DRIV3R

It's been a long time since we had such a difficult time evaluating a game. DRIV3R, Atari's sequel to the popular PlayStation Driver series, has drawn legitimate buzz for its high fidelity recreations of cinematic car chases and thrills. We've been through the game inside and out -- at times, it's felt like a masterpiece, but at others, it's little better than the half-baked True Crime. The truth, of course, is somewhere in the middle.

The game follows Tanner, an undercover cop posing as a wheelman for organized crime. The convoluted story begins in Miami, eventually skipping town for Nice and Istanbul. The voice acting is generally great, with stars like Michael Madsen, Ving Rhames, and Michelle Rodriguez supplying the talent. CGI cutscenes live up to the quality rating, though some of the dialogue is cut from a sheet of hard-boiled standards. Still, for every dud line there's a hot piece of music to pick up the slack and provide a propulsive thrust to the next scene.

Missions are either behind the wheel or on foot, with roughly an 80/20 balance. However, some of the foot-based stuff seems to take much longer, with the first few missions being incredibly frustrating. Developer Reflections seems determined to eliminate any confusion with Grand Theft Auto right off the bat, and in doing so risk losing players early. Simply put, the first couple missions aren't fun, and we were close to snapping to judgment right there.

But let's back to the basics. In the car, players are at the mercy of physics that can be either ultra-realistic or thrillingly amped. So driving is great fun, and with mastery of the controls, it's impressively responsive. On foot, controls are based on first-person shooters. In this mode, things are stiffer, but not unworkable.

The difference between the driving and walking game engine is apparent in the graphics, too. When driving, everything is fluid and occasionally jaw-dropping. Cars come apart in hundreds of pieces, and the damage model isn't solely cosmetic. Lighting plays a huge role, and the transitions from day to night are fantastic, as are the dense shadows cast in fading light.

But on foot, things are much sketchier. The animations aren't linked together well, and Tanner enters and exits cars so slowly, it's possible to take several bullets in the process. In fact, many of Tanner's moves are too slow, and despite the arguable wisdom of using a FPS control system, we longed for a standard third-person targeting system. Taking missions very deliberately is your best bet, especially since the enemy AI isn't too bright.

Problems aside, there are a few really good uses for walking. Unless you've got a great car, it's often easier to handle pursuit by exiting the car and putting a few bullets in the other guy. Then the driving physics take over, as the guy slumps over the wheel, and the car rolls to a stop. Momentum might take the car partially up an embankment, before gravity makes it roll slowly back down. That's a nice touch, and similar incidents are frequent.

The wheel action nearly makes up for all the walking woes. After being so intimate with the workings of Vice City, it does take time to adjust to a new partner. For example, while DRIV3R features plenty of opportunities for stunt driving, they're not as immediately obvious. And when players do ferret out a great new ramp, don't expect Reflections to be as forgiving as Rockstar.

But find the good stunt areas, elude cops in an all-out chase, or rock a great shot with the instant-use thrillcam, and DRIV3R's suddenly doing things no other console game has quite nailed. And the depth of the Hollywood-style replay system is great fun for those interested in milking the showboat potential.

There are some other small things to take issue with. The overall level of difficulty is quite high, and we expect players will repeat missions many times. That can kill the momentum of the story, on which Reflections has obviously labored. A brief recap that plays after loading a save mitigates the issue somewhat, but never fully. At least all cutscenes can be skipped when you've seen them enough.

Playing DRIV3R is like trying to raise a kid that's getting great grades, but starts fights after school. The fact that it's got so much potential only makes the letdowns more disappointing. There are moments of controller-throwing frustration, but also many flashes of true craftsmanship and design excellence. DRIV3R is a game for those who love the feel of the wheel, but only if they have the patience to slog through the rough patches. Patience is definitely a virtue on these streets.