Driver: Parallel Lines

Driver: Parallel Lines (I will refer it as "DPL" from this time forward) is a miraculous achievement! I have just completed the game and must report that it is the best game I've played all summer (and I have played many games). I have read the reviews and am currently scratching my head at why people hate this game so much.

DPL is about an 18 year old professional driver who enters the world of being the wheelman for an underground crime organization. He is betrayed and is put in jail. After 28 years of doing time, he is ready to seek revenge.

Both eras (1978 and 2006) are made flawlessly and are really believable. Each era has its own unique cars, people who wear clothes that match the era, as well as a certain color tint. 1978 is about a boy who is trying to make it out in the world, so it's all about impressions and aspirations (therefore, NYC is tinted a bright yellowish). 2006, however, is all about seeking revenge (therefore, NYC is tinted a light blueish).

Now, it's time for a breakdown:

Graphics: 10 - Ultra realistic and very detailed. It is on par with the graphics of Hitman: Blood Money. But, DPL has a much better frame rate.

Sound: 10 - All of the sounds of gunshots, car engines, and ambience are top notch. Each era even has it's own soundtrack to listen to while you're driving a vehicle.

Gameplay: 10 - From Hollywood car chases to simple B-movielike gunfights, this game will put you on the edge of your seat.

Controls: 9.7 - There are occasional problems with the sensitivity of the buttons, but it's overall very good! The best part is the target lock you can activate by pushing the Right Mouse button (when you have a weapon out). You can also shoot from your car while driving!

AI: 9.8 - The AI seen here is better than any I have seen in a sandbox game (this is usually due to attempt to keep the game reasonable in size). Cops don't only pursue you if you are driving fast, bump into another car, or shooting your weapons. They also chase you if you run a red light or drive on the wrong side of the road. However, I don't think that a minor traffic violation is enough to get you shot.

Storyline: 10 - As good as any A-list, box-office, smash-hit, critically-acclaimed action thriller. As the game progresses, you start to grow attached to the protagonist, TK.

Lasting Appeal: 10 - You may continue to play long after you 100% the game. So, this game will last you awhile. It also features a variety of missions (unlike Just Cause) and the missions are more addictive and compelling than in GTAVC.

Atmosphere: 10 - It really gives you the feel of a guy making a living in the Big Apple.

Overall, this game is "the bomb". There are many things to do! You can complete the story missions, run errands in the side missions, participate in various races, cruise around NYC without stepping outside your comfy house, or simply go on a killing rampage with your trusty weapons.

With that said, DPL is anything but a "Cheap Grand Theft Auto Clone". In many ways, it excels (especially in the graphics department). I bought this for $19.95 off Direct-2-Drive and let me tell you: It's worth the money. Heck, I would even buy it if it cost $50.00! Since I'm posting this on Amazon, I will have to say click on the "Add to Cart" button now (sure, pay $3.99 extra, but it's worth it). Once it arrives on your doorstep, hold it with pride and show it off to your neighbors and friends!

Now, I would like to argue about the "GTA Clone" statement. People who say this game copies GTA are the same people who would say that all open-ended sandbox games are "GTA Clones". These are the kind of people who are too narrow-minded to except the fact that there may be a game or two out there that might excel GTA, which they deem as a "classic". They curl up in a ball in a corner of their bedroom, clutching a copy of their beloved game, muttering "No game's gonna better my baby!".
Don't get me wrong, GTA is a great series. Although I have only played GTAVC (a great game in my opinion), I have to say that the GTA series replicates a Gangster's wet dream and fails in the "realism" department. I like realism in my game because realism makes the game more believable, which makes the game all the more addictive (one time, I had Tommy fall off the tallest building, and he still managed to survive). Driver is a more realistic (although quite lenient) depiction of what it might be like to be an underground driver.
Also, many sandbox games have one or two things that separates itself from GTA. Just Cause is centered around doing miraculous stunts and Driver is centered around driving and performing drive-by's. GTA only introduced the "sandbox game" subgenre (which is a plausible feat). If you want to be cool: Don't fall into the gaming mainstream, don't beleive the hype, just check DPL out! Come on, people, we must greet new material with open arms or the gaming community will be in shambles.

So, go ahead, my dear friend. Pick up your copy today! You won't regret it!

Overall Rating for DPL: 9.7/10 (sandbox games don't get any better than this).

In my humble opinion, this game is fantastic. I had a little trouble the first time I played it...the graphcs was choppy and very s-l-o-w but this was just cuz of my system...I'm running a 1.8GHZ Pentium Duo Core with 2GHZ RAM and a NVIDIA 76000GT video card on an MSI motherboard. I later downloaded a new BIOS and some CPU calibrator thingy from the MSI web site...and sure enough the game runs a whole lot smoother, though still not in full detailed graphics - I think I need a faster processor - The game diagnostics wizard even told me so. But for now it's good enough...gonna get me a 2.4GHZ Quad core soon...I should be able to max the graphics at that time (it's awesome I tell you real crisp). Just to note all my other games worked petty well before the BIOS and CPU updates, i.e., DMC3, NBA06, Hitman Trilogy, Fifa07, Far Cry2, Unreal tournament.

Gameplay so far is great....still trying to get a hang of the driving while shooting button scenario. There are a few different configurations but you may want to consider a 12 or 13 button game pad to make use of all the button options. I've got a Logitech Rumble pad 2 (10 buttons) it's good for most games that allow you to play with the pad...I use it for this game too (I don't really miss the extra button options - I just use the keyboard for those). The game is like a travel through time 70's to the 2K's so the cars and clothing will change with time during gameplay (kinda cool) The missions are challenging and the chases really gets me fired up (I have to take a breather some times)

Great action, great gameplay, great graphics!

I am a fan of the Driver series. They always seem to pale in comparison to GTA when you read reviews but when you get tired of the latest flavor of GTA, this is fun in it's own way. The whole vibe of Parallel Lines is cool. The KZ-900 analogs were the first laugh I had. That was my first bike and I had forgotten how much I loved the lines of 70s Japanese muscle-bike. Having actually grown up in the 70s, I have to say the movie shots and dialog have something like cultural tolerance stacking. Like the worst of really bad movies made about the 70s. All that aside though....the physics are great. It still has the annoyances of a console game re-ported to PC. The UI to map controls is clunky and all the in-game controls have that feel I hate so much with games not designed to be played on PC. This game was never worth $50 but it is worth $20. Like GTA, you can spend lots of time between missions just driving around exploring and causing general mayhem. Unlike GTA, they didn't make their world as much fun to rampage in. You will spend more time in missions because of it though.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 10 reviews  3.6 out of 5 stars