DRIV3R passes chequered flag
It's finished now, according to Atari and Reflections. We only hope it wasn't finished the last time we played it...
DRIV3R (née Driver 3) has "gone gold", meaning that it's finished and off to disc duplication plants ahead of its planned and now seemingly cemented European release date of June 22nd. The game will appear in North America a day earlier on June 21st. It's due out on PS2 and Xbox.
The third mission-based driving game in popular the series sees undercover cop Tanner investigating matters in Miami, Nice and Istanbul and racing around in third-person action sections almost as often as he's behind the wheel of a screechy-slidey automobile.
It's unlike the previous two games in another sense too, because DRIV3R, developed by Reflections Interactive, has a hell of a lot riding on it. In fact, many believe that the fortunes of publisher (and Reflections owner) Atari could rest on just how successful Tanner's latest escapades turn out to be.
And, worryingly, although the game has already picked up at least one positive 'exclusive' review here in the UK, the state of a May build we played recently left a lot to be desired, and the buzz around our fellow journos is decidedly negative.
It would be foolish to judge the game at this point - however finished we reckon the version we played really is - but we would say that whatever you read, you ought to be strongly advised to sit tight and keep your money to yourself until the general consensus becomes clear.
In the meantime, you can find our in-depth first impressions of that recent build of the game here, and can expect to read a review of the game sometime closer to its June 22nd release date. We only hope it's taken a turn for the better since we played it at the end of May...