Driver 3 review - minimme

Ignore the rediculous title and the poor review scores, find out what I think of Atari/Reflections DRIV3R!
I was originally gonna call this "Defending Driver 3" but I decided that I'd turn it into a full review while writing it, hope it turned out okay :)
Check out my website and discord server! www.minimme.com/
Driver 3 on wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver_3

[@weed75black35]

fun fact: the development of the game was actually at least a few months away from completion while being released due to greediness of Atari.

[@minimme]

Yep, and it was obviously a stupid move. What's more baffling is that they did exactly the same thing just four years later with the Alone in the Dark reboot.

[@weed75black35]

minimme​ Apparently Atari was too paranoid with GTA's success they wanted to release the game earlier than San Andreas. This was definitely a bad move. Atari invested way too much money on this game and it turned out to be a major flop. Thus led to Atari selling out to UbiSoft and declaring bankruptcy.

[@minimme]

Yep. Super unfortunate. I get the feeling the budget was spent in the wrong places too - did they really need all those voice actors and that Iggy Pop curation. Just spend that money finishing the game lol

[@weed75black35]

minimme They don't need money to finish the game, they need time, lots more of it. Obviously the biggest budget and time spent is on the cities. They were actually huge and you wouldn't find two building models that are the same, the game's biggest accomplishment. The game is practically done but they just need the extra time patching the holes (literally) and putting the final touches.

[@minimme]

Time is money, and vise versa. They could've hired more coders if they had to. But yeah those cities are outstanding for the time hey, miles ahead of anything else - and there's three of them! They're so distinct, and really helped sell the game both stylistically and from an immersion standpoint.

[@GameBrainOfficial]

Oh my god. When I was a kid I used to play the free-roam mode and thought it was great. My taste is impeccable. Really loving your channel man! I know this video is old now but really enjoy your writing style, super clean and simple.

[@minimme]

Hey thanks dude! Gonna sound weird but I actually love your channel, I subbed back when you were at like 300 subs and your THPS vid was posted on /r/games. Super stoked to find you here :o

[@michaelhall736]

Game Brain I always like to mess around with the drawbridge in take a ride.

[@happyveliz]

@@michaelhall736 lol dude Mee toooo!

[@haydenscott3808]

@TREVOR CHRISTOFANI GTA IV came out years after this, on better hardware, and with more adequate time to polish the game instead of being half baked due to being rushed like this game, so no shit sherlock.

[@GameBrainOfficial]

Oh my god, five years later and I still love this game haha. Loved the new video on this mate, so had to come back and see where it all started ;D

[@ManiacMike]

I love this game I didn't know about reviews back then as I enjoyed each game for what they offered

[@thegrimyeaper]

I bought games that looked cool on the cover and didn't even know about game reviews back then. A wonderful time.

[@n1njahawkssecondchannel84]

I like this game

[@Siegmeyer_]

I can still hear the French police sirens lol

[@josef733]

Had Atari given Reflections another 6 months, most of the bugs would've been ironed out and the on-foot segments would actually be a lot better, instead of feeling tacked-on with very shitty gunplay and god awful enemy placement.

[@k0ri_196]

Imagine if this game was actually complete

[@vasqu3z893]

game of the year.. im being serious right now

[@cianbroderick4145]

Vasqu3z it’s called GTA IV

[@caiorezei]

5:39 I've watched this video so many times since Minime posted it years ago, but just now, October 8th of 2020, I came to notice that when he jumped on the car, not only Minime himself had to stop for a moment to comprehend what was going on, but also the soundtrack went on a breather just so he could regain his footing. That's a perfect timing if I ever saw one.

[@codyC423]

He just did a DRIV3R review again, it goes a lot more in depth that this one

[@Dunbie_]

It’s good to see some love for Driv3r, I played this as a kid for thousands of hours, wether it was the driving challenges or just free riding. It must be very nostalgia driven for me, I love all the music, the crash physics as you mentioned, and just finding ways or using your imagination to get dumb laughs out of the game.

[@Vusevio]

Driver 3 was the first Driver game I played, went back and played the original two and still prefer Driver 3 for all it's flaws it's so much fun.

[@TimeBomb014X]

Admirable how Atari is still paying people off to give positive feedback on the game, lol

[@MrVuckFiacom]

Driver: Parallel Lines for the next review? Loved that game.

[@AymanTravelTransport]

It's one of the few GTA clones that actually made it to the Wii

[@BullworthGraduate]

@@AymanTravelTransport - Parallel Lines is not a GTA clone. Neither is Driver 3.

[@AymanTravelTransport]

@@BullworthGraduate it is in the sense of getting in and out of cars (the core gameplay mechanics)

[@BullworthGraduate]

@@AymanTravelTransport Dude, that'd be like saying that both Call Of Duty and Battlefield are Medal Of Honor clones because MOH was the first authentic first-person shooter, or even that all first-person shooters are Doom clones because that game popularized the genre. Driver 3 and Parallel Lines may be open-world games involving crime, but they aren't GTA clones because they have their own atmosphere and methods of storytelling to them that doesn't feel anywhere close to GTA's.

[@BullworthGraduate]

@@jeanm1chel If you're going to make an argument against mine, how about writing an ACTUAL argument rather than just three words. : P

[@TwintailsLover]

You're the best and most chilled reviewer on here, I love you, man!

[@minimme]

Thanks man :D

[@GSG-io8zp]

@@minimme I'm still so nostalgic for this game!

[@contrafighter_1983]

Had it in college when it came out and still play it to this day. So many hours were logged free roaming in this game also. It is definitely no GTA but has that mix between it and a Grand Turismo. Still just as fun now as it was back then.

[@DetroitNerd]

It still looks surprisingly fresh in 2019

[@Apanblod]

Never played this game, but to me it looks way better than the GTA games at the time. GTA 3 especially always looked so lifeless and dull.

[@someguy8951]

@@Apanblod I've played both and I personally feel like driver 3 is more lifeless than gta 3

[@MoskusMoskiferus1611]

@@someguy8951. I think Both is Lifeless, but that's what makes them more Mysterious and Special

[@mikoajodo7875]

You should totally review the next driver - parallel lines, because that one was damn impressive

[@MetalMaster101]

It was better than The Getaway. With all its problems, the game still manages to be really fun. And in some ways its glitches made it better. I think most reviews were a bit hard on it. The Driver series has always been cool and fun. At worst it's a 6/10, maybe 7. Definitely not 4 or 5 out of 10 like many website said.

[@haydenscott3808]

I'd agree, if only some Developers reliable enough could pick up the I.P. and grace us with some Remasters and add polish where Reflections couldn't (especially in Driv3r, I have high hope to see this game be completed one day)

[@Missquerade]

So glad I found your channel! Channels like yours inspired me to create my own. Thanks for the review!!

[@biancoziegler7618]

Dude thank you so much! Despite the fact that our memories are apparently equal when it comes to driv3r. The fucking cutscene gave me goosebumbs. I loved that song, i even "learned" it on the guitar, and tryed to play the two voices simultaneously. God i totally forgot about that. Thank you so much! I even think my love for two tone harmonics actually stem from that scene. I start to check out your channel now. Thanks man.

[@minimme]

Hey that's interesting because I figured out how to play it on guitar too, it was really straightforward to figure out. The song was called Ripe for the Devil if I remember correctly. Cool that someone else did the same thing. And thanks, glad you enjoyed this :)

[@peterw4910]

This game was my childhood. Similar to you, I got into it because my parents wouldn't let me play GTA but they let me play Driv3r. Probably because it didn't have swearing and sexy bits. What amasing is theres a group of modders who are working on a multiplayer mode for the PC version which is just incredible.

[@minimme]

It seems like the fanbase for Driver 3 nowadays are mostly a collection of people from our gen. And if that mod works out it will be awesome, I just looked up a youtube video on it and I'm already pretty impressed.

[@Liquatic]

Oh my god I need this mod

[@lemonworm]

i went into this video hoping minimme held a similar opinion of this game to me and i was not disappointed. All flaws aside this game was still tons of fun and I feel like its always been unecessarily shat on

[@expendableindigo9639]

Wasn't this one of his first videos ever?

[@Killzone742]

I wish they would of made a driver movie back in the day with the voice actors as the actors

[@thesral96]

The driving physics look soo smooth and satifying

[@akaunderdog4223]

I dont remember it being buggy-i played the xbox version. Driver 3 had great attention to detail, from buildings, cars to character models, music was superb, voice acting top-notch,driving was tight, story-cinematics were like watching a movie like Heat, Ronin etc. The main problem, however, was that driver 3 wasn't fun.

[@KerrBox92]

could have been awesome if more time was spent on it

[@alexvranesich6774]

Atari forced them to release..

[@zufaligedaten]

@@alexvranesich6774 atari is the reason why driver has faild, atari shall be punished with deletion from the universe.

[@willpower42754]

I used to love this game when I was younger and I still play it to this day. My favorite aspect is how glitchy the game is and this didn’t bother me as I only played Take A Ride mode with all cheats on. One glitch most people might not know is that the go cart won’t sink in water while you are in it lol

[@LDiazMunoz]

The soundtrack of this game is the best i've found in any media

[@Joonaskaa]

When I saw Larry Bundy Jr. video o n Driv3rgate then it answered so many questions I had as a kid. The game was frustrating at points but yet I finished it multiple times. Makes me wonder what it could have been

[@johnwoofan]

great review man!

[@victorymansions]

The cutscene graphics were INCREDIBLE! Look at the skin textures, wow!

[@Pr00ch]

I really like your attitude of being able to look past objectively crappy aspects of games, that's something I personally often do, too. And you're the first youtube I've seen who can do it, so your videos are a breath of fresh air for me personally. Regarding this, there are some games like described above, perhaps you'd like to check them out: Russian Roulette II: The Next Worlds, Age of Pirates 1/2 (the entire series, really), Boiling Point: Road To Hell, Mercenaries 2, Gothic III. Games that have been panned by players and critics alike, but with which I personally had tons of fun and experiences that no other game could present to me.

[@blobbem]

I wasted so many hours playing the hidden "18 Wheel Havoc" mode on the Miami level. The Timmys in their big rigs had a weird rubber-banding to them that made them drive at insane speeds which would usually result in them hilariously crashing around and wiping themselves out. Somewhat terrifying if you were on a bike or on foot though. Turning a corner to meet a huge chunk of metal hurtling towards you at 3000 mph meant imminent doom.

[@fryncyaryorvjink2140]

Man, Driver 1 was amazing to me as a kid, car damage, free roam, no timer?! There was no looking back after that! Then 2 came out and you could change cars, this was huge in my kid brain. Then another year later I'm at my cousins house, he pulls out gta3, and my mind was blown. I still stuck by driver even though I knew it wasn't as good all around, but I wouldn't admit it. Damn clone people, like this was the first time there were clone games, i don't hear you talking about street fighter/mortal kombat and nameless other similar games. I've been on gta too long now, maybe I should check out watchdogs and mafia 3. The only thing now is I don't have as much time for games, and I don't want to spend hours unlocking the good stuff, and theres no cheats anymore, so I just don't buy many games.

[@_Braised]

Just play Mafia 1. That's all the quality sandboxing you'll ever need.

[@_NoodlesMedia_]

@@troy2442 Bet your a GTA fanboy huh? It isn't THAT fucking repetitive and they fixed ALOT of the bugs. I like the fast paced combat and melee kills. If you take it at face value, not being GTAV, you'll find it boring. It gets far much more shit than it deserves considering it was Hangar 13's first game

[@Theottselmaster]

Imagine this remade from the ground up on todays consoles.

[@johanryandika2119]

i love this game the overall feel music and atmosphere i love when i do the take a ride what a nostalgic game

[@Liquatic]

I absolutely loved Driv3r! Played it along with 1 and 2 as a kid. I always wanted to live in a house like Tanner’s, and I’d always go to the drawbridge and make cars fall off. Completely underrated and I never understood the bad reviews, though I get it can be a bit glitchy

[@shrewmastercomics]

ok, the bit where you jumped onto the hood of the car and kept shooting the other drivers was freaking awesome and unexpected haha

[@darklegend_3722]

They say this is the people that you bring subscribes and succeeds you Well done bro !

[@dillonberes5336]

I honestly regret not picking this game up. I wish I saw your review sooner.

[@KasaiHasuki]

This game was so challenging as a kid, but I'm glad I stuck with it

[@RichieAppel]

The best thing about Driv3r is the character that’s supposed to be a spoof of Tommy Vercetti in GTA Vice City. In Driv3r the character is called Timmy Vermicelli.

[@chekkitProductions]

he's also wearing arm floaties to mock that you couldn't swim in Vice City

[@Trisaaru]

I really like the on foot sections of this game AND the driving in this game so I adore it

[@bloobat]

You should re review this with possibly some developer insight like you have a couple of games now you're more established! Loved this as a kid and read so many interesting things about its development!

[@NismoRacer00]

I still love this game ^-^

[@TheShoocks]

Enjoyed this game so much ... was rlly pissed when my ps2 couldn’t read the cd no more😢

[@Kix-86]

I need to buy this again now...

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

I loved this game as a kid, the driving physics were great and fun to me at least. The on foot stuff was crappy but i just went into free road as a kid and had a blast pissing about

[@neubauer.p]

i used to play a lot with driver 1 and 2 on ps1 in my childhood. thoose were my favourite games, altough i had about 40 other. a few years later, wandering around in a supermarkets game alley... i will never forget the feeling that struck me when i saw this on the shelf. i nearly pissed myself, ran straight to my mom with driv3r in my hands, begged for her to buy it. my parents didnt really saw me for a couple days after we got home from the supermarket. it was so mindblowingly good, especially coming straight from from playing with 1 and 2 before.

[@Joker-ou1ns]

4:49 ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS FOLLOW THE DAMN TRAIN, TANNER!

[@bhante1345]

Oh mang, I forgot how amazing it felt to get to Istanbul in this game and just tear the place apart.

[@KerrBox92]

this game's cutscenes are gorgeous even by today's standards, the cinematography was incredible going for sort of a michael bay style while gta cutscenes aren't very impressive and are just there to serve information about the missions. it's pretty clear that the budget went towards the cutscenes and the voice talent, too bad they didn't get the chance to finish this game and essentially release a beta, this could have been one of the best sandbox games of the 6th gen

[@RPKGameVids]

I love how detailed Istanbul is.

[@jacksonjack7838]

You mean Ving Rhames of Arby's fame

[@fegtcrewgtavofficial6217]

The elevator cutscene was just so good but most people dont understand it because they didnt played driver 2

[@kevinjackson1275]

It's the cutscenes that make this game

[@ericmartinperez7099]

Your comment is like this game, incomplete.

[@coolguy02536]

@@ericmartinperez7099 It's a complete sentence, just no period.

[@TheT3rr0rMask]

I used to play the GBA version a lot and it was really good. I've wanted to play the PC version for a while, and I think it looks like fun

[@minimme]

+LovelyProductions The GBA version is one of the most technically impressive games on the system. It's worth playing for that reason alone. You might like the PC version, it's dirt cheap online so give it a go sometime

[@TheT3rr0rMask]

minimme It was. Having such a big 3D open world game like that was a marvel on the system. Foudn the PC vers for $6 so definitely will

[@minimme]

+LovelyProductions Perfect. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Also remap the default controls asap, the default fire button is NUM5, with the mouse buttons unmapped. God knows why lmao Love to know what you think once you've had a go

[@TheT3rr0rMask]

minimme That makes sense for controls XD Will do :)

[@dave93x]

I loved this game. The Tommy Vercetti mode, the car damage physics. Used to drive around Nice and hit the ramps near the beach.

[@KakarotOwns]

This came up in my recommended list but good review.

[@dukeraoul2742]

Found memories of this little jam here me and my dad bought it when it was a launch title. It was the finest pile of unpolished poop of my childhood

[@_justtoomanygames_8857]

Cool review I love the atmosphere of this game. Does anyone know what era the game is set in? It looks old but they have new mobile phones I was always confused

[@newolku]

Well i actually bought this game back in 2008 or 2007. I used to play the shit out of this game, then later i realized it was a shitty rushed game. I actually thought it was better than GTA at the time

[@minimme]

Haha nice, I mean keep it on the down low but I still kind of like it more than GTA

[@newolku]

Same here.

[@Katerpillar]

I like it more than GTA 3 and VC but SA is way more fun

[@butt317]

I still like it more than most GTAs. It may not have the polish or complete package that GTA has but the driving itself is more fun than anything in those games.

[@gery8833]

this is my childhood man :')

[@hiduracell]

god this brings me back

[@TheSpikyMaliky]

Great Video!

[@joshgiesbrecht]

Ah the Driv3r music at the end

[@AntonSem]

Recently I decided to play the whole series starting from the original psx and knowing that you are kind of a Driver expert (at least Driver 3 expert) decided to watch your review :) Was really excited for this game when it first came out but couldn't get a chance to play it. Definitely will play it this time and I have a question. What version should I play, PS2 or PC? If I decide to play the PC version what patches should I install? Is there anything else I should tweak in the game files or something? Thanks in advance for the answer!

[@minimme]

Hey man good choice! I recommend the PC version just for the visual fidelity, I found it runs fine on Windows 10 but you'll need to change the controls (shoot is defaulted to NUM5). It natively supports 1080p too, no need for patching or modding. You can't go wrong with the console versions either though, I have heard of people having trouble on PC :)

[@AntonSem]

Update on the situation (a late one); It was surprisingly easy to run on a Windows10 PC. I actually enjoyed the game quite a lot and it is my favorite Driver game so far. Except for the last three missions, They were awful! I didn't find the game that challenging overall (only those three missions and for the wrong reasons). I was really sad that it was released in such state. I wish they had another six months or so to polish the game.

[@phila2361]

Clue is in the title; DRIVER. Brilliant until he wasn't driving. All the series had great car physics. Now where did I put my PS2??

[@sagenerd419]

dude, this was really seven years ago you uploaded this 😊

[@PASSATCL]

I always thought this game was awesome as a kid. You didn't mention the director mode, but it's something I really enjoyed and played around with. Making my own little police chase movies. On a different note, do you think you'd ever review Midtown Madness 2? It's quite interesting to compare that to games like Driv3r.

[@lordkanti8260]

Im relieved im not the only one who was speaking foundly of this game. The physics were some of the best car mechanics at the time. A standard i still wish some games strived for.

[@liamperrylloyd]

Pretty bang on with this one mate

[@krisser8615]

Great review! You should have more subscribers.

[@demoleramera]

Is it just me who saw Tanners jumping animation and immediatly thought "that's from that Seinfeld episode when George fears he's gay and jumps over a puddle chasing some kids?"

[@rubbereentjuh]

I loved Driv3r

[@Talex-td6xf]

Now if they properly finished the game and remastered it, will it hold up?

[@Daedalus4]

I can't believe the Driver series actually survived this entry. From Atari releasing it months away from a finished state, to what had to have been pressure to lose the Driver identity to make the game more like the super popular GTA games at the time, to one of the biggest scandals of "paid reviews", this game was a disaster on almost every front.

[@skrap5008]

minimme: Calls constantinople istanbul. *me as a greek immediately leaves the video.*

[@pleasedontwatchthese9593]

I remember using my moms dial up (yes she used it into the early 2000s) to check the driver3 website to see updates almost weekly. But by 2004 we had gta 3 and vice city and my mom did let me play those :P, so the game had a lot to live up too. I did get this game a remembered being wowed by the graphics but also remember all the bugs which where kinda fun. But I dropped the game once gta sa came out a few month later. I never played a driver game passed this one and loved the first two.

[@aldenmartin623]

Bless you minimme

[@nickloss]

you just had to follow the damn train Tanner!

[@SAVANTI711]

I hope they remaster this. So it can get the true value and love it deserves. It's underrated for a reason.

[@s4n714g000]

I really liked it but maybe because back in the day there weren't that many games and we didn't know stuff could get so much better. I also really liked Driver Parallel Lines even though a lot of people think it's bad. One cool thing I remember from free roam is that when you crashed you had some time to get away before the cops showed up, same as if you fired your gun. Also high speed crashes would kill the other driver, I think that was pretty neat. Also the menu music is pretty nice, brings back a world of nostalgia and a dark/sad mood to the game in a way.

[@AydarBMSTU]

I liked this game, even though I realised it had big problems (mostly shooting). I couldn't finish it though, there was one mission which took me days to play and I couldn't beat it, it was that hard. I don't remember too well, but I think I needed to chase car to catch someone from it

[@biggus.dickus]

I still have my copy from PS2 days and definitely love the OST of this game

[@scottthewaterwarrior]

This game being a broken glitchy mess is what makes it so much fun. It is sort of like the Iron Eagle films, they are by no means good, but they are really entertaining. I think I will have to pick this up for PC, the graphics look so much better and it looks like the even added in a few new levels (that speed boat chase was not in the PS2 version).

[@ErectedGasCan]

Have the PS2 version i got for bithday around release. My game has been strangely stable compared to all the glitching reported. About to replay it shortly, started with Driver 2 for fun, then borrowed San Fransisco from my dad.

[@DanPlimmer]

WHERE DID YOU FIND THE MENU MUSIC IVE BEEN LOOKING FOR IT FOR YEARS!

[@NamelessPlayerOfficial]

Any chance you’ll make a Driver Parallel Lines review? you could also come back to Driver 3 and make the review as expansive as you recent reviews

[@alltheglorytogod7402]

I used to love this game as a kid... LOL

[@Crazy_Sauce]

I still play this on the ps2 I love the cutscene animation's

[@idontlikecops1]

Driver 3 was my absolute favorite. I genuinely loved it

[@RyanUkAus]

This game is still a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine to this day, I'm glad other people think so despite its hideous flaws! Have any of the Driv3r community made a sort of patch for the PC version?

[@Dirvinator]

KZbin recommendations on point today

[@adandelgado4069]

I remember this game being really fun as a kid

[@divljacina1]

such potential....i remmember when back in the day played this game didnt have a great PC....and when i turn sound on it had 10-15 fps and when i turn sound off it run fairly right....but it had such nice engine sounds and bike too

[@maskedmolereviews5715]

I remember taking turns playing this game as a kid with my sisters. It was a blast. The car chasing and physics were the funnest part. Cop ai was so bad you could make them wreck into any building or object by veering the car towards what you wanted them to hit. The crashes were crazy. I drove cars off cliffs and over ramps just to watch my car flip 50 times and try to land back on the road all while being chased by the cops who follow you off cliffs lol

[@DaraGaming42]

imagine a gritty Driver game that looks like the cutscene , with a cover mechanic and uncharted style animations for on foot sections with the Driving mechanics of Driver 1 and 2

[@squirtle88]

My favorite PS2 game of all time!

[@samz8691]

I think your mouse acceleration issue is caused by the game having sensitivity settings for a Controller, you can turn them off in I think the pause menu.

[@ANJIN79SAMMA]

Driver 3 was great- also had one of the hardest chase levels in gaming history

[@RnBCutz]

I loved this game as a kid. It was frustratingly difficult at times due to very, very glitchy gameplay but the style and presentation was so cool at the time I looked past it. This game could have been a solid 9/10 if it only had a fews months more development.

[@MrCapHammer]

You did a Stuntman Review? Would love to see that... One of my favourite games, but it p*ssed me off pretty good 😅

[@pokis2076]

That guy screaming in Istanbul scared me AF as a kid