Driver: San Francisco Demo Hands-On

"Warming up the tires for a comeback"




Developer: Ubisoft Reflections
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform(s): PC. PS3, X360, Wii
Release Date: Sep 6, 2011
Genre: Driving 


Since August 9, PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE members can now download a demo version of Driver: San Francisco. Developed by Ubisoft and set to be released on September 6th, the game promises to bring the series back on track after a few games not very successful - yes, we're talking about Driv3r.





Early in the demonstration, a small trailer features, with the use of several cinematic effects typical of police thrillers, a summary of San Francisco's plot. While Jericho, the local mob boss, manages to escape from jail, the policeman who arrested him is in hospital in a coma. When he wakes up, he discovers that John Tanner has a new skill. Now he is able to transfer his mind into the bodies of others from a distance. In the demo version three of the 200 missions were playable, all using the new feature. In the very first mission, Tanner must convince his partner about his new power. To do this, you must press a button to activate Shift mode, which allows Tanner to enter the body of another driver.


In this mode, time enters a slower speed and you can select any car on the screen to be controlled by police. Although it is a strange concept, this paranormal technique works quite well. Thus, it seems that Ubisoft has found a good solution to allow players to drive the car they want without leaving the steering wheel. This is quite a relief for those who feared the return of the strange gameplay presented in Driv3r.

 

Tanner’s newfound power should also be widely used in history and is present both in side missions (in which the police use their powers to help strangers and runners in the second mission of the demo) and in the main plot (as the third mission presented here, in which Tanner entered the skin of a mafia henchman to get new information about Jericho).
 

The game also has about 120 licensed vehicles. All of them present modeling close to reality, as well as lighting effects and reflections that are very interesting. These are just some of the features that make the driving experience much more fun, especially for those passionate about cars. Although only a few sectors of the city can be accessed in the demo, it is possible to note some salient features of the city (like their steep slopes). The scenario, however, has some minor flaws. The buildings, in particular, have very high levels of aliasing at the same time that smaller elements of the scenario seem like they’re made of paper.


Another factor that we haven't liked much is the way you control the cars, something that’s obviously significant in the game. Although the controls are very similar to the standard adopted by the game industry (which triggers the joystick are used to accelerate and brake the car), some problems are a bit uncomfortable.

 

Even driving at a speed very high, is not transmitted at any time the feeling that you are driving fast - even when an entire turbo bar is used. Also, it takes some time until the player learn to make turns at high speed, because the controls of the vehicle does not respond very well. Although there is an advisory warning at the beginning of this demo that the final version will be different, it's good to know that some improvements to be made and that Driver: San Francisco may just be the game to rejuvenate this franchise.



Marco Cecilio, NoobFeed