DRIV3R

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DRIV3R
Developer(s)	Reflections
Publisher(s)	Atari
Release date(s)	June 21, 2004 (US) June 25, 2004 (UK)
Genre(s)	Action, Shooter
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: M (Mature) for violence PEGI: 16+ CERO: Z (Ages 18 and up only)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Mobile phone
Media	DVD

DRIV3R or Driver 3, is a racing, shooting, and adventure video game. It is the third installment in the popular Driver series and was developed by Reflections Interactive and published by Atari. DRIV3R was released in North America for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox on June 21, 2004 to mixed reviews. In Europe, it was officially released on June 25, although due to the way Atari shipped the title across the continent, it made its way into independent UK retailers before the release date, even making a #6 position in the ELSPA chart for that week. On March 15, 2005, it was released on PC for US customers and a scaled down version was released for the mobile phone in June 2004. At one point a Nintendo GameCube version was planned, but it was later cancelled.

A version of DRIV3R was announced for the Nokia N-Gage; however, it appears to have been cancelled. A version for the Game Boy Advance was also released.

DRIV3R brings back features from Driver 2 and adds the ability to ride motorcycles and boats, use weapons, swim, climb ladders, and enter certain buildings among other things.

Contents 1 Story 2 Connection to Grand Theft Auto 3 Reviews and criticism 4 Realism 5 Trivia 6 Cars 7 Weapons 8 Soundtrack 9 See also 10 Notes and references 11 External links

[edit] Story

The game begins in Miami, where undercover police officer Tanner, along with partner Tobias Jones, must infiltrate a crime ring specializing in stolen vehicles. A ruthless woman named Calita, along with henchman and weapons specialist Lomaz run the gang. Tanner convinces them to give him a shot to work for them. Once he is accepted by the group, Tanner begins conducting various jobs for them, in pursuit of a total 40 stolen high performance vehicles.

After a falling-out with an important contact and local crime lord named "The Gator", the outfit moves their operations to Nice, France, and Tanner relocates as well. However, Interpol agents have their own plans to take down the crime ring and are at odds with Tanner. Tanner decides to work the job his own way, which, in several cases, leads him into direct conflict with the Interpol agents.

In Istanbul, Turkey, Tanner is now working as a rogue agent. However, Tanner and Jones are able to find a number of contacts who lead them to the crime ring and its true leader Jericho, a former hitman and minor character in Driver 2. Jericho once appeared at a warehouse while Didier Dubois was using a laptop, first stunning Tanner, who drops his gun, then confronts Tanner and shoots Dubois. A cutsecene later shows Dubois's brother Vauban tells Tanner "Dubois is in a body bag and the bullets are yours." Tanner then walks away and that ended his cooperation with the police force, forcing Tanner to escape to the nearest warehouse. A cutscene earlier in the game showed that Jericho had turned on his boss Solomon Caine and assassinated him in a hotel elevator, probably in retaliation for forming an alliance with his rival Vasquez at the end of Driver 2. Once it is evident that Tanner has found a way to stop the gang from selling the stolen vehicles, he is brought back onto the force and aids in stopping the sale. Following a car chase and violent shootout between Jericho's men and the Turkish police, Tanner faces crimelord Jericho in a final showdown. Both men are injured and the ending of the game shows one of them flatlining; however, which of the two is not specified.

There is a possible reference to which of them survive in the following game. On a wall of TK's apartment in 2006, the player can notice graffiti that reads "Tanner Lives," although this may mean he lives in memory and not as a real person, or it may just be an inside reference.

[edit] Connection to Grand Theft Auto

In DRIV3R, tanned men with waterwings on their arms and Hawaiian shirts were hidden throughout the game, as a mocking reference to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, whose characters were unable to swim. They were called Timmy Vermicellis after the playable character in Vice City, Tommy Vercetti.

Rockstar North had started the rivalry with a mission in Grand Theft Auto III called "Two Faced Tanner" in which players had to kill an undercover cop who was "useless out of his car", a reference to Driver 2's game play (they even went so far as to give the pseudo Tanner a female's walking animation). Rockstar fought back in GTA: San Andreas. There, in a mission where the player breaks into a rapper's mansion, a person can be overheard playing a video game and making fun of the way the main character walks (Tanner's walking animations were often criticized) and asking how Refractions (a play of the Driver series' developer, Reflections) could have "messed up so bad." He also says "Tanner, you suck ass!"

Somewhat ironically, Michael Madsen, the voice actor for Tanner, provided the voice of Toni Cipriani in Grand Theft Auto III, but did not provide the voice of Toni in the prequel, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

[edit] Reviews and criticism

DRIV3R was met with a poor critical reaction, with the vast majority of magazines and websites giving the game mediocre scores; IGN and GameSpot both gave the game 5.4 out of 10.^[1][2] However, two magazines published by Future Publishing (PSM2 & Xbox World 360) gave it 9/10.^{[citation needed]}

DRIV3R was criticized for Tanner's lack of hand-to-hand combat skills and meleé weapons. The game won the MegaGames.com award for Worst Game of 2005.^[3].

[edit] Realism

DRIV3R has several realistic vehicle aspects:

• The reverse gear in cars makes the characteristic whine that many games leave out
• Bullet holes appear on car bodies when shot
• Vehicles only take significant damage when the engine is hit
• Rims of blown tires screech against the curb
• Damage is modelled extremely realistically
• Headlights and tailights can be shot out
• Doors, trunklids, hoods, and windows can come off of cars after taking damage or accelerating to high speed

[edit] Trivia

• Tanner participated in GameFAQs' Character Battle in 2004; he received the worst defeat in the history of the Character Battles: 5.7%, against Solid Snake.^[4]
• Sobe is referenced several times in the game.
• The cliffhanger ending to DRIV3R can be found in the mobile phone version called Driver Vegas.
• Nokia can be found in the Nice level where the long straightaway is near the beach. A billboard displays Nokia with it's slogan "Connecting Everyone" underneath. This billboard can be broken through.

[edit] Cars

Though nameless in the game, all vehicles are modelled after the real automobiles. This is probably due to the fact that Reflections Interactive do not have the licenses to feature the makes and model names and the vehicles were modelled to look damaged when hit.

Miami:

• 1984 Ferrari 512 BB;
• 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 without front grill lights
• 1980 Ford Bronco;
• 1980 Ford E-Series van;
• 1969 Dodge Challenger;
• 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe;
• 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT Supercharged;
• 2002 Ducati 999 R;
• 1980 Harley Davidson;
• 1966 Ford GT40 MkIII;
• 1985 Ford F150 Pickup Truck;
• Go Kart;
• 1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZL-1;
• 1982 Dodge Diplomat police cruiser;
• 2000 AC Cobra;
• 1982 Ford Thunderbird coupe;

Nice:

• 1980 Fiat Panda;
• 1980 Citroën CX;
• 1981 Renault 5;
• 1978 Renault Estafette;
• 1995 Volvo Truck;
• 1992 Ford Sierra RS Sedan;
• 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition;
• 1980 Maserati Bora;
• 1978 Aston Martin Vantage;
• 1983 BMW 635 CSi;
• 1990 Rover Maestro Hatchback;
• 1994 Mercedes-Benz SL 280 Convertible;
• Hotrod;
• 1967 VW Microbus;
• 1961 Jaguar E-Type Convertible;
• 1990 Rover Maestro Hatchback Police Car;
• 1957 BMW 507;
• 1986 Hyundai Stellar Taxi;
• 1990 Forklift;
• 2003 Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa ;

Istanbul:

• 1975 Alpine A110;
• 1980 Ford F150 Truck;
• 1968 Ford Escort (European) Police Car;
• 1959 BMW 507;
• 1964 Chevy Impala Sedan;
• 1938 Mercedes-Benz W125;
• 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Coupe;
• 1936 Dusenberg Roadster;
• 1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4;
• 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe;
• 1970 Vespa scooter;
• 2001 Ducati Monster S4;

[edit] Weapons

Weapons are unnamed in the game, possibly due to Reflections Interactive not having the appropriate license. Weapons' firing range and rate vary depending on their type. When the game starts in Take A Ride mode, Tanner is only equipped with one weapon. The other weapons can be claimed by seizing weapons from police and road gangsters who have been killed, and in one of the 3 hideouts (also referred to as a safehouse) where weapons are laid down on the floor.

[edit] Soundtrack

1. C'mon And Try - Mellowdrone
2. Big Brat - Phantom Planet
3. Gimme Danger - Iggy and the Stooges
4. Bowels Of The Beast - The Raveonettes
5. Boy From The City - SLO-MO
6. Destiny - Syntax
7. Ripe For The Devil - Okuniev
8. Move Over - Teddybears STHLM
9. The 2nd Evolution/Stand Off - Narco
10. Evil Brother - Narco
11. Black Thread - Los Halos
12. Exit - Stateless
13. Zero PM - The BellRays
14. Static In The Cities - Hope of the States
15. Streets of Miami - Narco

[edit] See also

Main article: GTA Clone

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

• Official DRIV3R website
• (French) DRIV3R fan website
• DRIV3R at MobyGames
• DRIV3R at the Internet Movie Database

v • d • e Driver video games

Driver: You Are the Wheelman • Driver 2 • DRIV3R • Parallel Lines• Driver 76 • Driver Vegas