DRIV3R [PC]

The boys at Reflections have got a thing for car chases. Between their Driver series and 2002's Stuntman, it's obvious that this Newcastle, UK crew has given more than a few late-night spins to flicks like Ronin and The French Connection. It takes serious technical proficiency to capture that feel in a game, but the focus on "Hollywood realism" can sometimes make for dry gameplay, as players of Stuntman can attest. The upcoming Driv3r is aggressively addressing that balance, with state-of-the-art city models, plenty of cars, and an amazing physics model.

Hollywood-quality talent propels the return of wheelman Tanner, who's voiced by grizzled game and film veteran Michael Madsen. Ving Rhames appears as Tanner's recurring partner Tobias Jones, and the supporting cast is filled out by the likes of Michelle Rodriguez, Mickey Rourke, and Iggy Pop. The work of the cast helps bring the cutscenes to a higher level of quality, to which the series has long aspired. The adventures of Tanner and crew are explored in "undercover," a mission-based story mode.

But celebrity pipes are just the chrome finish on a powerful performance machine. The real muscle behind Driv3r is a staunch physics engine capable of handling plenty of onscreen cars, even when they're all smashing into one another. Even in its unfinished state, Driv3r feels fast, with screeching turns on two wheels, sedans that turns backflips like meth'd gymnasts, and plenty of fender-bashing crack-ups. Players will probably spend a great deal of time in the "take a ride" mode, where free exploration of the game's three cities (once unlocked) is bolstered by a handful of mini games.

In keeping with the movie-inspired premise, one of Driv3r's standout features is the thrill cam, which highlights the hot physics. At any time during play, activate the cam to grab a slow-mo vision of the action. As we explored the extensive streets, simply catching shots of careening, exploding cars was great fun. Button pressure changes the slow-mo speed, allowing for a bit of on-the-fly customization to keep the look fresh. The director mode from Driver 2 is also making a comeback, letting players meticulously place cameras to capture the action in customizable replays.

Over the course of the full mission arc, players will explore Miami, Nice, and Istanbul. Three cities may seem limited, but the total drivable distance comes to some 150 miles, all of which is festooned with 35,000 individually modeled and hand-placed buildings. These aren't cookie-cutter simple structures. Each city is the product of painstaking photographic research and design, with roughly three years poured into the creation of each. Already, the sunny streets of Miami and crooked, tiny pathways in Nice could be the best gaming roadways we've seen.

70 vehicles are featured in the game, waiting with engines idling. Not all are available in each city, though, since in real life, you won't find the same cars in Miami as in Nice. Obviously, larger American gas-guzzlers predominate in Florida's sun-drenched metropolis, while you're more likely to carjack a Euro-sized sedan or small lorry in Nice. Meanwhile, the vehicles in Istanbul are something of a timewarp, with old-school trucks and cars that could be moonlighting from a job in Happy Days.

In each burg there are also motorcycles, dump trucks, busses, and other delights. The fully articulated tractor-trailer combos are great, with cabs that can be detached from the 30-foot dumb trailer, even on the fly. Offensive drivers will be quick to take advantage of that, pulling hard turns in the cab while uncoupling the load, turning it into a deadly pavement missile. Other bonus rides include a go-kart and forklift, complete with working parts.

None of the machines are licensed, largely due to the restrictions manufacturers place on the depiction of damage. As in Grand Theft Auto, however, the inspiration for each auto is pretty obvious, and every car can be torn down to the chassis. The modeling is extensive enough that body parts like bumpers, doors, hoods, and fenders not only end up on the tarmac after a wreck, but remain to act as obstacles to other drivers. Bullet holes accurately pockmark car bodies, and tires can be shot off and blown out.

While driving is obviously the focus, many missions require a bit of footwork. The balance is tipped in favor of the auto action, with only about 20 percent of the game spent running in Tanner's kicks. Currently, this is the weakest aspect of the game, but there are still months of tuning to go. It's also difficult to determine how the missions will play out, as the enemy AI is still rough.

With all the detail that's gone into creation of the cars and cities, Driv3r looks fantastic. The depth and variety of detail in the structures that make up each city is really impressive. A realistic lighting model helps, creating shadows that behave as you'd expect -- drive through a partial shadow and you'll see the shade retain its edges along the vehicle's surface, rather than simply darken the whole car.

Reflections is already far down the road to rolling out their most impressive performance yet, and we'll have more on the progress of Driv3r as the title's June launch approaches.