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Driver: San Francisco - Bullitt With Butterfly Wings
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Registered User regular
This is my first-ever real OP, so please be kind. I searched (oh, how good it felt to have a working forum search!) and didn't find any previous Driver thread. If it's out there somewhere, well, my sincerest apologies.
GODDAMMIT, how do you embed videos in this? Ah, there we go.
GODDAMMIT, how do you embed videos in this? Ah, there we go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UludburL7xI
What's Driver: San Francisco?
Driver: San Francisco is an upcoming racing/action game published by Ubisoft and developed by Ubisoft Reflections. If you're not real familiar with Ubisoft Reflections, they used to be Reflections Interactive before being swallowed up by the French monolith, and are best known for...um...well, mainly for the previous games in the Driver series, of which there have been four...
Driver (1999, PC, Mac, PS1, GBC)
Driver 2 (2000, GBA)
Driv3r (2004, PC, PS2, Obox)
Driver: Parallel Lines (2006, PC, PS2, Obox, Wii).
...plus the PSP-only Driver 76 in 2007.
So what do you do in Driver: San Francisco?
Well, as can be seen the trailer linked above, the Driver series is an in-depth Bay Area limousine company management sim. You'll buy and maintain vehicles in your fleet, hire and fire chauffeurs, court wealthy clients and try to accommodate their often less-than-reasonable demands...
No, actually none of that is true. Are you actually asking what you do in a game called "Driver"?
Fine. I'll let this voiceover brotha explain in his mellifluously resonant tones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h09BeowckHkTo fill in a little extra background, the main series Driver games follow the exploits of John Tanner, an undercover cop with virtuoso skill behind the wheel of an automobile. As Tanner, players get to do getaway wheelman assignments, pursuit takedowns, courier missions, and generally be rubber-burning maniacs within large, free-roam-able city environments (D:SF will have over 200 miles of driveable road). It's basically designed to be all of the great 60's and 70's movie car chases translated into a game.
Undercover cop? So there's some sort of plot underlying all this?
Yeah, sorta. D:SF is primarily about Tanner's efforts to bring down his nemesis, the criminal madman Charles Jericho. I'll let Wikipedia explain it its soulless, legionary, common-denominator tones.
The game takes place a few months after the events of Driv3r. It is revealed that both Tanner and Jericho survived the shootout in Istanbul. In the game's trailer, it is revealed that since then, both men have recovered and Jericho has escaped to San Francisco, while Tanner has pursued him there. Jericho is shown being transported in the back of a prison truck, but manages to escape with a vial of acid hidden within his mouth. He overpowers the guards, and hijacks the truck. Tanner and Tobias witness this from Tanner's car, pursuing Jericho as he causes havoc on the streets of the city. Tanner ends up in front of Jericho in an alleyway, and gets pushed in front of a tractor trailer. A hard crash occurs, putting him into a coma. The game will take place in Tanner's coma dream.
I'm not going to go into the storylines of the previous games in the series, you can Wikipedia that too if you're really interested.
What's special about Driver: San Francisco compared to the previous Driver games?
I'm glad you asked. D:SF has several things that set it apart from the previous installments in the franchise. The first is the cars. As you might have guessed, cars are pretty important in Driver games. (If you hadn't guessed, let me tell you right now: cars are pretty important in Driver games. You're just going to have to take my word for that.) Driver: San Francisco will feature over 120 cars, and for the first time in the series, they'll be officially licensed, real-world makes and models, not fictional models or legally-distinct lookalikes. Cars like this:
And this:
And this:
Secondly, D:SF is taking the series "back to its roots" by getting rid of the sequences where you actually had to (*gasp*) get out of your car. This wrong-headed heresy was first introduced all the war back in Driver 2 and now at last is being set right. D:SF is all about the cars. I mentioned the cars, right?
Yes, you did. Anything else?
Sure! Besides deleting old gameplay features, D:SF actually introduces some new ones. It's crazy, I know! One is the ability to "shift" into different cars mid-mission, allowing you to do stuff like replace a wrecked ride, switch to a vehicle more suited to your current task, even take control of a target or enemy vehicle. And what's more, D:SF actually brings back some old, beloved(?) gameplay features which have been missing from the series for a while, such as the Film Director mode, which has now returned and comes with the ability to share your video creations online.
Is that all you can do online in Driver: San Francisco?
Not at all! D:SF is set to have a multiplayer experience that could best be described as robust. There will be a total of 10 different multiplayer game modes, including races, Tag and follow-the-leader competitions, cops-and-robbers Takedown mode, and more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsfidgWWAhk
What's the dubiously-meaningful early critical buzz?
It's looking pretty positive, especially about the multiplayer!
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/09/driver-san-francisco-preview-get-smashed-with-friends/
Ubisoft Reflections could have the surprisingly solid multiplayer experience of the year on its hands.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/driver-san-francisco-preview/
Driver: San Francisco wasn't just fun to play, it oozed technological merit.
http://www.destructoid.com/playing-tag-in-driver-san-francisco-206067.phtml
All in all, Driver: San Francisco's multiplayer was a ton of fun.
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/117/1172755p1.html
When I went in for some multiplayer, I expected the worst, but once again Driver: San Francisco proves that it can be a blast.
http://gotgame.com/2011/07/14/driver-san-francisco-hands-on-preview/
All in all Driver: San Francisco is a slick looking, all purpose driving game with tons of hours of content and replayability given the array of multiplayer and single player options.
Alright, but is the game actually going to be any good?
The hell if I know! What I do know is that it looks like it could be totally baller, so that's why I wanted to direct your attention to it.
Fair enough. When does it come out?
Driver: San Francisco will be available for PC, XBox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii on August 30. If you pre-order, you'll get two additional cars as a bonus: the '73 Chevy El Camino and 2010 Camaro:
Buying the Deluxe Edition gets you four extra single-player challenges and three extra cars to use online.
Do you have some gratuitous screenshots to throw at us to end this OP?
You know that I do!
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Abarth Fiat 695 ss Assetto Corse (1970)
Alfa Romeo 159 Ti (2009)
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (2007)
Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 (1965)
Alfa Romeo Giulietta (2010)
Alfa Romeo Mito (2009)
Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto (1966)
AMC Pacer (1980)
Aston Martin Cygnet (2011)
Aston Martin DB5 (1963)
Aston Martin DB9 Volante (2010)
Aston Martin Rapide (2010)
Aston Martin V12 Vantage (2010)
Audi A4 2.0 TFSI (2010)
Audi Q7 4.2 FSI quattro (2010)
Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro (2010)
Audi RS 6 Avant (2008)
Audi S5 Coupe (2010)
Audi Sport quattro S1 – Rally (1985)
Audi TT RS Coupe (2010)
Bentley Arnage T (2005)
Bentley Continental Supersports (2010)
Cadillac CTS-V (2010)
Cadillac DTS (2010)
Cadillac Eldorado (1959)
Cadillac Escalade (2007)
Cadillac Escalade – Cop (2007)
Cadillac XLR-V (2009)
Chevrolet Bel Air (1957)
Chevrolet Blazer (2001)
Chevrolet C10 (1965)
Chevrolet C10 – Tow-Truck (1965)
Chevrolet Camaro SS (1968)
Chevrolet Camaro SS – Jones car (2010)
Chevrolet Camaro Z28 (1986)
Chevrolet Chevelle SS (1970)
Chevrolet Corvette (1960)
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – Drift (2009)
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (2010)
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 – Cop (2010)
Chevrolet El Camino (1973)
Chevrolet Impala (2006)
Chevrolet Impala – Taxi (2006)
Chevrolet Volt (2011)
DeLorean DMC-12 (1983)
Dodge Challenger R/T – Tanners car (1970)
Dodge Challenger SRT8 (2009)
Dodge Charger R/T (1969)
Dodge Charger SRT8 (2009)
Dodge Charger SRT8 – Cop (2009)
Dodge Grand Caravan (2009)
Dodge Grand Caravan – Taxi (2009)
Dodge Monaco (1974)
Dodge Monaco – Cop (1974)
Dodge Neon (2002)
Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie (2010)
Dodge Ram SRT10 – Jerichos car (2006)
Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR (2009)
Ford Crown Victoria (1999)
Ford Crown Victoria – Cop (1999)
Ford Crown Victoria – Taxi (1999)
Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew (2010)
Ford F-350 Super Duty (2008)
Ford Gran Torino (1974)
Ford GT (2006)
Ford Mustang Convertible (2008)
Ford Mustang GT Fastback (1968)
Ford Mustang Mach 1 (1973)
Ford RS200 – Rally (1985)
Ford Shelby GT500 (2010)
Ford Taurus SHO (2010)
GMC C5500 (2008)
GMC C5500 – Ambulance (2008)
GMC Savana – News Van (2005)
GMC Sierra (1998)
GMC Sierra – Monster Truck (1998)
GMC Vandura (1983)
Hudson Hornet (1951)
Hummer H3X (2009)
Jaguar E-Type (1966)
Jaguar XFR (2010)
Jaguar XKR (2010)
Jeep Wrangler (1988)
Lamborghini Countach LP400S (1978)
Lamborghini Diablo VT (1994)
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 (2009)
Lamborghini Jalpa (1986)
Lamborghini Miura (1972)
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 (2007)
Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV (2009)
Lancia Stratos – Rally (1974)
Lincoln Town Car (2010)
Maserati GranTurismo S (2008)
McLaren F1 (1997)
McLaren MP4-12C (2011)
McLaren SLR (2008)
Nissan 370Z (2009)
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Nissan GT-R (2010)
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Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 (1970)
Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser (1972)
Pagani Zonda Cinque (2009)
Pontiac GTO The Judge (1970)
Pontiac Lemans (1971)
Pontiac Solstice GXP (2009)
Pontiac Solstice GXP – Drift (2009)
Pontiac Trans Am (1975)
Pontiac Trans Am (1977)
Pontiac Trans Am (1980)
Range Rover Sport Supercharged (2010)
Ruf CTR 3 (2010)
Ruf CTR Yellow Bird (1987)
Ruf RK Coupe (2010)
Ruf RK Spyder (2009)
Ruf Rt 12 (2010)
Shelby Cobra 427 (1966)
Shelby GT500 (1967)
Volkswagen Camper (1965)
Volkswagen Scirocco R (2009)
Volkswagen Scirocco R – Rally (2009)
Volkswagen Baja Buggy (1963)
Volkswagen Beetle (1963)
Volkswagen Beetle Convertible (2009)
Alot of the screen shots that have been posted on the major sites seem to have some sort of post-effects added. You can see a sort of "film grain" in the ones at the bottom of the OP. My guess is that they're somewhat edited (always a possibility with pre-release shots, if not an outright probability) or they were taken in the Film Director replay mode, where I would bet there may be some extra post effects available. IMO, the gameplay videos don't look quite as brown as a lot of the still screenshots do.
In any case, based on what I've seen, I would call the visuals in the game solid and serviceable, but certainly not the greatest of any recent racing game. Obviously it will be the gameplay that makes or breaks DSF, especially whether the much-ballyhooed Shift mechanic really works (particularly in multiplayer) as well as early reports indicate. For me, the city doesn't need to look great, as long as it looks good enough and you give me lots of it to drive around in, lots of cars to drive around it, and lots of stuff to do while I'm driving.
BTW, Pancake, you have my undying affection for replying, as I was starting to think my first "real" OP which I put a lot of work into (whether it shows or not! :P) would go utterly ignored.
http://gamerant.com/driver-san-francisco-collector-pack-trailer-dyce-87131/
If you pre-order the collector's pack, you get some neat feelies, including a map of San Francisco, a comic book (seemingly all the rage for collector's editions of games these days) and (and I think this is legitimately pretty cool), a model car, in addition to all the extras from the deluxe edition. The problem is that I can't find any information on whether it's even available in the US. One site I read claimed the collector pack was PAL only.
In other news, DSF is rumored to be the first title to use Ubisoft's version of "online pass" through Uplay (think Project $10): http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/rumor-driver-san-francisco-to-use-uplay-passport-for-online-p/ Not really huge news considering this seems to be the way all major publishers are going and Ubisoft said they were looking at it a long time ago, but whatevs.
In OTHER other news, it has apparently been confirmed that the Wii version of the game (on the off chance anybody here cares about such a thing) will be hitting shelves the same day as all the others at the end of next month.
I can't tell if you're joking, since the release date is in the OP and was also in the thread title until recently. :P
Hah, I'm genuinely surprised. Haven't really seen alot of it lately so it came out the blue for me.
Notice that they're going with the game initials on license plates, though. Not a huge thing, but yeah.
Ubi talk about not competing with GTA. Tbh, I like what they're saying. Driving has always been great in the series and the less time you spend out of the cars, the better.
What made Driver great was the fantastic vehicle control combined with the penalty for damage being severe. There are a million games where you drive through a city or run from the cops, but Driver was about protecting your car at all costs. In GTA you drive like a goose because if you wreck the car you just jack another one. Driver was the exact opposite, where I actually stopped for stop lights before the heat was on because I didn't want a needless car chase.
Because of this, and the great controls, car chases were intense, because one wrong move could be really, really bad news. That might not be a game for everyone, but Driver was well reviewed and well loved, and I don't think the same can be said for the later entries.
Well played, Driver... well played.
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
I also am glad that they're trying to separate themselves and narrow their focus this way. I'll be honest: I fucking hate GTA. Not because of anything about the GTA games themselves, per se, but because games that have nothing but the most superficial similarities are constantly and unfairly compared to them so it becomes impossible for those games to be appreciated on their own merits or even reasonably criticized for their actual flaws.
Did you make a game with gangsters? Better be prepared to have everybody compare it to GTA. Did you make a free-roam driving game? Better be prepared to have everybody compare it to GTA. Did you make a game where you sometimes have to run from cops? Better be prepared to have everybody compare it to GTA. And said comparisons are never even honest appraisals of what the game in question does better or worse relative to GTA, they always boil down to: "WHY AREN'T YOU GTA, DAMMIT?", regardless of whether that was remotely the designer's intent.
"Hurr durr why U not GTA with fedoras, Mafia II?"
"Hurr durr why U no let me get out of my car like in GTA, Driver: San Francisco?"
"Hurr durr why U no let me kill hookers, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit?"
As a game designer, there is simply no way to win. If you actually try to make a game like GTA, the masses will inevitably dismiss your effort as inferior to the actual GTA. If you make a game with a fundamentally different focus with any element that even remotely reminds people of GTA, they will castigate you for not just making a GTA clone. You are damned if you do and damned if you don't.
In other news, this looks pretty decent. I might have to look it up on Steam.
That's so fuckin' dumb and I love it
PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
In line with the "be true to your own game" spirit of earlier comments, I totally agree. I want more Driver. I am happy is they add things without taking away from Driver. Real cars? Cool! 70s and 2010s? Awesome. Driving a fire engine while dousing another car? I suppose. Super-powers for your cars? Um. . . no thanks. Ghosts? You're losing me here.
I hate to be all "get off my lawn" but I still love the first Driver. Maybe they've just given up on me. Still, the promise of no on-foot or shooting missions has me paying attention to the news on the game, and that is more than I've had the energy to do since Driv3r.
Hopefully this will be good though Test Drive Unlimited 2 made me realize the world needs more not super realistic in depth driving games.
I never asked for this!
If they take advantage of the coma situation further and make it anywhere near as crazy as that series I'm sold.
This. My brother and I would spend hours seeing who could get away from the cops, or who could create the biggest and/or funniest crash. Whatching those cops fly as they came over the hills were things of legend
Specifically, like the Matrix Reloaded freeway chase. Sort of.
BTW, I believe I've read there will be some missions that involve shooting, although it will still be taking place while in-vehicle. I'm guessing we're talking about leaning out the window, literally-riding-shotgun type of action here. Still no getting out of the car and walking around.
And just like that they've lost me...
Tooling around in a DeLorean is effin great and all... but yeah...
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Oh well, it's not as if I can't use my $50 back. An ignominious fate for my first-ever real OP, though.
How the Valve guys cancel it for you, there's plenty other titles out in the next few months that actually deserve the money. (Nothing Bethesda though, $60 is ridiculous and you don't want then to get any ideas about sticking with the price line).
Now crossing my fingers Steam will give me my money back. From what I've read they usually don't have a problem with refunding pre-orders as long as you make the request in advance of the release date and give them a few days.
Edit: checked the email I got and yes, it is steamworks. Also, did I really pay only £19.99? bargain of the year right there.
You misunderstand, I am hoping Skyrim is Steamworks so that I can catch some amazing deal on another site like the one GMG had on Deus Ex and not pay $60 but still have the game on Steam. Sorry I wasn't clear.