Driver San Francisco Review

Developer: Ubisoft Reflections

Publisher: Ubisoft

Let’s be honest. On paper, Driver San Francisco shouldn’t work. The premise is absolutely mad, and the last iteration displayed serious fatigue even when it was released. Making things worse, since the release of Driver 3 the genre has taken leaps and bounds in terms of progress, with only a select few driving titles making their mark. With the realities of the modern gaming market seemingly stacked against it, it is perhaps more than a little surprising that Driver San Francisco (DSF) is actually a very good game.

Our protagonist, John Tanner begins the story, six months after Driver 3 as he chases down Jericho, an escaped convict. The pursuit doesn’t go all that well for Tanner and he is involved in a serious accident, leaving him fighting for his life in a coma. Following this, the main body of the game takes place inside the mind of Tanner as he attempts to unwind the case and recapture Jericho.

DSF’s biggest new feature is the introduction of the shift mechanic. This allows Tanner to assume control of any car in the environment, adding a whole new dynamic to car chases. Opponents may be getting tailed one moment before being hit by an oncoming vehicle as the player changes location.

Shift works excellently, and is incredibly easy to use. Moving from car to car will rapidly become second nature, making other games of a similar ilk feel restrictive as they confine their players to the same car. What DSF lacks in plot and sensibility, it more than makes up for with sheer enjoyment. DSF is a perfect example of a game that developers have built purely for fun, with the other elements like setting and story coming after.

Multiplayer is easily one of the strongest aspects of the game. The shift mechanic makes for fast, tense and often manic matches that will have friends screaming at each other as they speed through the streets.

The bulk of the multiplayer is centered around the shift mechanic, (although standard race matches are available) players can work cooperatively or competitively, racing through gates as other players shift around attempting to bring you down. It truly is fantastic.

Playing through DSF, players will probably find that it is one of those games that they will pick up and put down at regular intervals, rather than one that they will ravenously tear apart, unable to put down until it’s completed, and although plenty of fun DSF is not without its problems.

Although visually impressive, the music score and colour palette lend themselves better to a seventies era than its modern day setting. DSF presented a perfect opportunity to reboot the series, and distance itself from its somewhat poor predecessor, but for some reason the developers have opted to keep the story cannon. The game doesn’t suffer from this association, but it is a worry that it will be tarnished with the same brush, ultimately reflecting in sales.

Being that it is relatively pick up and play, it is also a concern that the multiplayer may not have the legs to make it a long term success. Having only been on the shelves for a short amount of time, DSF is already showing signs of a fading player base, which is a real shame.

Enjoying though each of the game modes are, the length of the campaign will soon have the players replaying the same mechanics over and over again. This will become tiring after a while. There are a plethora of side missions available, but the repetition will mean that most players will find enough enjoyment from ignoring these and proceeding with the story mission.

As an entire package DSF is as surprising as it is brilliant. There are faults, but the fun players will have from playing the game will more than make up for these issues. Should players want to take advantage of the multiplayer, its advisable that they should do so as quickly as possible, because it seems that the player base will not be sustained long term. Those looking for plenty to sink their teeth into will certainly find that in DSF, but the repetition of games modes does become an issue after a while.

3 GOOD POINTS

• Looks fantastic.
• Multiplayer is intense.
• Cars handle like a dream.

3 BAD POINTS

• Should be set in the seventies.
• Becomes repetitive.
• Graphics online are noticeably worse than single player.