans will lap up this game — and Xbox Live options certainly aren't going to hurt.

PlayStation 2 fans will probably look to this as a stopgap until Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which is scheduled for release in October.

PS2/Xbox

jon@tenthplanet.co.nz