Driver: San Francisco
A coma dream where you can shift between cars.
Driver: San Francisco is a 2011 action-adventure driving game developed by Ubisoft Reflections and published by Ubisoft. It is the fifth main installment in the Driver series and the most recent main entry to date, acting as a sequel to Driver 3. The game received favorable reviews for most platforms, though the Wii edition drew mixed responses.
Quick Facts
- Publisher
- Ubisoft; Gameloft (mobile phone)
- Composer
- Marc Canham
- Director
- Martin Edmondson; Craig Lawson
- Designer
- Jean-Sebastien Decant
- Andrew Willans
- Dale Scullion
- Artist
- Mike Haynes; Jack Couve
- Writer
- Ian Mayor
- James Worrall
- David Midgley
- Producer
- Marie-Jo Leroux
- Chris Hadley
- Gary Ushaw
- Programmer
- Marie-Ève Danis; Michael Troughton
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Driver: San Francisco introduces the Shift ability, letting Tanner teleport between cars without interrupting missions. This mechanic was partly inspired by Google Earth and replaced the out-of-car movement from Driver 2, as developers felt many games already offered that feature. All cars include a boost function activated by pushing up on the left thumbstick, and players can perform a ram attack using L1 on PlayStation 3 or the left shoulder button on Xbox 360. The film director mode returns from earlier entries, allowing video sharing on the Driver Club website. The game runs at 60 frames per second. It features 140 fully damageable licensed vehicles from marques such as Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, Cadillac, Chevrolet, DeLorean, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Hummer, Lamborghini, Lincoln, McLaren, Pagani, Ruf, Shelby, and Volkswagen. Tanner drives a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T. Split-screen and online multiplayer appear for the first time in the series, offering 19 game modes including Trailblazer, Tag, Sprint GP, and Takedown. In Trailblazer, players follow an AI car’s trail to earn points; Tag reverses the usual rules, with all players trying to hit one target. Multiplayer includes experience points. Online functionality was scheduled to shut down on September 1, 2022, later delayed to October 1, 2022.
Plot
The game is set in a fictionalized San Francisco, Marin County, and Oakland, featuring about 208 miles of roads and landmarks like the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge. The Wii edition reduces the road network and blocks main bridges. The story occurs six months after Driver 3, with a mini-comic series covering the interim. After criminal Charles Jericho escapes from a Turkish hospital following surgery alongside FBI agent John Tanner, Tanner and partner Tobias Jones arrest him in San Francisco. On his trial day, Jericho breaks out of his prison convoy, overpowering guards and eliminating the police escort. While monitoring the convoy, Tanner and Jones witness the breakout and pursue Jericho, who takes control of the prison van. Jericho ambushes them, and Tanner crashes into heavy traffic, falling into a coma. Tanner then awakens in his car with Jones, hearing voices about an accident. Tracking the prison van, he suddenly shifts into an ambulance driver’s body, discovering he can inhabit other people while retaining his own memories. He uses this ability to help people and investigate Jericho.
Development, release, and marketing
Development lasted about five years. A new Driver game for the upcoming PlayStation 3 was confirmed at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show, and Ubisoft later confirmed a new entry after acquiring the series from Atari. The game was announced at Ubisoft’s E3 2010 conference. Series creator Martin Edmondson returned to Reflections after a temporary departure from the industry in 2004. Five Ubisoft studios developed the game: Reflections as lead, with Vancouver, Kyiv, Shanghai, and Montreal. Audio was mixed at Pinewood Studios. The soundtrack includes 60 licensed songs and an original score by Marc Canham, with a new version of the Driver theme. On August 30, the soundtrack was confirmed to have 76 songs spanning funk, hip hop, electronic, alternative rock, and hard rock from artists such as Aretha Franklin, Dr. John, DJ Shadow, The Black Keys, The Cure, Beastie Boys, Queens of the Stone Age, The Heavy, Unkle, and Elbow. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions support custom soundtracks. Demetri Goritsas voices John Tanner. A free DLC adding 12 new routes for online modes was released on September 12.
Reception
Driver: San Francisco received generally favorable reviews on all platforms except the Wii version, which received mixed reviews according to Metacritic. Famitsu gave the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions a total of 33 out of 40. The Daily Telegraph awarded the Xbox 360 version four stars out of five, praising its wit and conviction in its ideas. The Guardian gave the PS3 version four stars out of five, noting imperfections in the storyline and repetitiveness but calling it a joyous sandbox. The Digital Fix gave the same console version seven out of ten, describing it as fun and genuinely different. The game won Best Driving Game of E3 2010 from Ripten and received a nomination from Kotaku. At E3 2011, it won Best Racing Game from Machinima Inc. and received nominations from G4 and Game Critics Awards. Ubisoft reported that sales exceeded targets in its fall 2011 quarterly financial report. The game was delisted from online stores on December 9, 2016, due to license expiration, with an ongoing Change.org petition requesting its return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who published Driver: San Francisco?
Driver: San Francisco was published by Ubisoft and Gameloft (mobile phone).
What platforms is Driver: San Francisco available on?
Driver: San Francisco was released for PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Android and Mobile phone.
Who directed Driver: San Francisco?
Driver: San Francisco was directed by Martin Edmondson and Craig Lawson.
Who designed Driver: San Francisco?
Driver: San Francisco was designed by Jean-Sebastien Decant, Andrew Willans and Dale Scullion.
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