Driver: Parallel Lines Revealed

While we can't say that we're overly optimistic about the promise of a new Driver game, new details that have emerged from an official German PS2 magazine that are worth checking out. The title is called Driver: Parallel Lines and takes a trip back in time to explore some extreme driving in New York City in the 70s. There's more traffic, better AI, and some more details, but the key point here is that the focus is once again back on the driving as well as taking all this noise online. There will be no boats and the on-foot sections have been reduced. All this is promised for a March 2006 release in Europe.

The new hero this time around is an 18-year-old go-getter with long hair who arrives in New York City in 1978, ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead. Known simply as The Kid, sometimes as T.K., this new driver is set to cut loose in an open game world with some integrated minigames. With missions set across Brooklyn, Manhattan, and The Bronx there are plenty of places to make some money and get some pull.

The game will be a little easier this time around since the gameplay won't be as linear. If a mission is difficult, then T.K. will be able to do some other events, such as race. There will be three circuit race tracks that can be visited at any time in the game. With the cash from these events, T.K. can tune it up in a garage with what is called a "diverse tuning system" to beef it up a bit. Or he can go about acquiring another of the 80 cars available in the game. Either way, he'll be able to go back into the mission with a bigger advantage and move ahead.

If T.K. wants still more distractions from the missions, then there will be some mini-games to check out as well. He will be able to stop by Central Park for a checkpoint race or enter into a destruction derby in The Bronx. The missions will still be necessary to complete the game, of course, but it's good to see that there are some driving segments to check out while exploring the city and seeing recreations of real-world places and buildings like Times Square and the Empire State Building. All this and about 40 licensed tracks from the 70s to set the mood.

After Driv3r's lukewarm reception from critics, developer Reflections Interactive will need to make some effort to improve the driving experience that it is focusing on this time. Even the developers are admitting that the out-of-car sections in Driv3r were weak and this time about 80% of the game will be inside the car. There will still be some on-foot missions and apparently the targeting system has been completely redone this time around. T.K. will also be able to shoot out of his car for some drive-by assaults.

While in the car the action is being improved by putting in more cars and making them smarter. There will be three times as much traffic this time around as well as more pedestrians walking about. And to make the driving all the trickier there is the promise of some improved A.I. to make the chases a little more hair-raising.

When the idea of fighting against the cars that are being driven by a computer gets old there will be the option of going online to play in games that support up to eight players. Sadly, there are no details about what modes this online portion will include, but more details should be emerging soon. We'll keep you updated so check back for more info.

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