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
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  1. Times Online
    100
    The graphics are divine, with vast urban locales and spectacular crashes. The cars handle well, and each vehicle has its own characteristics. Yet this is no easy driving game - one of the reasons why, subject matter aside, it carries a 16+ rating.
  2. Playboy
    88
    Your investigation jump-starts reckless car chases through more than 150 miles of highways and city streets in detailed re-creations of Miami, Nice and Isantbul. Slam into any of the 30,000 buildings and your car crumbles realistically. [Apr 2004, p.38]
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  3. 1UP
    85
    No matter the situation, whether you're sneaking around a dark building or barreling through a shopping mall with three police cars in pursuit, you always feel on edge, as if you're living the 007-like "danger is my middle name" lifestyle at all times.
  5. AceGamez
    80
    Although the gameplay loses out with its linearity and the walking episodes are weak, it makes up for it with awesome driving sections, a great story, fantastic graphics and the wonderful casting of A-list Hollywood actors.
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  6. Gamer.tv
    80
    Stays true to the series blueprint and moves things forward into the current console generation with style.
  7. MS Xbox World
    80
    The story is gripping and rich in content.
  8. TotalGames.net
    75
    It is very enjoyable to play through and does feature moments of brilliance. However, we think a lot of you will be disappointed by what it has to offer.
    All this publication's reviews
  9. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    75
    This is the first game to successfully mix death-on-the-freeway antics with a plot you might actually care about, and it's worth a shot for that alone.
  10. PGNx Media
    75
    With more development time, the guys at Reflection could have fixed the spotty AI and graphical problems. As is, fans of the series will certainly want to pick this up since this up since it is the best iteration of the series.

Awards & Rankings

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

User Reviews

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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 »
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