The CG cut scenes are done very well but, when the game is coming up a bit short in every other department who the heck is authorizing rendered movies? Someone at ATARI should have nixed the rendering budget and went with in-game so that money could have gone into making a better GAME! If I want to see rendered animation I'll rent a Pixar flick. Isn't this a videogame? Ironically, the plot was the main thing that kept me coming back. With the weak gameplay I would scream through each level to see how the movie was developing. Sad, isn't it.

SOUND - Good voice acting only goes so far. And when the good stuff is tossed into a pretty CG'd wrapper it goes that much less. That said, if you bought the game for its cinematics you won't be disappointed: Michael Madsen, Ving Rhames, Michelle Rodriguez, Mickey Rourke and even Iggy Pop make up the "A" list. Voice talent aside, there are the usual suspects associated with the action genre; assorted gunfire, screeching tires, myriad engine sounds etc., etc. It all sounds good but, yet again Driver 3 falls short with little in the way of ambient sound. Sure, I want to hear the action but when I'm cruising around is it too much to ask to give the cities a little life? How about some pedestrian chatter? Or random honking horns? Anything to make me feel I'm not driving around in a void!

REPLAYABILITY - Unfortunately, it is difficult to recommend Driver 3 as more than just a one shot deal. Once you finish the main story there really isn't any point playing through it again, especially when you realize how little of each huge city you are restricted to during each mission. If you're the adventurous type and want to see what each city has to offer I hate to tell you "not much." Aside from a few mini games (which are only playable from the main menu) your solo effort entails finding a few hidden vehicles and searching out and killing ATARI's parody of Vice City's Tommy Vercetti: Timmy Vermicelli. Oh yeah, and there's a kart track in Miami to race around on. Don't be fooled by the strategy guides on the market that will have you believe there is some meat to this title. As it is, you would be better off driving over to your local In-N-Out for a double-double animal style than passing your time cruising down the vacant streets of Driver 3's Miami, Nice and Istanbul.


Overall Score
Presentation
Gameplay
Graphics
Sound
Replayability
7.0
6.5
6.5
6.0
5.0
Genre
Publisher
Developer
Players
Xbox LIVE
Driving/Action
ATARI
Reflections
1
Yes
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