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The Driver series has been around since 1999 when it debuted on the PSOne system. It was an innovative series that displayed realistic car damage while you wreaked havoc on the city streets. Driver 2 allowed the gamer to get out of the car and roam about on foot. This was done before Grand Theft Auto hit the PS2 and is debatable whether or not Rockstar borrowed some of the innovation from the sequel. Four years later, the team at Reflections has finally followed up and has brought the series not only to the PlayStation 2, but to the Xbox as well. The similarities between this new Driver title and the now famed GTA series are very close indeed. It wouldn't be right to call Driv3r a clone, as in this reviewer's opinion, the team at reflections came up with the idea first. The GTA series just followed up and retooled it to perfection. The big question on everyone's mind is whether or not Driv3r steps up the innovation, or if it just falls short of their rivals. Driv3r was promising, it just hit some serious glitches and snags along the way.

In Driv3r you are Tanner, an undercover cop with an authority problem, on a case to overthrow a gang of Miami car thieves who are attempting to ship 40 of the worlds most expensive cars to an overseas buyer. The goal is to do it clean and by the book, but in Tanner's mind it's any means necessary. The story is very well done with some nice in game cut scenes that move the story along. You even have a "previously on Driver" prologue when returning to your saved game that shows bits of the cut scenes to catch you up on the story's progress. This is a very nice touch that I hope gets mimicked in the future for this type of game.

Visually Driv3r is very scenic, with gorgeous car models that show accurate and brutal car damage. It's this type of damage that sets it apart from most other racing/action games, as the detail and level of destruction is unmatched. The environments are richly detailed and show the nicer side of the city of Miami, and the beauty that it is mostly known for. Istanbul is what you would expect from a European city. Beautiful, yes, but not very detailed as the buildings are older built and are renowned for their aged look. The player models on the other hand aren't so well done. Everyone has a low polygon count and is poorly animated. This is especially notable in the replays. Speaking of which, it's this replay system that has been in the series since the beginning, and I'm happy to see it return. Have you ever hated in a GTA type title, when you pull off a really cool stunt or had a seriously sick display of destruction, only to not have been able to re-witness it again? Driv3r allows you not only to relive your mission and the mayhem you bent on the world, but you can even direct your own replay with a camera editor. This is easily one of Driver's best assets and if it wasn't for this feature, the game would have been almost forgettable. All in all the graphics in Driver are hit and miss, but for the most part look very nice.

Gameplay is where Driv3r really falls short. The controls are a bit fidgety and on the loose side. This is especially noticeable on foot, as it just plays so awkwardly. No matter what control scheme you choose, it just never feels comfortable. The game play in the car is actually very solid, allowing for a great sense of speed and destruction in your pathway. It's obvious what the development team spent most of their time working on. The biggest issues come about when you encounter many of the game's glitches. Whether it's a cop car landing on your head, yet still you are driving on your motorcycle, or the completely dumb A.I. that allows cops to drive into the water to chase you on your speedboat, the game just feels rushed and unfinished, let alone tested to any great lengths. The A.I. continues to be an issue when you make your way to the streets on foot, as the enemies take no liberty in covering up from oncoming gunfire. They'll mainly just stand in front of you and shoot as if you were in a high noon western shootout. Oddly the A.I. becomes unbalanced on the streets in a vehicle as no matter what you are driving, the cops are faster than you and will catch you without question. Thankfully there are at least no major glitches that hang up the game or lock it up. There are plenty of even more hilarious glitches in the game, but this review would go on and on if I mentioned everything I've encountered thus far.

Driv3r from start to finish is around twelve hours at best, but there are plenty of side quests, free roaming, and mini games that will add to the game's replay value. The game is actually very fun to play, and with the well done story script, will have you playing to the end. Unless you play the Take a Ride mode, you won't have time in the game to just go insane on the city, as the story mode is extremely linear. Once you beat the game though, you can always free ride, destroy everything, watch it back on replay, and that never gets old. Driv3r is a decent buy for 50 bucks, especially if you can't wait till October for the next installment of GTA. It provides a fine story, great audio, and if it wasn't for some game play problems and glitches, would have been an extremely solid title. As is, it just feels unpolished and rushed out for quick sales. That is a shame as it is sure to put a dent in the identity of the series that was once know for being a great series.