Played on PC, with the fan-made "Definitive Edition" mods pack installed.
You know what, this is way better than I thought it would be. Sure, it doesn't compare all that well to the GTAs of the time (especially San Andreas that was released in the same year), but I think the different ways this game approaches similar concepts makes it at least just as interesting to play and/or think about, even if it often feels half baked or not fully polished.
Let's get this out of the way first: the story sucks. It's plot driven but the plot is not worth thinking about. There's no good characters to latch on to either. At least the cutscenes are mostly short and decently directed.
The biggest addition to the series' formula is that there's a lot of on-foot combat gameplay, which I am sure was in response to GTA. Honestly, these are only slightly worse than GTA's combat back then. There's the same awkward feeling in the shootouts, especially with maneuvering around cover, since the enemies can quickly end you if you just stand still in the open. But most of the shootouts are decently designed, with checkpoints to help minimize the frustration. Still, these are the least interesting part of the gameplay.
On the other hand, I think the driving handling and physics holds up real well. Each of the different car's characteristics are communicated quite well, and most of the chases that they designed are pretty fun. The handling feels weighty, but responsive. Sometimes the physics can respond in a way that you might not expect, and that can be slightly annoying, especially in some of the missions later on, where the tolerance of error is so small. But in my experience, it usually only adds a bit more tension and chaos in the moment, and it didn't make me fail the mission. Compared to the on-foot combat sections, the driving sections are usually much more exciting and varied as well. One of the best missions is about rushing across the map to steal three cars, and then quickly storing them in a big truck that is continuously driving across the map.
My favorite part of the game is having three entirely distinct cities to explore. Despite having not much to do, each of them have their own vibes which is portrayed well enough through the art direction. I think it speaks volumes to the quality of their vision, when I was just awestruck by how beautiful the cityscape looks at certain times (especially at dawn and dusk), even with the game's suboptimal technical aspects, like the horrendous object draw distance. It has stronger cinematic look and feel than pretty much everything else in the genre, except the newer GTAs. I was reminded of films like Paris, Texas and Heat. Also, it's cool as heck that most of the game is in non US cities! Being in Nice and Istanbul felt like a gust of fresh air.
Lastly, the soundtrack of this game fucking rules. I'm especially impressed by the percussions, they feel so eclectic and energetic. I would recommend everyone to check the soundtrack out, especially if you're a fan of old crime action movies.
I can't say that Driv3r stands out all that much in the genre, but there's clear signs of the developers trying to do just that. Ultimately, a handful amount of issues and jank hold the game back, and yet every once in a while, there are glimmers of the beautiful heights this game can reach.
You know what, this is way better than I thought it would be. Sure, it doesn't compare all that well to the GTAs of the time (especially San Andreas that was released in the same year), but I think the different ways this game approaches similar concepts makes it at least just as interesting to play and/or think about, even if it often feels half baked or not fully polished.
Let's get this out of the way first: the story sucks. It's plot driven but the plot is not worth thinking about. There's no good characters to latch on to either. At least the cutscenes are mostly short and decently directed.
The biggest addition to the series' formula is that there's a lot of on-foot combat gameplay, which I am sure was in response to GTA. Honestly, these are only slightly worse than GTA's combat back then. There's the same awkward feeling in the shootouts, especially with maneuvering around cover, since the enemies can quickly end you if you just stand still in the open. But most of the shootouts are decently designed, with checkpoints to help minimize the frustration. Still, these are the least interesting part of the gameplay.
On the other hand, I think the driving handling and physics holds up real well. Each of the different car's characteristics are communicated quite well, and most of the chases that they designed are pretty fun. The handling feels weighty, but responsive. Sometimes the physics can respond in a way that you might not expect, and that can be slightly annoying, especially in some of the missions later on, where the tolerance of error is so small. But in my experience, it usually only adds a bit more tension and chaos in the moment, and it didn't make me fail the mission. Compared to the on-foot combat sections, the driving sections are usually much more exciting and varied as well. One of the best missions is about rushing across the map to steal three cars, and then quickly storing them in a big truck that is continuously driving across the map.
My favorite part of the game is having three entirely distinct cities to explore. Despite having not much to do, each of them have their own vibes which is portrayed well enough through the art direction. I think it speaks volumes to the quality of their vision, when I was just awestruck by how beautiful the cityscape looks at certain times (especially at dawn and dusk), even with the game's suboptimal technical aspects, like the horrendous object draw distance. It has stronger cinematic look and feel than pretty much everything else in the genre, except the newer GTAs. I was reminded of films like Paris, Texas and Heat. Also, it's cool as heck that most of the game is in non US cities! Being in Nice and Istanbul felt like a gust of fresh air.
Lastly, the soundtrack of this game fucking rules. I'm especially impressed by the percussions, they feel so eclectic and energetic. I would recommend everyone to check the soundtrack out, especially if you're a fan of old crime action movies.
I can't say that Driv3r stands out all that much in the genre, but there's clear signs of the developers trying to do just that. Ultimately, a handful amount of issues and jank hold the game back, and yet every once in a while, there are glimmers of the beautiful heights this game can reach.