Description:
Since the early days of Atari's Pole Position and Accolade's Test Drive, computer and arcade driving and racing games haven't often deviated from a basic formula. Aspiring speed racers place themselves behind the wheel of one of several real-world or fictional cars and attempt to complete a curvy track under a strenuous time limit. Recently, however, games like Interstate '76 and Midtown Madness eschewed the constraints of typical race games by adding elements like combat and realistic driving situations. GT Interactive's Driver continues to break formula with an engaging storyline, mission-based gameplay, and a special "Director Mode" to coordinate, save, and replay the most thrilling car chases. The driver plays the role of Tanner, an undercover cop posing as a getaway driver for hire. Although Driver's box features routine racing-game-like screenshots, the game instead holds over 40 missions. You're required to complete a wide variety of tasks such as escaping police pursuit, making deliveries, and chasing insubordinate employees. Gameplay takes place across four beautifully rendered cities--Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Miami--and the intuitive steering controls, permitting such required maneuvers as backward 180s and power slide turning, prevent the action from becoming cumbersome and complicated. Several addictive minigames, from hair-raising pursuits to metal-crunching collisions, are also included to increase Driver's replay value. --Doug Radcliffe
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