Jump to content

Driver 3: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Removing link(s) to "GameZone": Unlinking from deleted article(deleted because of AfD). (TW)
No edit summary
Tags: references removed Visual edit
Line 92: Line 92:
After an extensive and intensive promotional campaign, ''Driver 3'' received "mixed" reviews on all platforms except the PC version, which received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to video game [[review aggregator]] [[Metacritic]].<ref name=MCGBA/><ref name=MCPC/><ref name=MCPS2/><ref name=MCXB/>
After an extensive and intensive promotional campaign, ''Driver 3'' received "mixed" reviews on all platforms except the PC version, which received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to video game [[review aggregator]] [[Metacritic]].<ref name=MCGBA/><ref name=MCPC/><ref name=MCPS2/><ref name=MCXB/>


''[[The Times]]'' gave it all five stars, saying, "The graphics are divine, with vast urban locales and spectacular crashes. The cars handle well, and each vehicle has its own characteristics. Yet this is no easy driving game — one of the reasons why, subject matter aside, it carries a 16+ rating."<ref name=TheTimes/> ''[[Playboy]]'' gave it an 88% and stated: "Your investigation jump-starts reckless car chases through more than 150 miles of highways and city streets in detailed re-creations of Miami, Nice and Istanbul. Slam into any of the 30,000 buildings and your car crumbles realistically."<ref>{{cite journal | title=DRIV3R (PS2, Xbox) | magazine=[[Playboy]] | date=April 2004 | page=38}}</ref> However, ''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]'' gave it three stars out of five and called its controls and animation "unresponsive and stiff".<ref name=Cincinnati/>
''[[The Times]]'' gave it all five stars, saying, "The graphics are divine, with vast urban locales and spectacular crashes. The cars handle well, and each vehicle has its own characteristics. Yet this is no easy driving game — one of the reasons why, subject matter aside, it carries a 16+ rating."<ref name=TheTimes/> ''[[Playboy]]'' gave it an 88% and stated: "Your investigation jump-starts reckless car chases through more than 150 miles of highways and city streets in detailed re-creations of Miami, Nice and Istanbul. Slam into any of the 30,000 buildings and your car crumbles realistically."<ref>{{cite journal | title=DRIV3R (PS2, Xbox) | magazine=[[Playboy]] | date=April 2004 | page=38}}</ref> However, ''[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]'' gave it three stars out of five and called its controls and animation "unresponsive and stiff".<ref name=Cincinnati/>{{clear}}

==="DRIV3Rgate"===
While most reviews of Driver 3 gave the game mixed reviews, two review outlets operated by [[Future plc]], ''[[PSM3|PSM2]]'' and ''[[Xbox World]]'', gave the game 9/10 reviews.<ref name=MCPS2/><ref name=MCXB/> This disparity led some gamers and journalists to claim that the [[early access]] Atari gave Future was contingent on receiving favorable ratings, but Atari and Future denied any wrongdoing.<ref name="D3CheatSheet">{{cite web | url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-04-26-franchise-cheat-sheet-driver-article | title=Franchise Cheat Sheet: Driver | publisher=GamesIndustry.biz | date=3 May 2011 | accessdate=29 June 2016 | last1=Whitehead |first1=Dan}}</ref><ref name="PCWorldGate">{{cite web|last1=Lui|first1=Spandas|title=A history of gaming's biggest scandals|url=http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/341103/history_gaming_biggest_scandals/?pp=2|accessdate=12 April 2016}}</ref> The incident was dubbed "Driv3rgate".<ref name="PCWorldGate"/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Fahey|first1=Rob|title=A Question of Trust|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/a-question-of-trust|accessdate=12 April 2016}}</ref>

After the accusations of review fixing arose, the [[GamesRadar]] forums (also operated by Future) were filled with critical posts, many of which were deleted by moderators. Although the comments were said to be removed for being libelous, some users suspected a cover-up.<ref name="D3CheatSheet"/><ref name="PCWorldGate"/><ref name="WorldofStuartDriverGate">{{cite web | url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/drivergate/drivergate.htm | title=Driv3r and corruption, continued | accessdate=29 June 2016 | author=[[Stuart Campbell (game journalist)|Campbell, Stuart]]}}</ref> Some comments defending Driver 3 and Future were traced by forum moderators to Babel Media, a marketing company that made use of [[astroturfing]].<ref name="WorldofStuartDriverGate"/> The users admitted they worked for Babel, but said that they were posting on their own behalf, not for Babel.<ref name="WorldofStuartDriverGate"/> The thread was eventually deleted in its entirety.<ref name="WorldofStuartDriverGate"/>
{{clear}}


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 13:57, 29 March 2018

Driver 3
Developer(s)Reflections Interactive (console and PC), Velez & Dubail (Game Boy Advance)
Publisher(s)Atari, Inc.
Sorrent (mobile version)
Designer(s)Martin Edmondson
SeriesDriver
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox, mobile,[1] Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance
ReleasePlayStation 2 & Xbox
  • NA: 21 June 2004
  • EU: 25 June 2004
Mobile
  • NA: 23 June 2004
  • EU: 23 June 2004
Microsoft Windows
  • NA: 15 March 2005
  • EU: 18 March 2005
Game Boy Advance
  • EU: 14 October 2005
  • NA: 25 October 2005
Genre(s)Racing, shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Driver 3 (stylized as DRIV3R) is a 2004 open world action-adventure video game. It is the third installment in the Driver series and was developed by Reflections Interactive and published by Atari, Inc.. Driver 3 was released in North America for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox on 21 June 2004. In Europe, it was released on 25 June, although due to the way Atari shipped the title across the continent, it made its way into independent UK retailers before the release date, reaching sixth place in the ELSPA chart for that week. A simplified version of the game for mobile phones was developed and released by Sorrent and published in North America on 23 June 2004, while it was published by Unique Games in Europe. On 15 March 2005, it was released on PC for US customers, it was also released on Game Boy Advance 25 October 2005. At one point a Nintendo GameCube version and an N-Gage version were planned, but both were cancelled.[2] The game received mixed reviews on all platforms except the PC, which received mostly unfavorable reviews.

Although two Driver games were published between them, 2011's Driver: San Francisco is considered the sequel to Driver 3.

Gameplay

The vehicles in Driver 3 are based on real-life vehicles and are designed to behave as such, using realistic damage modeling (e.g., bullet holes appear when a car is shot, or if the car is hit from behind the trunk of the car will pop out).

Weapons are unnamed in the game, with weapons beyond the player's initial weapon unlocked by completing mission or, in Take A Ride mode, from stealing them from police or other enemies. The players can unlock a variety of weapons, including pistols, rifles, and grenade guns.

NPCs react to the player's actions. For example, pedestrians will flee if they see Tanner with a weapon or if he drives too close to them.

Development

The game was in development for around three and a half years. Special attention was paid in rendering the cities of Miami, Nice, and Istanbul. The in-game music was composed by Marc Canham, Rich Aitken, and Narco.

Atari also shot a short promotional video about Driver 3 called Run the Gauntlet.

Reception

The PlayStation 2 version of Driver 3 received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[35] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[36]

After an extensive and intensive promotional campaign, Driver 3 received "mixed" reviews on all platforms except the PC version, which received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[31][32][33][34]

The Times gave it all five stars, saying, "The graphics are divine, with vast urban locales and spectacular crashes. The cars handle well, and each vehicle has its own characteristics. Yet this is no easy driving game — one of the reasons why, subject matter aside, it carries a 16+ rating."[25] Playboy gave it an 88% and stated: "Your investigation jump-starts reckless car chases through more than 150 miles of highways and city streets in detailed re-creations of Miami, Nice and Istanbul. Slam into any of the 30,000 buildings and your car crumbles realistically."[37] However, The Cincinnati Enquirer gave it three stars out of five and called its controls and animation "unresponsive and stiff".[24]

References

  1. ^ a b Palley, Stephen (22 June 2004). "DRIV3R Review (Mobile)". GameSpot. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Driv3r exclusive - creative director Martin Edmonson talks!". 16 February 2004. Archived from the original on 7 January 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b Edge staff (August 2004). "DRIV3R (PS2, Xbox)". Edge (139): 94.
  4. ^ a b EGM staff (August 2004). "Driv3r (PS2, Xbox)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (181). Archived from the original on 24 June 2004. Retrieved 3 September 2014. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Reed, Kristan (23 June 2004). "DRIV3R (Xbox)". Eurogamer. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  6. ^ a b Helgeson, Matt (August 2004). "DRIV3R (PS2, Xbox)". Game Informer (136): 94. Archived from the original on 5 January 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2014. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b Air Hendrix (September 2004). "Driver 3 (PS2, Xbox)". GamePro: 81. Archived from the original on 8 February 2005. Retrieved 3 September 2014. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b Silverman, Ben (2 July 2004). "DRIV3R Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  9. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (28 March 2005). "DRIV3R Review (PC)". GameSpot. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  10. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (23 June 2004). "DRIV3R Review (PS2)". GameSpot. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  11. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (21 June 2004). "DRIV3R Review (Xbox)". GameSpot. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  12. ^ Buchanan, Levi (28 June 2004). "GameSpy: DRIV3R (Cell)". GameSpy. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  13. ^ Guzman, Hector (23 June 2004). "GameSpy: DRIV3R (Xbox)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 25 December 2005. Retrieved 3 September 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Tha Wiz (5 July 2004). "DRIV3R - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ Valentino, Nick (4 July 2004). "DRIV3R - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 19 February 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Buchanan, Levi (24 June 2004). "DRIV3R (Cell)". IGN. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  17. ^ McNamara, Tom (22 March 2005). "DRIV3R (PC)". IGN. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  18. ^ Perry, Douglass C. (21 June 2004). "DRIV3R (PS2)". IGN. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  19. ^ Perry, Douglass C. (21 June 2004). "DRIV3R (Xbox)". IGN. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  20. ^ "DRIV3R". Nintendo Power. 198: 122. December 2005.
  21. ^ Davison, John (August 2004). "DRIV3R". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 June 2004. Retrieved 3 September 2014. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "DRIV3R". Official Xbox Magazine: 80. September 2004.
  23. ^ "DRIV3R". PC Gamer: 69. June 2005.
  24. ^ a b c Saltzman, Marc (8 July 2004). "Late-model Driv3r needs repair work". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 3 September 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ a b c "Driver 3". The Times. 19 June 2004. Retrieved 3 September 2014.(subscription required)
  26. ^ "DRIV3R for Game Boy Advance". GameRankings. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  27. ^ "DRIV3R for Mobile". GameRankings. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  28. ^ "DRIV3R for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  29. ^ "DRIV3R for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  30. ^ "DRIV3R for Xbox". GameRankings. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  31. ^ a b "DRIV3R for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  32. ^ a b "DRIV3R for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  33. ^ a b "DRIV3R for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  34. ^ a b "DRIV3R for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  35. ^ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on 15 May 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ "DRIV3R (PS2, Xbox)". Playboy: 38. April 2004.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Driver_3&oldid=833067105"