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| | Title:
Driver Parallel Lines
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System:
Xbox
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Genre:
Racing/Driving
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Publisher:
Atari
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Developer:
Reflections Interactive
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Release:
March 21, 2006
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Online:
Yes
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ESRB:
Rating Pending (RP)
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Reflection Interactive has an enjoyable little franchise under their wing. Driver was first introduced to gamers back in the hey-day of the PSX, featuring open environments for players to drive around in, and movie-style chases. Personally, I found the cops a bit too suicidal and the city a bit too box-like. Nevertheless, Reflection followed up to the stellar hit with Driver 2, a game that I thought was much better in its design, despite the mish-mashed story and struggling frame-rate. It was inevitable, though, that Reflection redeems themselves with an apex to the franchise, by adding a third installment. Sadly, Driver 3 was met with a lot of criticism from critics and gamers alike for many different reasons.
Despite the trials and errors, though, Reflection Interactive is back at it again. Hopefully, the developers can revive the glitch infested series and bring back the movie-style fun that made Driver so fun.
The story, so far...
Driver: Parallel Lines doesn’t take any steps in any directions that we haven’t already seen. Then again, a good story isn’t always about the content, but the way the story is told. Reflection Interactive have taken Driver back to the roots of the muscle car days and unforgettable moments of the Hollywood car chases...back to the 70's.
That’s right; players will be transported back to the age of big hair, big glasses, and big cars. The story is set against the concrete jungle of New York’s Manhattan, in the year of 1978. Except, instead of being an undercover cop, players will take on the role of a wheel-man simply named “The Kid”. The young wheel-man is trying to make a name for himself in the world of syndicated crime. “The Kid” will do anything necessary to make a quick buck. This basically means that there’ll be a lot of run-ins with drugs, street crimes, shootings, and of course the dreaded boys ’n blue.
GTA style
There’ll be twists, backstabbing, struggles for power and control, etc., all tossed into the story. However, this time around Reflection Interactive has forsaken the Directors’ mode. Instead they added mini-game features within the story and have included a lot of content within the Story mode. This was done because the outline of the game itself has changed.
With the Story mode being the focal point of the game, Reflection wanted to give players more immersion in the virtual world of Driver. So they made the game mission-based in a free-roaming environment...GTA style. Moreover, after successfully completing a mission, new missions will become available via your pager (like the original GTA). The mission branching also allows players to replay a failed mission or move on to several other available missions. In this way, not every mission is essential to the progression of the plot.
Mini-games will now be a part of optional missions as well, accessible within one large world. Story missions that continue the narration of the story, side missions, and mini-games are all placed within the same free-roaming city. So GTA fans will be right at home with the layout and story setup.
New additions
With the inclusion of the mini-games being part of the Story mode, players can take part in events or tasks that test their skill and driving abilities. From contract hits, to destruction derby racing, Driver 4 gives players a lot of variety in the driving department. Players can also compete in closed circuit racing events; take on death-defying stunt tasks or see how long they can survive in a survival mini-game. These are just a few of the different ways players can earn extra cash from some mini-games available in Driver: Parallel Lines.
Less run and gun
Much of the criticism for Driver 3 came about over the mass amounts of time players spent outside of the vehicles. Well, be proud dear critics because your voices were heard. Reflection Interactive have taken heed to the request for more in-car action, and have ensured that most of the gameplay takes place in a vehicle.
The other on-foot aspects of the game have been made only to compliment the driving that takes place. Players can still get out and car-jack any ride in the vicinity and the shooting segments use a simple lock-on and fire mechanic. So hopefully, Driver fans should be satisfied in knowing that Reflection is taking the “less running and more driving” complaints seriously.
Weapons & Vehicles
The weapon selection will feature the stock and standard variety: assault rifles, pistols, and automatic weapons. However, Driver is not known for its weapons but for its cars. Now, Reflection has not only compiled 80 different usable vehicles, but made the variety of the vehicles range from the common, to the not so common. For instance, the expected muscle cars from the 70s’ era have been included alongside bulldozers, motorcycles, armored trucks, and a list of other operable motor vehicles.
Customization
Apart from the 80 different vehicles, Reflection has included an interactive customization mode for vehicles in the player’s possession. All of the customizing can be done by taking your car to a chop shop garage. While in the garage, the player can spend their hard earned cash on tricking their car out, repairing damage, or simply upgrading or refining certain aspects of the car’s stats. For instance, players have the option of customizing the paint job, physical modifications (or upgrades), and stat adjustments.
The paint job is self-explanatory, and the physical modifications are for those who want to change how their car looks with custom mods from the 70s. The stat adjustments allow players to increase or refine the speed, acceleration, brakes, etc., on a selected vehicle. Even more than that, Reflection has also added certain bonus specifications to be added to your rides, such as bullet proof plating, nitro boosts, and more. If this feature provides even half the depth that Midnight Club and NFS: U2 did, then Reflection Interactive could have a sure winner simply with the customization feature for the vehicles.
Streamlining in the Big City
Alongside the amazing (and somewhat fictional) re-depiction of Manhattan, Driver 4 is taking on new technological upgrades for the current consoles. Reflection Interactive have retained, and improved, the vast amount of vehicles and characters that can fit onto the screen at once. The developers felt that the game could run smoothly (an average 30fps) with tons of action on the screen. They also felt that the game could go without continuously loading new segments or sections of the map. With this new feature in the Driver series, players can continuously play the game in a fluid, streamlined fashion.
The game has also been refitted with better graphics and improved visuals. At certain glances the game almost looks like it was fitted for the next-generation consoles. Even more, Reflection Interactive has given Driver: Parallel Lines, a fully rotational day and night cycle. So players can watch the city fade to dusk, with street lamps and car lights flashing brightly as the sky dims. Reflection also has 80, or so, selected songs suited to that era, which will be on the Driver 4 soundtrack. This shows that the developers really went out of their way to give players a serious feeling of immersion in their re-created vision of New York in the 70s.
Multiplayer mayhem
With just about every big (and small) name game providing optional multiplayer features, it only makes sense that Driver 4 was given the option for 8 people to duke it out on-line. Players will start in a virtual world where they can select the mini-game type. Eight or more mini-games have been included, ranging from race to destruction derby racing. Once the mini-game has been selected, auto-invites are sent out to the seven other players currently in the game once a mini-game has been selected.
With the multiplayer feature, Reflection just might one-up Rockstar’s GTA series. That is assuming the developers have worked out all the kinks and the game retains a good level of interactive entertainment, and thrilling chases.
For more information regarding Driver: Parallel Lines, be sure to check back in with Xbox Core, as the game nears its March 21, 2006 release for the Xbox and PS2.
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