Driver '76

Driver '76 is a PSP exclusive game released in 2007. The game allows you to play as Ray Davies, two years before the arrival of TK (the main protagonist of Driver: Parallel Lines). As such, the characters of the game are recognizable to those who have played Parallel Lines.

Story

In the game, you play as Ray Davies, TK's old friend, and wheelman. Ray has fallen in love with Chen Chi, a woman who is unfortunately the daughter of the city's Triad leader. Not only this, but Chen Chi already has a boyfriend in the form of a guy called Jimmy. After gaining respect from Chen Chi's father, Zhou, you are betrayed and have no choice but to earn money in the meantime.

During the story you discover that Jimmy is a traitor, and then you must take down his criminal empire. After Jimmy is assumed to have been killed in a large explosion, Zhou gives his blessing to Ray and allows him to date his daughter. After this, Ray discovers that Jimmy was not killed in the explosion, but he was seriously scarred and badly injured. Unfortunately, by the time Ray realizes this, he discovers that Chen Chi has been kidnapped by Jimmy. The game's finale sees you using a car to destroy Jimmy's helicopter, killing him in the process.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Driver '76 is similar to Parallel Lines and missions feel much the same. While you are able to shoot, skills with a gun are less important than skills behind the wheel. The majority of missions are simply driving, but occasionally you will be shooting from the back of a moving vehicle and holding off would-be attackers. Mission briefs are given in a unique 'comic-book' style format, rather than through cutscenes like previous games in the Driver series. The game is set two years before Parallel Lines, so generally the city looks almost identical.

Soundtrack

• The Wrecking Crew - Bump And Boogie
• Sir Mack Rice - Bump Meat
• Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers - Bustin' Loose
• Dave Hamilton - Cracklin' Bread
• Maceo & The Macks - Cross The Tracks
• Billy (Sugar Billy) Garner - I Got Some
• Funkadelic - I'll Bet You
• Savoy Brown - I'm Tired
• The Pazant Brothers & The Beafourt Express - Loose And Juicy
• Iggy Pop - Neighbourhood Threat
• Blondie - One Way Or Another
• Billy Preston - Outa-Space
• The Temptations - Poppa was a rolling stone
• The Stranglers - Peaches
• Roy Ayers - Running Away
• Johnny 'Hammond' Smith - Shifting Gears
• Donald Byrd - Street Lady
• David Bowie - Suffragette City
• Labi Siffre - The Vulture
• War - Low Rider
• Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man
• Blondie - Denis

Reception

Driver '76 received very mixed reception from different reviewers. According to Metacritic's 28 critic reviews, the game has an overall rating of 57/100. The highest rated review is from Game Chronicle, who gave the game an 83/100. The quote they are attributed with reads:

Sure, Driver ’76 isn’t the end-all-be-all of PSP racing games, but you can’t help but have a fantastic time once you climb behind the wheel and explore one of the best handheld recreations of New York City.

Meanwhile, the lowest review score given to the game was given by 1UP, who are attributed with the quote:

When you start seeing the same character model serve as two different people during an in-game cut-scene, you'll truly know all is lost. There's nothing remotely unique or engaging about Driver '76 (or its lifeless multiplayer) to balance the

endless parade of frustrations. Steer clear.