Review: Driver San Francisco is the Fresh Take the Series Needed All Along

After waiting patiently to proclaim it for 12 years now, I can finally admit to finishing the last mission of Driver on the original PlayStation. Titled "The President's Run," this frustratingly difficult finale was far from the quality standard of fun even in 1999. After 100+ restarts and hundreds of furiously fought, choppy car battles in the rain-soaked NYC streets I learned the powerful virtue of patience; and to never mangle (or launch) a controller as a result of a 'rage quit' -- the true path of a 1UP monk, I suppose.

While my unflinching determination could appear an act of sheer will and fortitude, it's important to point out that I'm quite fond of the Driver games despite their technical flaws. In fact, it's easy to forget that both Grand Theft Auto and Driver grew up as video game siblings: Both games tackled adult oriented subject matter, open world structures, and relied heavily on point-to-point driving missions within a year or two of each other. But while the developers making GTA seem to understand their boundaries and find safe ways to expand them, Driver comparatively felt stuck in proverbial mud by serious problems like choppy framerates, strange vehicle physics, and difficult car handling. The franchise itself hit an unforgettable low after Driv3r (the game the rest of us called Driver 3) and the series itself has felt like an afterthought ever since.

Source: http://www.1up.com/reviews?cId=3185564

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