Driver: San Francisco

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 193 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 150 out of 193
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 193
  3. Negative: 15 out of 193
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  1. Tranquilbez22
    May 30, 2012
    9
    Driver: San Francisco, Is a reboot of the Legendary franchise. after a dissapointing Driver 3,Ubisoft made changes to the game and boy is it good. The Plot to the campaign mode is just like a cop show only ten times better. Gameplay is typical car game fashion with some twists and turns. Like most ubisoft games, the characters are extremely likable especially The lead character Tanner.Driver: San Francisco, Is a reboot of the Legendary franchise. after a dissapointing Driver 3,Ubisoft made changes to the game and boy is it good. The Plot to the campaign mode is just like a cop show only ten times better. Gameplay is typical car game fashion with some twists and turns. Like most ubisoft games, the characters are extremely likable especially The lead character Tanner. When a game uses a real world setting especailly if it's complex a city as San Francisco but they managed to get every detail of the city right.The removal of the on foot feature means your constantly in a car even if it's not yours. you can drive all sorts of vheicles from sports cars to massive oil tankers and everywhere in between. Using licenced cars mean you can finally drive a Mazerati without blowing your entire life savings on it. Overall. Driver: San Francisco is a fun title and I highly recommend it to anyone.… Expand
  2. Jobadkins
    Nov 29, 2011
    10
    Amazing and a sleeper hit it is.2011 is the best year ever for gaming so a game like this is going to be overlooked by most people.I actually got this game for $20 brand new because of black Friday.I would of paid the $40 for it if I would of known how awesome this game really is.The shift feature is a totally new idea and it work's flawless in this game.Some,of course,will knock it.I loveAmazing and a sleeper hit it is.2011 is the best year ever for gaming so a game like this is going to be overlooked by most people.I actually got this game for $20 brand new because of black Friday.I would of paid the $40 for it if I would of known how awesome this game really is.The shift feature is a totally new idea and it work's flawless in this game.Some,of course,will knock it.I love it and the game is finally screaming with quality from head to toe.All those hours we wasted on Driv3r trying to find the part were it sucks you in but never did.Well people go out and get this game cause it renders all other Driver games obsolete.Game play,graphics,fun factor,replay value,sound,story it is all spot on and great in every way.… Expand
  3. jdrandall38
    Oct 8, 2011
    9
    Absolutely a must play! For those of you who are skeptical of playing this game due to the garbage Driver 3 was, make sure you make the effort to try this one. No, you cannot get out of your car much like the beginning of this series, but finally there is realistic driving to an open-world game. I like the injinuity to the story which i won't reveal, although bizarre for the DriverAbsolutely a must play! For those of you who are skeptical of playing this game due to the garbage Driver 3 was, make sure you make the effort to try this one. No, you cannot get out of your car much like the beginning of this series, but finally there is realistic driving to an open-world game. I like the injinuity to the story which i won't reveal, although bizarre for the Driver series. Driver San Francisco delivers on many levels: Gameplay, Story, Dialog, Replay Value, and Multiplayer. Make the effort and at least rent this one 9/10.… Expand
  4. Bentleym
    Oct 8, 2011
    8
    I was a fan of the original Driver and it's sequel Driver 2. I also managed to look past all the flaws of the 3rd game, and enjoyed that one as well. It was obvious the series was going down hill so I never played any of the games after that. Driver San Francisco is a definite return to form though. The game is all about driving, just like the first game and that's exactly how it shouldI was a fan of the original Driver and it's sequel Driver 2. I also managed to look past all the flaws of the 3rd game, and enjoyed that one as well. It was obvious the series was going down hill so I never played any of the games after that. Driver San Francisco is a definite return to form though. The game is all about driving, just like the first game and that's exactly how it should be. You can no longer get out of your vehicle and run around on foot, and considering how that was always the worst part of the previous games, this is a good thing. Instead you can just zoom the camera out to a birds eye view of the city and select a new vehicle to shift into. The whole story behind this is ridiculous but at the same time entertaining. I found myself enjoying this game from start to finish.… Expand
  5. technomage
    Jan 6, 2012
    6
    I wanted to like Driver San Francisco, I really did. The plot was interesting, and the graphics and visuals were great. Unfortunately, the game suffers from 2 flaws which really diminish the experience. The first is that the driving physics are not enjoyable. It's very heavy on the brake/drift mechanic and the cars spun out way, way too easily. I don't claim to be an expert on if theI wanted to like Driver San Francisco, I really did. The plot was interesting, and the graphics and visuals were great. Unfortunately, the game suffers from 2 flaws which really diminish the experience. The first is that the driving physics are not enjoyable. It's very heavy on the brake/drift mechanic and the cars spun out way, way too easily. I don't claim to be an expert on if the physics are realistic according to the models of car or not, but I do know for a game like this, where driving plays a central role in the mechanics of the game, the physics diminish the fun factor of the game. Some missions I had to repeat several times due to poor AI (give me a chance to avoid crashing into some of the cars in the world!) and/or the insistence of the AI on racing missions that I destroy opposing cars. Most vehicles in the game fishtailed way, way too easily and handled very poorly. Understandable on semi truck or vw bus, not so much on a sports car.

    The second flaw is the the stovepipe way the storyline progresses. I would have enjoyed at least the illusion of an open world game - as each chapter in the story unfolds, you are given what looks like options to continue forward - but rest assured, you will have to complete each "suggested" mission before you can progress to the next level. In some cases, the missions are part of the story arc - and that makes sense - but often they are simply random people you never see again, or the mission has nothing to do with the overall plot of the game. I've enjoyed every game in the Driver series previous to this one, and would have loved to give this a higher rating. Unfortunately, this is a flawed gem.    … Expand
  6. BambiZombie
    Sep 7, 2011
    7
    Surprisingly good! I haven't played the old Driver games but this one is fun. Jumping between cars is like GTA without the BS of getting hit by trucks. Driving itself is balanced for arcade gameplay which is the way I prefer it tbh. Give it a spin, you may be pleasantly surprised if you're not looking for a sim.
  7. Humphrey666
    Sep 9, 2011
    10
    Easily the best Driver in the series, back to the original form of the first. I don't play many racing games these days, but Driver San Francisco had me hooked all over again. Excellent handling, ok the graphics are a little simple if you look up close, but the overall visual style is excellent. The car models are very detailed and look great given that the game runs at 60fps without anyEasily the best Driver in the series, back to the original form of the first. I don't play many racing games these days, but Driver San Francisco had me hooked all over again. Excellent handling, ok the graphics are a little simple if you look up close, but the overall visual style is excellent. The car models are very detailed and look great given that the game runs at 60fps without any noticeable slow-down. Haven't played much mulit-player yet, but what I have has been pretty frantic, and really fun. But I've played a lot of split-screen with my kids and they love it!! You have to buy this game...… Expand
  8. DrOwsum
    Sep 6, 2011
    9
    I have never played any of the previous entries of the Driver series. I am not really into racing games either. But this looked special; I had high expectations for it. This game is different from other racing games. It's unique. Special. The dialogue was pretty humorous, and was acted out excellently. It was hard to get boring. And split-screen, too! The story was a little...illogical?I have never played any of the previous entries of the Driver series. I am not really into racing games either. But this looked special; I had high expectations for it. This game is different from other racing games. It's unique. Special. The dialogue was pretty humorous, and was acted out excellently. It was hard to get boring. And split-screen, too! The story was a little...illogical? Maybe it didn't make much sense, but that was nothing much. I'd recommend it to any racing-game fans out there.… Expand
  9. gvillapol
    Sep 14, 2011
    10
    this is one of the best arcade drive game, i had never play, the on-line is very good and the history too. for me is fun, and quite long. the story is very original and exciting
  10. 247Consoles
    Sep 15, 2011
    9
    A very solid all-round game. Great Graphics and high expectations fulfilled. A great benchmark to judge urban based wheel games from, without a doubt.
  11. Daematune
    Sep 12, 2011
    7
    Driver: San Francisco is a great game, certainly better than I expected.. it's not like the old Driver games though. The single player is actually really fun, in fact, all the challenges are really fun--even just driving around aimlessly proved to be enjoyable. Some of the challenges took you behind the wheel of criminals or into dune buggy races, it had an excellent twist on the gameplay.Driver: San Francisco is a great game, certainly better than I expected.. it's not like the old Driver games though. The single player is actually really fun, in fact, all the challenges are really fun--even just driving around aimlessly proved to be enjoyable. Some of the challenges took you behind the wheel of criminals or into dune buggy races, it had an excellent twist on the gameplay. And no, you cannot get out of your car anymore. The handling was perfect, stable and drift sensitive like it should be. The story itself is well, it's...what you expected; a bit ridiculous. The SHIFT system certainly proved to be much better than it looked, it just doesn't feel like a racing game anymore though, when I play the game I sometimes picture the logo of the Sci-FI channel in my head, that's clearly... not a good sign. The multiplayer didn't shine has much as the single player. The modes were not as well rounded as they should have been, the races are far too short and it's more frustrating than it is fun. I am still questioning myself some of the developers had some form of brain cancer after seeing some of the alterations and the qualification system, it's simply just unnecessary. I ultimately cannot see this a good change for the franchise, it certainly wasn't as bad as it could have been though.… Expand
  12. Kotaku
    Sep 9, 2011
    8
    Driver: San Francisco isn't quite the jolt that the arcade driving genre needs to stir it from its own particular coma, then, but it's an endearing and eccentric experience in itself. In Reflections' best work since the Driver series began, it's managed to tame the ridiculous and conjure something quite sublime.
  13. jackjenkins24
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    Great game, played through the story and still enjoying it now. The driving is tight and looks great, love there being licensed cars. Definet 10 for me!
  14. Scottixboy
    Jul 1, 2013
    10
    Driver: Amazingly revolutionary, 10./10
    Driver 2:Not as good as the first 7/10
    Driv3r: A complete flop 5/10 Driver Parallel Lines: A huge improvement over Driv3r and certainly a good contender to GTA: 8/10 Driver 76: A nice stripped down portable version of parallel lines: 8/10 Driver San Francisco: The perfect reboot of the series, takes the mechanics of the first game and    Driver: Amazingly revolutionary, 10./10
    Driver 2:Not as good as the first 7/10
    Driv3r: A complete flop 5/10
    Driver Parallel Lines: A huge improvement over Driv3r and certainly a good contender to GTA: 8/10
    Driver 76: A nice stripped down portable version of parallel lines: 8/10
    Driver San Francisco: The perfect reboot of the series, takes the mechanics of the first game and everything that makes it great and mixes it up with the idea of taking control of multiple vehicles at your will, The best in the series so far without a doubt. 10/10

    Driver has had a fractured life, started great, then went down, then went up, then disappeared for about 4 years and then came screetching back in with an excellent reboot, let's hope "The Crew" will be as good as Driver SF was!    … Expand
  15. Kayvoo
    Apr 17, 2013
    10
    This game is hardcore, off the wall and hilarious! You can see the love that was put into it, with iconic classic and modern cars, over the top gameplay and many nods to famous car chases. The story is crazy and interesting, with great voice acting from the main characters and funny dialogue from random citizens. The 'shift' mechanic is revolutionary and I can see future open-world gamesThis game is hardcore, off the wall and hilarious! You can see the love that was put into it, with iconic classic and modern cars, over the top gameplay and many nods to famous car chases. The story is crazy and interesting, with great voice acting from the main characters and funny dialogue from random citizens. The 'shift' mechanic is revolutionary and I can see future open-world games such as GTA V using something like this as it truly opens the world up. The graphics are shiny, with highly detailed car models and full damage modelling. The car handling has been totally nailed, it's tail-happy action all the way. It's totally hair-raising and reminds me of a block dropping game such as Tetris when driving at full speed in a supercar with cops in tow, dodging traffic in the in-car view. There are in-car views for every vehicle which is immersive, and occasionally you'll shift into the body of someone on their driving test or an old lady going shopping. These moments bring comic relief with funny and varied dialogue if you get into a chase. The soundtrack is a good selection of blues and quality driving music which fits perfectly. The film director is good, with instant access when you do something crazy, although there are only five save slots. There is 'new game plus' which lets you play the story again with all your earned stuff. Split-screen multiplayer is brilliant, with a clever survival mode. Online the crazy driving and 'shift' shines, with plenty of unique modes and racing in heavy traffic. Easily one of my all-time favourite games and I highly recommend.… Expand
  16. curlzncrush
    Aug 5, 2013
    10
    Well-voiced, hilariously-scripted and so over-the-top in its execution that the lack of vehicle customization (a la NFS and MC3) are easily over-looked. If nothing else, buy this game for a fun and entertainingly humorous driving challenge.
  17. JDConspirator
    Jan 15, 2012
    8
    Driver San Francisco is an unexpected delight. Not much was clear after playing the demo. The game had good ideas, but I feared it would regurgetate said ideas out to making the game feel one note and repetitive. But what we ended up getting, is a game that has cemented the great ideas and created an ethos that shows its appreciation for the infamous chase movies. The SHIFT mechanic is theDriver San Francisco is an unexpected delight. Not much was clear after playing the demo. The game had good ideas, but I feared it would regurgetate said ideas out to making the game feel one note and repetitive. But what we ended up getting, is a game that has cemented the great ideas and created an ethos that shows its appreciation for the infamous chase movies. The SHIFT mechanic is the clear winner here, as it turns what would otherwise be a typical romp, into a multi faceted affair, where strategy and patience are just as important as finesse and driving. All the mini stories you encounter also build the aforementioned ethos, from trying to escape raged pursuing cop cars, to using the SHIFT mechanic to track down mobsters and eliminate them. Though more could've been done to build on the main narrative, there are some really OMG and WTF moments to be had throughout the campaign.… Expand
  18. matroycem
    Apr 30, 2013
    7
    I picked this game up on the cheap as I was not expecting very much from it. But to its credit this is actually a pretty decent game. It has a large vibrant world with a fair bit going on. Nice sub missions and variety of vechicles, but the main surprise was the Story. I expected when I first started the game that the story would be terrible but its not half bad. Yes it is not veryI picked this game up on the cheap as I was not expecting very much from it. But to its credit this is actually a pretty decent game. It has a large vibrant world with a fair bit going on. Nice sub missions and variety of vechicles, but the main surprise was the Story. I expected when I first started the game that the story would be terrible but its not half bad. Yes it is not very believeable and really plays mainly to make the games Unique Selling Point work but it does work. The Storys USP is that you can jump freely between cars. So in a car chase you can jump from a car that you crash to another and keep on the chase. alternatively if you have to bring a car down, you can jump to oncoming traffic and ram it. Sounds odd and to begin with it can be, however after a while it just feels okay and you just get on with it. You earn a kind of XP for completing tasks and sub missions etc and can buy cars and boosters. I found the multiplyer mods the best as it can triple what XP you get and thus give you more extras later on. they dont really need to be opened though as the game is completable anyway.
    The voice acting in the game is fine and some of the random conversations are pretty funny. Honestly I would not suggest buying this for more than say £10 to £15 but if you want something light and to cause some automotive carnage this can be alot of fun.    … Expand
  19. coopers41
    Jan 17, 2012
    8
    Forget about the silly jumping out of body story bit and you have a great game, great controls, the cars handle really well and there are alot of cars to choose from.Its not overly difficult but not incredibly hard, its found its balance really well. A Good choice of missions will have you going for a while, some will say its repetitive, others will say there is not enough, i found it justForget about the silly jumping out of body story bit and you have a great game, great controls, the cars handle really well and there are alot of cars to choose from.Its not overly difficult but not incredibly hard, its found its balance really well. A Good choice of missions will have you going for a while, some will say its repetitive, others will say there is not enough, i found it just right. Worth a purchase in my opinion… Expand
  20. wololooo
    Jun 28, 2012
    8
    Driver: San Francisco really surprised me - upon hearing about the revival of the seemingly dead series I was somewhat uninterested, especially after finding out about the gimmicky-sounding SHIFT mechanic. When I actually got around to playing it, however, I was pleasantly surprised. Though the plot is pretty ridiculous and near-impossible to take seriously, it's still great to see aDriver: San Francisco really surprised me - upon hearing about the revival of the seemingly dead series I was somewhat uninterested, especially after finding out about the gimmicky-sounding SHIFT mechanic. When I actually got around to playing it, however, I was pleasantly surprised. Though the plot is pretty ridiculous and near-impossible to take seriously, it's still great to see a racing game that so strongly incorporates a narrative. The voice acting is great but the dialogue is pretty cringeworthy at times. The SHIFT mechanic turned out to be an excellent innovation, and it was a real joy to fly around the city from car to car. It works well in the missions too, often giving you multiple choices on how to complete them - for example, in a police chase you can knock out the fleeing suspect yourself or shift into oncoming traffic to take them down. The damage modelling looks nice, but it was really disappointing that cars only take damage by hitting other cars - even hitting a car so hard it rolls multiple times will still only result in damage from the original impact, which could be really frustrating sometimes. I found the difficulty of the game just right, and though the AI is pretty inconsitant, everything ultimately felt dependent on your own driving. There's a huge selection of cars to experiment with, and I particularly like the inclusion of busses and tankers. All the cars handle beautifully, and though a lot of them felt to be near-identical, gradually unlocking more powerful cars and upgrades was rewarding.
    I enjoyed the many varied activites and dares, and they gave me extra incentive to keep playing when I got bored of the storyline. Eventually though, even those became tiring and repetitive, and I found myself unable to play for more than an hour or so at a time without getting bored. Driver: San Francisco was a surprisingly decent and original revival of the series, and definitely worth checking out.    … Expand
  21. topender
    Apr 4, 2012
    8
    Really enjoyed this game. The variety of missions and cars allows you to jump in at any time and progress your storyline or just have some fun. Plenty of action and well produced. The only downside is a bit more attention could have been provided to the surrounding environs. The people jumping out of the way feels a bit weak
  22. martijn
    Apr 29, 2018
    10
    Best racing game in a long time. I really love the physics (drift a lot :),the story the different game modes the cars, the music. I have played it very long now and am still enjoying it a lot. I really recommend this game.
  23. TheSquirrel
    Nov 7, 2013
    9
    Driver San Francisco is the sequel to the original I have waiting for. For the first time since Driver I enjoy simply driving around endlessly. The story is cool and weird, the online is great, and the music is really well matched, but all of this pales in comparison to how well the cars in this game feel. The handling and modeling are things of beauty and alone make this game theDriver San Francisco is the sequel to the original I have waiting for. For the first time since Driver I enjoy simply driving around endlessly. The story is cool and weird, the online is great, and the music is really well matched, but all of this pales in comparison to how well the cars in this game feel. The handling and modeling are things of beauty and alone make this game the greatest open world driver for the 360. Driver is back. If only there was a second city, one the best parts of the original was the different surroundings you unlocked.… Expand
  24. AfBu
    Mar 23, 2014
    9
    This was first Driver game I have played since 1 and 2 on PS1 and it has blown my mind on so many levels. Visuals are awesome, game-play and controls are fluent and perfectly balanced, soundtrack is one of the best I have ever heard in games. Definitely best (non-sim) racing game I have played, with strong focus on story telling (real, interesting story in racing game!) and many new wellThis was first Driver game I have played since 1 and 2 on PS1 and it has blown my mind on so many levels. Visuals are awesome, game-play and controls are fluent and perfectly balanced, soundtrack is one of the best I have ever heard in games. Definitely best (non-sim) racing game I have played, with strong focus on story telling (real, interesting story in racing game!) and many new well balanced game mechanisms. If you are a racing person, this game is a must.… Expand
  25. WavedEagle17
    Aug 5, 2013
    9
    Driver: San Francisco, is the most interesting and intense driving game ever. It is a driving game which is not only about racing and coming first. You need to use your driving skills and plan ahead to play this game. The intensity of this game is so high that you forget everything else while playing it. The storyline is fantastic as it gives you a shocking surprise when you come to knowDriver: San Francisco, is the most interesting and intense driving game ever. It is a driving game which is not only about racing and coming first. You need to use your driving skills and plan ahead to play this game. The intensity of this game is so high that you forget everything else while playing it. The storyline is fantastic as it gives you a shocking surprise when you come to know that what you were doing all this time was all in John Tanner's coma. The whole idea of switching into any car you like is what makes the game so good. Personally, I think it is one of the best driving game in gaming history.… Expand
  26. SomeGuyYouDunno
    Jan 11, 2014
    9
    Best racing game EVAAR.

    I loved the graphics of the cars and the passengers, which aren't the most detailed but is good. Handling is a bit handbrake-heavy but generally good to maneuver. I especially loved shift and the other abilities. Possessing another car in 5 seconds? Awesome! However, I didn't like the difficult challenges, and could there be more Japanese cars besides Nissan?    Best racing game EVAAR.

    I loved the graphics of the cars and the passengers, which aren't the most detailed but is good. Handling is a bit handbrake-heavy but generally good to maneuver. I especially loved shift and the other abilities. Possessing another car in 5 seconds? Awesome!

    However, I didn't like the difficult challenges, and could there be more Japanese cars besides Nissan? Perhaps a Lancer? Plus, the bad voice acting, even though, eh, it doesn't really matter in a game like this.

    However, I have to say, this is one of the most addicting games I've ever tried. Beyond cool. A must-have. The future of racing games STARTS HERE.    … Expand
  27. AmericanHeaven
    Mar 11, 2022
    10
    As a car guy, I'm always playing Forza. But back in 2011, a little known game released on Xbox360 called Driver: San Francisco. While the handling and game modes are significantly more "arcadey" than Forza, it is a delight to pop in and play; especially for couch co-op. There is a wide variety of licensed cars from all different time periods, and each one looks, sounds, and handles in it'sAs a car guy, I'm always playing Forza. But back in 2011, a little known game released on Xbox360 called Driver: San Francisco. While the handling and game modes are significantly more "arcadey" than Forza, it is a delight to pop in and play; especially for couch co-op. There is a wide variety of licensed cars from all different time periods, and each one looks, sounds, and handles in it's own unique way. The crash damage is spectacular, the police AI is extremely formidable and reckless (think GTA5), and the game modes are a hoot and a holler. My only real critique is the single player campaign. It's a chore to play, with bad voice acting and predictable and boring plot. The multiplayer servers are surprisingly still up at the time of this review (3/11/2022), but they're empty. You will either have to coordinate with others to populate the server, or stick with split-screen. The multiplayer modes are where this game shines. I have spent countless hours playing tag, checkpoint, and survival, always with a grin on my face and a beer in my hand. Since the licensing expired for all of the vehicles in the game, it is no longer available for digital purchase or download. You'll have to buy a physical copy, and shell out about $30 for used or $70 new, more than the original price! Copies of this game will eventually be in short supply, and the cult following means you'll want to grab a copy while you still can!… Expand
  28. Thunderman0011
    Nov 13, 2014
    10
    Driver. The series that started my gaming career. I remember playing all of the Driver games except for ones on Nintendo consoles.

    Driver: San Francisco blew my mind when I started playing this game. Great graphics for 360 with a stunning frame rate of 60! Great plot, great driving physics, fun gamemodes, and just a blast to play. I loved playing the online modes with friends and    Driver. The series that started my gaming career. I remember playing all of the Driver games except for ones on Nintendo consoles.

    Driver: San Francisco blew my mind when I started playing this game.

    Great graphics for 360 with a stunning frame rate of 60!

    Great plot, great driving physics, fun gamemodes, and just a blast to play. I loved playing the online modes with friends and the split-screen free roam with siblings.

    I would highly recommend this game to anyone.    … Expand
  29. SteerableTexas6
    Jan 28, 2015
    8
    A great driving-based game that delivered insane amounts of fun packed into a mix of cars all the way from exotics and muscle cars to tractor trailers and school buses. The physics found in Driver: San Francisco were always enjoyable and the immense map size was entirely satisfying. The story left something to be desired, and does not deliver a significant level of difficulty for theA great driving-based game that delivered insane amounts of fun packed into a mix of cars all the way from exotics and muscle cars to tractor trailers and school buses. The physics found in Driver: San Francisco were always enjoyable and the immense map size was entirely satisfying. The story left something to be desired, and does not deliver a significant level of difficulty for the seasoned driving enthusiast. Overall, Driver: San Francisco is a game that delivers a great driving experience paired with entertaining character interactions and beautiful graphics, even though it leaves something to be desired in quality of challenge and user interfaces (It'd be nice to set a waypoint)… Expand
  30. gamingisgreat
    Aug 5, 2016
    8
    Driver: San Francisco is an extremely innovative driving game,and is very enjoyable

    The big feature of the game is the Shift mechanic.How you got these powers is explained in the story mode. This mechanic adds a lot of variety to the game.If you are being chased by police,you could shift into traffic cars and crash them into the police or create a roadblock.The limit is your    Driver: San Francisco is an extremely innovative driving game,and is very enjoyable

    The big feature of the game is the Shift mechanic.How you got these powers is explained in the story mode.

    This mechanic adds a lot of variety to the game.If you are being chased by police,you could shift into traffic cars and crash them into the police or create a roadblock.The limit is your imagination.Later in the game,you really need to utilize this mechanic.

    The cars handle great,and there is a variety of licensed vehicles to choose from,ranging from the Chevrolet Volt to the Pagani Zonda Cinque.

    The graphics are quite good,though the framerate stutters occasionally.

    The sound is also good,with a good soundtrack and great engine and crash noises.    … Expand
  31. zonium
    Dec 6, 2015
    9
    Driver San Francisco is one my most played games of all time. A unique transitioning system between vehicles removes the boring and time consuming car-garage-car system found in numerous other open world driving games, keeping the player in the action. A wide variety of vehicles can be driven, beyond typical sports cars found in games of this genre. Driver San Francisco is truly aDriver San Francisco is one my most played games of all time. A unique transitioning system between vehicles removes the boring and time consuming car-garage-car system found in numerous other open world driving games, keeping the player in the action. A wide variety of vehicles can be driven, beyond typical sports cars found in games of this genre. Driver San Francisco is truly a breath of fresh air in an extremely tired franchise. I found the campaign to be interesting in its detective theme, but lacking depth. Then again, who plays driving games for the campaign? The fantastic open world more than makes up for a somewhat lackluster story mode. After completing the campaign, I've spent more than 50 hours driving around simply for the joy of it; yes, it is that fun. One downside of the game, though not significant, is the AI. The artificial intelligence tends to be very aggressive on the roads. For instance, police chases occur at random in the game and, often times, police cars will ram into you while in pursuit of another vehicle. Despite this, driving in the open world is still extremely enjoyable and only occasionally interrupted. I highly recommend this game to the casual gamer or the hardcore racing fan. With such fun gameplay and driving physics, you really can't go wrong with this title.

    NOTE: Most of the negative reviews of this game are from diehard driver fans who think this installment of the franchise did not culminate into what it should have been. Regardless, it is a great game; don't let angry fanboys scare you away!    … Expand
  32. Broyax
    Apr 16, 2017
    7
    Développé entièrement (ou presque) autour de cette idée géniale de téléportation immédiate dans n'importe quelle bagnole (le "shift"), Driver SF exploite à merveille cette capacité à contrôler le trafic, ajoutant contre toute attente une petite dimension stratégique dans un jeu de chignoles pourtant très arcade. Pour autant, la conduite y est très agréable, ça glisse beaucoup, l'inertieDéveloppé entièrement (ou presque) autour de cette idée géniale de téléportation immédiate dans n'importe quelle bagnole (le "shift"), Driver SF exploite à merveille cette capacité à contrôler le trafic, ajoutant contre toute attente une petite dimension stratégique dans un jeu de chignoles pourtant très arcade. Pour autant, la conduite y est très agréable, ça glisse beaucoup, l'inertie est présente de même qu'une gestion non négligeable de la motricité. En vue intérieure, les sensations sont excellentes et les nombreuses caisses ont toutes un tableau de bord très correctement modélisé, ce qui ne gâche rien.

    Driver SF est un mélange détonnant de NFS Hot Pursuit (mais en bien mieux), Midnight Club L. A. et Burnout Revenge. La ville est superbe, le trafic très important et la fluidité toujours au rendez-vous. Il faut également mentionner le très beau boulot abattu par la VF (des doubleurs connus venus... de Prison Break !).

    Ces lauriers étant tressés, si le scénario surprend et intrigue avec ses multiples rebondissements, il ne tient assurément pas la route... La difficulté est globalement très élevée et aucun niveau n'est disponible, ce qui occasionne pour certains passages quelque irritation mal séante. Autre détail qui a son importance, la carte très mal aisée à l'utilisation et dont l'ergonomie a été pensée par un poivrot.

    Driver SF en fait des tonnes sur le nombre astronomique de missions annexes (sans compter les "exploits", sorte de mini-cascades, qui pullulent), missions dont une partie est obligatoire pour progresser dans l'histoire principale. Bien qu'assez variées (on saluera le louable effort d'ailleurs), leur multiplication abusive entraîne un effet de répétition très dommageable à la longue. Au bout d'un certain nombre d'heures, on craque et on vomit du San Francisco partout, la faute à cette naïveté qui nous a fait croire que l'on pourrait tout boucler (ou à 95%) comme dans un Assassin's Creed par exemple. Erreur !

    Mis à part ce péché d'orgueil de la part de Reflections, ce Driver reste un jeu de charettes bien fait et spectaculaire et malgré ses défauts, toujours prenant.    … Expand
  33. frederik1478
    Sep 27, 2021
    10
    The best driving game I have played in my life and the best Xbox 360 game, the car handling is amazing it feels so satisfying to turn and drift and move in these old cars and it just gets more more satisfying der better you get at the controls, the shifting mechanics is unique and it's amazing to see how many unique ways to use it, the story in is good and you're going to keep in suspenseThe best driving game I have played in my life and the best Xbox 360 game, the car handling is amazing it feels so satisfying to turn and drift and move in these old cars and it just gets more more satisfying der better you get at the controls, the shifting mechanics is unique and it's amazing to see how many unique ways to use it, the story in is good and you're going to keep in suspense on the edge of your seat. The final boss fine is unique and amazing. I love the game so much that I completed all the side quest and challenges… Expand
  34. halo124
    Dec 20, 2018
    8
    Amazing and responsive controls amazing game play and amazing story, writing and characters but the difficulty could have been done better as many missions are unbelievably hard whilst others are to easy but i only played on normal difficulty.
  35. JACK15q
    Apr 9, 2020
    9
    Amazing game I've spent hours on this. You can follow the story (which is great) or you can complete challenges and just screw around.
  36. Arya977
    Jan 21, 2021
    7
    Gameplay..............Great
    Graphics................Great
    Story.......................Good
    Score.....................Good
  37. Passionated
    Feb 19, 2022
    10
    The greatest racing/open world game I've ever played, this game outdone every other racing game out there. The graphics, the AI control, the vehicles, this game is amazing. Still enjoyable to this day and still one of my favorite games I've ever played. Driver San Francisco has a lot to offer. It all vehicle licensing you could imagine of. The driving physics is awesome. The storymode isThe greatest racing/open world game I've ever played, this game outdone every other racing game out there. The graphics, the AI control, the vehicles, this game is amazing. Still enjoyable to this day and still one of my favorite games I've ever played. Driver San Francisco has a lot to offer. It all vehicle licensing you could imagine of. The driving physics is awesome. The storymode is flawless. The gameplay is amazing, this game aged like fine wine. 10/10 would 100% recommend.… Expand
  38. CarNerd86
    Apr 16, 2022
    10
    This game, to this day still is pretty realistic. While the graphics are a 5/10 compared to modern games, the car physics may be the best out of all racing games that have been made so far. I don't mind starting yet another save file and playing the whole story again. Solid 10/10.
  39. Shonjeto
    Nov 26, 2022
    10
    لعبة ممتعة جرافيك جميل جدا قصة حلوة يا ريت يكون ليها جزء ثاني حتى العابها ب دركسون
  40. thejuicebox12
    Apr 10, 2023
    9
    Great story and gameplay. I love the idea of shifting into different cars and hearing different dialogue

Awards & Rankings

59
#59 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2011
45
#45 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
34
#34 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 63 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 63
  3. Negative: 0 out of 63
  1. Quarter to Three
    Jan 6, 2012
    80
    This is the sort of wheelsport the Need for Speed arcade racers should have been providing all along.
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  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 19, 2011
    84
    The new Driver is something that has been long in the making. The result is quite good, despite the surprisingly tight difficulty level. Soul shifting is a nice innovation and the arcadish feel for cars makes it fun to push through the tight streets of San Francisco. [Sept 2011]
  3. Destructoid
    Oct 5, 2011
    75
    A good laugh, and deserves immense praise for its ingenuity. It is sadly let down by some sluggish navigation and annoying vehicle controls, not to mention some severely imbalanced AI These issues hold back the experience, but certainly don't stop it delivering a solid amount of fun.
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