0 Driver: Parallel Lines

Set in New York City circa 1978, Parallel Lines follows the blossoming career of a young wheelman known as The Kid (or T.K) as he takes jobs for disreputable lowlifes. Then again, T.K, himself has pretty flimsy moral fiber since players are no longer restricted to playing the charade of an undercover cop penetrating the shady world of downshifting. While players will still have plenty of chances to get out of the car and wreak havoc with various weapons, cursing around a detail, load free city will be the big draw for fans of the franchise.

One of the ways Reflections is adding realism to its digital Big Apple is through the use of incidents – short scripted events that make the ambient life in the city seem more natural. For instance, you might be barreling down the street and see police cruisers parked on the corner, but they are not there for you; the fuzz may actually be trying to talk a jumper down from a building. With dozens of these situations scattered throughout the experience, the game can offer something new each time around the block.

While the multiplayer component is a big step for Driver, the question is whether it will be enough in a genre that seems to be moving forward and pushing the envelop. Driver is in a tough spot; Parallel Lines’ new features don’t appear to be particularly ambitious, and it still needs to content with the debacle that was Driv3r. Still, if Reflection can bring the city to life through incidents, dense traffic, and integrate multiplayer, then the game has the potential to find an audience, get back in the driver’ seat, and take the series a few more miles down the road.