DRIV3R

 Xbox
Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 57 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 57
  3. Negative: 16 out of 57
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Worth Playing
    49
    A potentially great game released in what looks, sounds, and plays like the game never left beta stages.
  2. Xbox World Australia
    49
    The shoddy on foot action and the terrible AI, the bugs, including bad pop up, bad collision detection and glitches in animation both in cut scenes and in game, the terrible mission design and trite story add up to a really average game.
  3. Official Xbox Magazine
    48
    Playing DRIV3R is as much of a chore as watching some crappy old cop movie at 3:00 A.M. All we want to do is close our eyes and make it all go away. [Sept 2004, p.80]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. Gamezilla!
    45
    Simply put, the cities just seem dead. There are few things to interact with that make each city seem alive, and there are even fewer points of interest to keep your attention while you're driving around.
  6. Games Radar
    40
    The cities are huge and beautiful, with country-appropriate cars, and while the gameplay is muddy, it's easy to see how it could have been better. But as it is, DRIV3R is all flash and little substance.
  7. games(TM)
    40
    A game of two halves, neither of which is finished … It is so cursed by glitches and bugs, and so devoid of anything approaching AI, that it's really impossible to believe the code sitting in your local store is anywhere near complete. [Aug 2004, p.100]
    All this publication's reviews
  8. GamerArchive
    40
    Despite the enjoyment that the moments of driving can offer, the astonishingly poor "walkabout" sections detract so much from the game, and crop up in such a number, that even those who adored the first Driver wouldn't be able to put up with it.
  9. Boomtown
    40
    On the whole, the extremely variable difficulty level, the bugs, the graphical pop-up that makes the driving so infuriating and the overall poor standard of the on-foot missions mean that this is, unfortunately, Driv3l.
    All this publication's reviews
  10. Armchair Empire
    40
    If Driv3r were a car, it would be recalled for crippling performance issues.
  11. Cheat Code Central
    40
    Most of my complaints have to do with the shoddy graphics and technical glitches. But the gameplay is also suspect and will not escape my wrath. I can't think of one positive aspect of this game to recommend even renting it.
    All this publication's reviews
  12. G4 TV
    40
    Performance gets choppy in certain parts of the city (Istanbul especially). Cars tend to pop into view and there are never more than maybe four or five other cars onscreen at any given time.
  13. Game Revolution
    33
    It's astonishing that a series with such unlimited potential has turned into such a farce, but I guess that's what happens when you drive blindly without taking to the time to ask for directions. As is usually the case, that leads to a dead-end street.
  14. Play Magazine
    33
    Utterly deflated. [Aug 2004, p.58]
    All this publication's reviews
  15. Edge Magazine
    30
    This game did not need to be a bad one: the premise remains ripe with extraordinary possibilities. This, however, simply squanders them, showing a determination to prioritise style over substance which cripples the game and damages gaming as a whole. [Aug 2004, p.94]
    All this publication's reviews
  16. Eurogamer
    30
    The simple, unpalatable, grisly truth for everyone connected to this important summer blockbusting title is that it's so far away from being the title it deserved to be, it could well be reflected upon as one of the biggest disappointments in the history of videogames.
  17. GamerFeed
    30
    Despite some small amounts of flair and likeability, the series has now hit rock bottom. Between technical glitches, uneventful gameplay, a flat story, and the worst on-foot missions ever accomplished, the game just gets nothing but flats.

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2004
13
#13 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2004

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
4.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 76
  3. Negative: 36 out of 76
  1. MelodicVirus
    Nov 19, 2022
    6
    A game which effectively slowed a series' success by trying to mimic its competition's strong points, Driver 3 anything but good -- but itsA game which effectively slowed a series' success by trying to mimic its competition's strong points, Driver 3 anything but good -- but its not without merit either. There's some interesting ideas interwoven within this game that could've made this a moderate success otherwise.
    I really enjoyed the graphics, and the way that this game chose to present its story. The storyline, and the three main setting featured are highly reminiscent of action films from directors such as Michael Mann and Quentin Tarantino. It's no doubt that Driver 3 is one of the best looking games from the original Xbox / PS2 era - and the visuals are elevated by the Nice and Istanbul locations that you visit throughout the course of the game.
    As with previous Driver games, the core mechanics of driving and car chases have always been a high point and the same can be said here. Some of the game's missions, particularly ones focused on vehicle sections, were made memorable as a result of the way vehicle physics are handled. It's also really exhilarating to see cars explode, but vehicle explosions aren't too great since you can still enter the same car as a wrecked chasse.
    While I found the driving controls very responsive and made the game more fun, I really didn't understand the need for the on-foot combat sections; the shooting is really boring and I just wanted each section to be over and done with. The AI also felt extremely basic and poorly-scripted, enemies will stay in place and don't really seem to move all that much - making a lot of combat scenarios much easier than they should be. Beyond that, I also experienced a handful of bugs during my time of play. Many of the bugs I witnessed froze or soft locked my console and ultimately forced me to reset.
    Would I recommend this game to anyone? Probably not. But if you have a love games from this time period, or even have a strong passion for action, you may find something that you will like about Driver 3 - but don't take my word for it. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas came out much stronger than this one, and is much more recommendable in my books.    … Full Review »
  2. uoKAOS
    Oct 21, 2022
    10
    My favorite Driver of all the time!!! Would like to see more games like this nowadays!
  3. Ronanskie
    Jul 11, 2021
    7
    We can probably all agree that this game is far from perfect, there are a LOT of bugs, but for some reason I have always enjoyed it. The storyWe can probably all agree that this game is far from perfect, there are a LOT of bugs, but for some reason I have always enjoyed it. The story line is just really fun, the difficulty is just right, the atmosphere is amazing and the gameplay is a lot of fun. All 3 maps manage to really give you the idea that you're in a different country and although there isn't much to do in free roam, you can have hours of fun just messing with the bridges. This one of the few games which would really deserve a remake in my opinion. Just imagine this game without its bug, modern graphics and just a bit more activities in free roam and it would probably be the best game ever.

    concept/story: 9/10
    gameplay: 8/10
    graphics: 8/10
    level design: 10/10
    quality: 2/10
    overall: 7/10    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »