Driver:
Parallel Lines...IS a contender. It's not perfect,
but it definitely has its charms. by
Cole Smith
April
17, 2006 - The
comparisons of Driver: Parallel Lines to GTA are unavoidable.
This fourth installment of the Driver series is best
described as a blend of the two games. It has the
familiar Driver mechanics with a GTA-inspired gameplay.
There's still a lot of racing but there is plenty
to do outside of your vehicle as well.

As
far as variety goes, developers Reflections Interactive
have certainly delivered. I know that there are those
purists that would prefer that the series focus on
racing, since that's what the premise of the series
originally but you can't fault a company for trying
something different with a tired concept that may
have run it course. There's a lot of money to be made
courting the GTA crowd and I would be in there like
a dirty shirt myself if I had the option. The developers
went out of their way to not make Parallel Lines appear
like a GTA rip off, but once you enter into the neighborhood
you're going to have to dodge the slings and arrows.
At the same time they could have upgraded the Driver
engine as the controls and physics are too similar
to past games.
TK
is the star of the show. He's the driver. He makes
his living chauffeuring the criminal element to and
from jobs. It's New York City in the late 70s and
TK is enjoying life in the fast lane. He's got money,
babes and all the sex, drugs and rock and roll that
one man can handle. He's also in for plenty of action
with car chases, shootings and other missions. With
the soundtrack from the era including tunes from Bowie
to Blondie, the cool fashion of the era and the big
muscle cars, the essence of the Seventies is recreated
to good effect. But things change. TK is framed and
sent up the river for nearly 30 years. It's 2006 when
he finally gets released and he's really pissed. I
would be too if I went from Alice Cooper to hip hop.
Bent on revenge, TK makes it his mission to find those
responsible for his incarceration and deal them some
long-awaited justice.

There
is only big story mode in this game. Everything is
contained within. It's one huge adventure where there's
seldom a dull moment. There are some really difficult
missions, some which are all but impossible to complete
the first time through. This trial and error style
of gameplay is not my favorite but it's more of a
side dish than the main course. The developers have
a knack for mixing things up. This is evident by the
nearly 30-year time span that takes place in the game
as TK spends the best years of his life behind bars.
When he gets out things are a little different. Although
the city remains largely unchanged, the vehicles are
fast and lighter. Definitely a big change from the
bulky, heavy mastodons of the 70s. You'll notice that
the fashion also changes and depending on your age
or taste, you'll notice that the music takes a turn
for the worse.
There
are some 80 different vehicles available in this game
including cars, trucks, vans, busses, limos, motorcycles
and even tractors. All of the vehicles handle exceptionally
well. They are incredibly responsive and once you
get the hang of powersliding you'll be able to race
through the streets and turn corners at top speed.
Outrunning the cops, as in previous Driver games is
not difficult. Just outdistance them and take a few
corners and they'll forget all about you. Since the
game is free-roaming you can even take some shortcuts
through the parks. For some reason the cops get confounded
on grass. The police just don't seem to like to break
the law, even when engaged in a full-out pursuit of
a murderous thug like yourself that is obviously a
threat to the public's safety.
There
are lots of pedestrians on the streets but it's really
the traffic that you have to look out for. Pedestrians
will slow you down for a second as you either run
them over or send them flying through the air. It's
overkill to be sure and detracts from any kind of
realism established by the excellent cinematic cutscenes.
Fortunately the vehicles are responsive enough to
dodge both pedestrians and traffic at high speeds.
The motorcycle is the fastest of the vehicles and
it can be really thrilling to drive through the streets
of New York. There is a huge map of the city and while
its size is very impressive the buildings are repetitive
and the textures are very rough looking. If you're
paying attention to what you're supposed to be doing
you probably won't notice these flaws but it's my
job to point them out to you just to ruin your fun.

Stealing
cars, getting in and out of them, targeting and shooting
are all very simple commands and usually require the
use of only one button. There is an in-game training
mode that is disguised as part of the story. It will
put you in the middle of a police chase and teach
you the ropes as you go. With your weapon drawn you
can lock-on to targets and strafe at the same time
to avoid being hit. You can also freestyle it by taking
the targeting system off. By leaning out of the window
of your moving vehicle you can now shoot when you
drive. This is a great feature and adds some dimension
to the gameplay. Since missions are divided into driving
and on-foot activities, there are separate wanted
meters that will determine the level of your criminal
activity in either area. One meter will determine
the level of crimes committed with your vehicle while
the other meter is for crimes that the cops actually
see you commit. If you see that the coast is clear
you can practically do anything that you want and
get away with it. What the cops don't see won't hurt
them - or you. But if they see you they will be on
your ass - and this includes speeding. If you can't
outrun them, you can always try to switch vehicles
or run away on foot. As long as you do it out of sight
this will typically throw them off.
The
one thing that I hate about the game is that after
all the cool 70's music, we are subjected to this
present day crap that is so one-dimensional the CD
that it's released on only has one side - ba doop.
But seriously folks
The cutscenes are great.
They really tell the tale with gusto. The acting is
very good and the writing is good enough to base a
movie on. Graphically the game lacks polish. It has
a gritty cartoon look to it that is obviously influenced
by Vice City. The vehicle damage looks very cheesy,
as the cars just seem to leave part lying around instead
of displaying realistic crumpling and particle effects
at the time of impact.

Overall
the game is not in the same league as GTA. It tries
too hard to emulate the series than to find its own
original niche. It could piss off fans of both Driver
and GTA due to the unoriginal gameplay and shift in
direction but there's no reason the average gamer
can't have a ball with this game.
Features:
- Driver:
Parallel Lines is an entirely new story with over
40 diverse missions as well as on-the-fly mini-games
such as destruction derby and cops and robbers
- Pulse-pounding,
non-stop driving action with Hollywood-style car
chasing experiences
- On-line
play that supports up to eight players in numerous
play modes that span the entire city
- Highly
intuitive character control, improved physics and
an expansive arsenal of weaponry
- An
incredibly detailed photo-realistic New York City
'living world' city to explore
- Seamless
open mission structure integrated around the central
storyline with no load times what-so-ever
- Incredible
vehicle damage system with unprecedented detail
and level of destruction
- 80
drivable vehicles including cars, bikes and trucks,
each with authentic physics; features comprehensive
vehicle tuning with performance and visual customization
By
Cole Smith
CCC
Senior Writer
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