Reviews

Like Grand Theft Auto, the Driver series of games have always embraced the fast cars/cops versus robbers dynamic to varying degrees of success. Previous outing Driv3r suffered from poor 'on foot' missions and the unfair speed advantage the cops had when it came to catching you.

Parallel Lines does take bits and pieces from Driv3r but mostly things have been improved, with the game concentrating more on the driving (makes sense seeing as that's what the series is called). This time there's no sign of undercover cop Tanner though, as you play a cocky young getaway driver called TK (The Kid).

The ability to ride a motorbike and shoot straight is something that comes with a lot of practice.

It's 1978 and TK is climbing the criminal ladder with the help of local Huggy Bear wannabe, Slink. You steal cars to give to your mechanic pal Ray and deliver drugs on demand, all the while trying to evade the cops and rival criminals who want what you're carrying. The choice is simple: outrace them or open fire out the window of your car.

Previous Driver games also took place in various international locations like Turkey, France and Miami. Parallel Lines is set purely in New York City, beginning in 1978 and then flashing forward to 2006, as TK gets out of prison after being framed for the murder of a Columbian drug lord. He sets out to find the people responsible, with the help of mechanic Ray and the dead drug lord's daughter, Maria.

Adjusting to life on the outside can be tough. So just go shoot a bunch of stuff.

Cars can be taken to Ray's garage to be repaired, overhauled or for a new lick of paint, but this is rather useless seeing as the whole point of the game is that you can hijack any car at random. Crashed your car? Hop in a taxi, a bus or even a limo and continue on your way. Cops are marked on your radar/map so just slow down as they pass. If, however, they give chase then it's best to outrun them by zigzagging through alleys and heavy traffic and then running on foot to find a different vehicle.