Driver: Parallel Lines

Drive fast, die trying

Driver: Parallel Lines is the fourth in its series and we see the departure of the main character of the series; John Tanner and is replaced with a getaway driver called TK. The game takes a lot of inspiration from games like GTA with car controls and gunplay.

Going from 1978 to 2006 in style

The game is set around JK, starting in 1978 as he works for a criminal in New York as a getaway driver to escape the police after a robbery. After a low-level job, he goes back to a garage, owned by his friend, after this, his friend Ray Davis, decides to help him out and gets him a better paying job. He is then introduced to an owner of a strip club and is given a task to show off his skills as a driver.

After passing the trails set by Slink, the owner of the Strip club, impressed with his skill, he introduces JK to some associates of his and gives him a job as a gateway driver for a prison escape. After he helps them more with jobs and gets in deeper, he is betrayed by the gang and is sent to prison for 28 years. After you get out, your mission is to get back at the people who put you in prison in the first place. You play a lot of Driver: Parallel Lines in two different eras of times which adds something different and fresh to the gameplay.

Pretty cool cars

The graphics of this game are simple but still have a realistic feel to it. It adds a lot to the experience driving around a real place like New York. It gives that sense of realism in the game that gives you even more of in-depth experience. It also adds a lot of details to the cars you drive giving you a very enjoyable experience.

Wanted dead or alive

The gameplay is simplistic which makes the game more enjoyable. As if it had too many mechanics, it would take away the experience of the game, by keeping it simple with just driving and shoot mechanics was a really good choice when making this game. The details in gameplay are mainly focused on the car you drive with making sure you have a different experience while driving in different cars and with a name like Driver: Parallel Lines, you are going expect some good driving mechanics.

TK to the max

The game’s story is set in two different eras of time which is something I haven’t seen. As most games usually spent a small amount of time in one then time jump. But this was half the way through the game. The game IS very interesting and engaging as it progressed through the story. Also, the gameplay through the game was very good with simple mechanics making it an enjoyable experience and easy to get the hang of.

Way Back In time there was an Hollywood car chase simulator called Driver. Then came Driver 2, adding the ability to clamber out of your car and run around the city as a stickman.

Driv3r was atrocious. Its least offense was persevering with the hideously implemented GTA3-style on-foot gunfights which hadn't worked in the previous game. Two years later, Parallel Lines tried to make amends.

This is essentially Grand Theft Auto 3 Lite. While it casts you as a criminal rising to power, a decent plot set in 1978 and 2004, car chases, and gunfights, it lacked GTA's open world.

That said, it packs a decent driving model for an arcade racer, and has over 80 vehicles that can be customised - you can pick paint jobs, tune suspension, or tweak engines. But just about every mission can be completed with a freshly stolen car, making customisation totally unnecessary.

While Parallel Lines was overpriced on release, Steam's price is reasonable. Yet, it's the same price as GTA3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and ToCA Race Driver 3. If you want to go on a crime spree, or go for a race, you're better off with one of those.