Driver 2 (PlayStation)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Ryan Donald
• Reviewed on: 11/13/2000
• Updated on: 05/17/2006
• Released on: 11/13/2000
• Originally published on GameSpot: Driver 2 (PlayStation) Review

Driver 2 is a great sequel. It has everything that made the first game a hit, plus tons of new features like the ability to get out of your getaway car and run around on foot. As such, everyone who liked the first game is going to love Driver 2 - the new types of missions, cities, and gameplay features, as well as a fantastic, original story, make Driver 2 a winner.

Driver 2's story picks up in Chicago, where a mob bookkeeper by the name of Pink Lenny cuts a deal with a rival mobster. This new alliance upsets the delicate balance of the underworld, which ultimately causes a tailspin of drama. At this point, the police decide that the situation is too dangerous to ignore, so they send you and your new partner on a mission to defuse the situation by finding the mob turncoat who's causing problems for everyone. To do this, you must go undercover and infiltrate the seedy underworld where the secret war is being waged. This is where the game begins, and the rest of the story is revealed as you complete the missions. But despite the strong story elements, Driver 2 is actually all about going - going really fast and not stopping for anyone, not even for the cops.

You get a real adrenaline rush as you swerve through narrow streets evading the police, as well as the first time you hear a cop's voice over the scanner say "We've spotted 'em!" which is followed by the screaming of police sirens. This sensation alone practically makes Driver 2 worth owning. But fans of the first game know all about this feeling, which is why some major gameplay enhancements have been included in Driver 2 to truly make the sequel different and therefore give fans of the original game a new kind of experience.

What really separates Driver 2 from its predecessor is the ability to get out of the car and freely interact with the environment on foot. This almost makes Driver 2 into a 3D version of the driving action game Grand Theft Auto, since now you can carjack anyone who's unlucky enough to cross paths with you on the street - even school buses are fair game. Being able to move freely within the game's extremely large levels lets you do all kinds of cool things like set bombs and actually enter various locations and buildings.

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