I remember playing the first Driver game on the Playstation several years ago and will never forget that blasted, The President’s Run mission which rounded off the game’s story mode which saw Tanner (the game’s hero) escorting the President to safety from pursuing enemies. It was tough, very unforgiving and relied a lot on luck as cars bombarded the president’s limo from all directions. Well times have changed since then and the Driver series has seen two more games in the series which have slowly introduced more features into the game play as opposed to the bare bones driving of the original. Driv3r was released with a mixed reception and although the on foot component of the game was laughable the driving was actually pretty solid. Well it seems that the developers have taken on board some of the criticisms made towards Driv3r and have now released Driver Parallel lines which is the forth game in the series.

Driver Parallel Lines tells the story of a young driver who moves from the country to the Big Apple where he learns all the in and outs of city life as well as getting involved in petty crime. He has the potential skills to get anywhere fast within New York City’s bustling streets and has an opportunity to make it big. For the criminals of NYC, having a good wheelman is a must and so our kid (as he is referred to) gets involved with some of the bigger players in town during the late 1970’s. The fate of this character is purely down to the player as they take control of him to prove he has what it takes to make it big in the city. Well that’s the premise of the story without giving anything away, but the question remains; is Driver Parallel lines any good or does it get a puncture and end up being a rather deflated experience?

Gameplay

Like Driv3r there are two elements to the game play here which comprise of driving and then on foot sections. The driving aspect is actually pretty good for a game that has a fully recreated New York City to drive around seamlessly. There are many vehicles to steal which come in all shapes and sizes such as muscle cars, sedans, pickups 4x4’s to name but a few. All of the vehicles have different driving characteristics such as acceleration and top speed which are important to know if you are trying to escape or get somewhere fast. Players can store stolen cars in their garage to build up a decent collection without having to hunt them down each time a specific car is needed. The garage is in fact a rather cool place as it not only stores vehicles for you but can also perform upgrades, repairs and remove any heat the car has gained. What is pretty cool is if you tune up a car that you have upgraded with some nice looking decals or engine upgrades and take the car out for a spin but get into trouble (writing off) or simply drive badly; the car will still appear in your garage. However rather than being completely new for you to repeat the process, the car is actually left in disrepair which means you will need to gather funds to repair your pride and joy.

The actual driving is very much arcade as cars handle quite well at lower speeds but do tend to slide around a lot for those movie inspired corners. In fact the cars in Driver have some rather impressive brakes which allow most if not all cars to stop on a dime! Its hardly realistic but when you see how much traffic you are up against then you begin to realise that its quite handy being able to stop in an instant. With lots of obstacles placed to slow you down such as pedestrians and lamp posts, being a good driver really is a necessary requirement throughout.

Unlike other similar games Driver takes the element of driving around a living breathing city to a new level. Naturally there are cops patrolling at all times of the day and night, so the rules of the road have to be obeyed in the presence of authority. This means obeying red traffic lights, not speeding or crashing into things, running over pedestrians is not permitted and riding the pavement (sidewalk) is a no no. What is especially cool is having two wanted levels (shown by two indicators) there is one for the vehicle you are driving which means it is entirely possible to cause havoc with one car, escape the cops and find another car and carry on as normal. The other wanted level is for your character which means if you are seen committing a crime then it’s you who is wanted and not the car you are driving. Another neat touch is the fact that cops will recognise your face and become suspicious of you if you are driving in a car which has no heat on it yet your character is wanted. Linger too long in their presence (such as at traffic lights trying to look innocent) and they will catch on and begin giving chase. I noticed that cops were less likely to recognise your face when driving at night which is rather cool.

Playing Parallel Lines is pretty much identical to other similar games whereby you have the option to undertake random money earning missions such as stealing cars to order or debt collection and then the main story missions which naturally progress the game’s storyline. Players can view a map of NYC where missions are highlighted and markers can be placed for easier navigation. It’s not easy navigating NYC either, especially with all of the bridges that connect the areas together. As you can imagine there are lots of other cars getting in the way as well; and so looking at the mini map and keeping your eyes on the road is pretty tough at times. The missions themselves are what you would expect from a driving game and include the usual drive here within the time limited or smash criminal A’s car. There’s enough variety here although if you have played similar games then you will probably feel a sense of familiarity.

The on foot sections are perhaps the game’s weakest component although much improved from Driv3r’s efforts. Aiming can be a little awkward, although thanks to the inclusion of a lock on feature makes combat more fulfilling. There are plenty of weapons to use as you progress through the story and a few missions which require you being on foot. Luckily players can let rip with automatic weapons from the comfort of their vehicle which always goes down well with the cops! The most obvious flaw with the on foot portion of the game is the fact that the player character cannot jump which makes for some rather annoying game play moments when faced with low objects. Luckily Parallel Lines is more focused towards getting around by car and driving missions.

Graphics

The graphics are actually pretty good for such an expansive game world. The cars look pretty authentic and have some nice details when damaged. The buildings are varied and look the part especially with all of the billboards in Times Square and skyscrapers that litter the skyline. The general visual ambience created is good and helps make Parallel lines more believable especially the seamless day and night cycle, which although nothing new does look good. There are some noticeable graphical glitches which is to be expected for a game of this type, such as the dreaded pop in of textures and objects; however these do not hamper the game play at all. I was very impressed with the character models during the cut scenes, yes I know they are cut scenes but they were directed extremely well to bring the characters to life.

Sound

Well Parallel lines features an impressive soundtrack featuring some real artists. I’m not going to name names but you get the drift that there are some excellent driving tunes on offer. Players can mix it up and use their own soundtracks if they so choose. The general sound effects used are as you would expect from a game of this type and therefore offers nothing new or original. The voice acting is of a good standard throughout, although some performances are a little cliché.

Longevity

As with all free roaming games there are plenty of things to do when not undertaking story based missions. I think players can get lost in the hustle and bustle of NYC where there are cars to steal, money to earn and simple fun to be had antagonising cops and then escaping. I think most gamers will find plenty hours worth of entertainment here. Sadly there are no multiplayer options but that is a given considering the type of game this is.

Overall

Parallel Lines has an impressive story which is presented with some rather excellent cut scenes. Although the story isn’t the most original it is highly entertaining and adds some perspective to just simply being this character thrust into the huge play area on offer. I really enjoyed the driving aspects of the game which offer a slightly more realistic approach than other similar titles and despite being firmly fixed in the arcade category. There are some glitches which occur from time to time and in some cases can be quite annoying especially as some missions are quite unforgiving and require some nifty driving moves. Things like cars stopping in the middle of the road for no reason at all where your only option left is to smash your way through heavy traffic jams or get out on foot get annoying. One mission required me to get the cops to follow me to certain points on the map within a strict time limit. Getting the attention of the cops wasn’t hard but actually getting them to follow proved difficult when faced with some tight corners. Either way, these moments can prove highly frustrating but luckily don’t occur very often and so you are left with a pleasant experience throughout. The dreaded lamp posts from Driv3r have gone and now only stop your vehicle if it hasn’t enough momentum to actually knock them down; this makes the driving far more enjoyable than before and I’m thankful the issue was addressed.

The on foot sections are still a little ropey for my tastes although they are improved from Driv3r. I think as a whole Driver Parallel Lines is a fun game and will appeal to fans of the free roaming genre. Sure there aren’t as many options as in GTA: SA but then again Parallel Lines offers more depth to the actual driving and escaping cops. Parallel lines is a decent romp into the criminal underworld of 70’s America and when the story progresses to take you into current times, offers some neat diversity on a visual level (including a new set of cars in keeping with the time period). Overall, Driver Parallel Lines is a solid game let down only by simply being too similar to its rivals and not really offering anything innovative to the genre. A great game for driving fans.