Summary
Developed by Newcastle-upon-Tyne-based Ubisoft Reflections (formerly Reflections Interactive), theDriverseries has been captivating players since the late 1990s. Debuting with the classic title, simplyDriver, for the PlayStation 1 and following the exploits of police officer John Tanner for the majority of the series, the focus is mostly on driving in open-world cities.
Driverhas unfortunately, and perhaps unfairly, lived in the shadow of Rockstar’s juggernautGrand Theft Autoseries, but there is plenty to love about these games, especially the rather revolutionary open-world environments. From some less-than-stellar mobile games to all-time classics on multiple platforms, theDrivergames are ranked here based on general popularity and influence.
10Driver: Speedboat Paradise
Is It Even ADriverGame?
Starting off with a somewhatbaffling free-to-playmobile game, which is about racing speedboats. Not only that butDriver: Speedboat Paradiseis the only game in the series not to be open-world and one of the few not to feature John Tanner as the protagonist. Instead, he is an adviser before races, as players are tasked with taking down the speedboat mafia through racing.
The game was met with disappointment by fans, partially because of the bizarre changes, but also due to featuring microtransactions, unlike otherDrivermobile games. The gameplay is not necessarily bad, just not different from any other boat racing game, and it was quietly taken down from app stores sometime in 2016.
9Driver: Renegade
A Missed Opportunity For a Comic-Style and Driving Return
A spin-off, taking place in between the events of the first two games,Driver: Renegadeis aNintendo 3DS exclusive. Over the course of twenty missions and featuring dozens of challenges, players are in control of the now ex-cop John Tanner as he seeks to fight crime from outside law enforcement.
Despite some promising signs, such as the attractive comic-style cutscenes and exciting action, the game was let down by poor voice acting, an empty New York City setting, and a short run-time of below three hours. Many of the assets were also recycled from other games, such asC.O.P. The Recruit, which itself was originally intended to be aDrivergame.
8Driver 76
New York in 1976 Looks Pretty Good for the Handheld Market
Set two years before the events ofDriver: Parallel Lines, players take control of the previously supporting character Ray inDriver 76. The story revolves around Ray and his friend Slink, as they try to take down the criminal empire of the traitorous Jimmy, who is together with the woman Ray loves, Chen Chi.
The majority of assets are reused fromParallel Lines, and the structure of the 27 missions is similar too, with driving and shooting being once again pivotal to gameplay. The comic-style cutscenes and voice acting impressed critics, but the combat really lets this game down, as well as the relatively short length of the story at under seven hours.
7Driver: Vegas
What Happens In Vegas, Stays in Mobile Vegas
A mobile game considered to be non-canon, it follows John Tanner after the events ofDriver 3, as he ventures to the city of sin to get revenge and kill Charles Jericho. While most of the twenty missions are vehicle based, there are some on-foot sections of the game for players to sink their teeth into.
Driver: Vegasremaineda mobile exclusive, largely due to the success of the mobile port ofDriver 3, and this one did relatively well itself. Reviews were mixed, mainly focusing on the slightly clunky controls which took some effort and patience to get used to, but the well-praised story is told in a succinct manner.
6Driver: L.A. Undercover
Infiltrating The Mafia With Pixels
Anothernon-canon mobile game, this time a sequel toDriver: Vegas, Tanner heads to the West Coast forDriver: L.A. Undercover. Having spent the two years between the games as a racing driver, a noticeably younger-looking Tanner goes undercover in order to infiltrate the Los Angeles Mafia.
Once again, missions mostly focus on driving and shooting, with some sections on foot. Players are able to customize their vehicles and participate in races too, which can be fun, but the same problems are found here as in the previous title. The mixture of 2D sprites with 3D backgrounds and objects had mixed results too.
The much anticipated third installment,Driver 3(often stylized asDRIV3R), was not quite what fans of the series were hoping for. Set in the three open-world cities of Miami, Nice, and Istanbul, players once again control John Tanner, now an FBI agent investigating a worldwide car-smuggling ring.
Reviewers were impressed by the graphics, sprawling cities, and driving mechanics, but once again there were serious issues with on-foot sections and performance issues. Despite the negative critical response, the game was a commercial success and spawned sequels in the subsequent years. The “Film Director Mode” was a welcome feature as always too.
There were several changes made forDriver: Parallel Lines, most notably being the absence of series regular John Tanner. Now controlling a getaway driver called TK, the game isset in New YorkCity in 1978, then later in 2006 when TK is seeking revenge, due to spending 28 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit.
Reflections felt that changes needed to be made to this game, following what they viewed as failures inDriver 3, and so more emphasis was placed on driving in missions. The soundtrack and general vibe of New York in both time periods were highly praised, but graphical issues and shooting still incurred criticism.
3Driver 2
The Wheelman Is Back in a Classic
For the first time in the series, John Tanner is able to exit the car and take control of other vehicles. Set across four expansive cities, those being: Chicago, Havana, Las Vegas, and Rio de Janeiro, which could all be freely explored in the ‘Take a Ride’ mode,Driver 2was a commercial success, much like its predecessor.
Reviews were quite polarizing, with some proclaiming it to be one of the best games ever made, while others felt that the first game was superior and no advancements had been made to justify a sequel. Missions are wholly vehicles too, with all violence taking place in cutscenes, making the game feel more like an action movie.
Taking place around six months after the events ofDriver 3, and once again taking control of series regular John Tanner,Driver: San Franciscois the fifth installment in the main series and takes place in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. It’s one of the largest maps in gaming with over 208 miles of roads and every car has a ‘boost’ feature that makes driving very fun and fast.
In an effort to be different from contemporary games on the market, exiting the vehicle is no longer possible, instead opting for “Shifting”, where players phase shift to any other vehicle on the world map. This proved to be somewhat popular, and the inclusion of licensed vehicles for the first time was praised.
An instant classic and one of the most iconic games on Sony’s first console,Driverremains the best game in the series. Inspired by car chase movies of the 1960s and 70s, and taking place in four cities (Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco), the game stars undercover cop John Tanner as he infiltrates a crime syndicate.
The revolutionary “Film Director” and “Quick Replay” modes really add to the feeling of starring in a movie, and the game proved to be a massive success both critically and commercially. The only real issue is the excessively difficult andmandatory tutorial level, but players who are able to beat it, are in for a real treat.
