A short and somewhat limited game, that doesn't include a multiplayer mode which would fit very well, but also a very entertainment experience that will please those looking for an arcade driving game.
A game that has clearly had a lot of time put into it. The handling, the graphics and the general feel of the game are fine. Problem is, the actual game content feels like an afterthought, as if the development studio suddenly thought, "Oooh, we haven't actually got anything for the player to do. Quick, stick a short story in there, put loads of swearing in it and pad it with street races."
VD-dev programmer Fernando Velez was murdered by organized crime on June 22, 2016. My investigation localizes it to his work on Driver 3D Renegade opening him to organized crime scrutiny. Metacritic works a reputation-ruining bounty on Driver 3D Renegade and Renegade's protagonist, "the actual" John Tanner. More on that later.
"Summary: The first and exclusive action driving game on Nintendo 3DS that lets you experience the intensity of urban car chases. As former cop John Tanner, you work outside the law to fight crime in the gritty streets of New York and defeat the 5 crime lords who own the city."
This is Metacritic's description. Tanner did NOT work outside the law in Driver 3D Renegade. Tanner explicitly and specifically worked within the law, as a civilian, to prevent unnecessary injury and loss of life at every step by seeking to use as little force as necessary, if any, to citizens arrest organized criminal 'crime lords' in New York City working for a ringleader later revealed to be a corrupt local Senator (possibly state senator). The first person he tracked down as a civilian was a kidnapper who he struck with his left fist and citizen's arrested. The kidnapper was sentenced to life in prison. The Wikipedia article on Driver 3D Renegade fraudulently misrepresents the plot, saying that Tanner killed the kidnapper with a crowbar. While it's true that Tanner FLASHED a crowbar in his right hand as a distraction, Tanner struck with his bare fist instead and the kidnapper was apprehended and incarcerated.
Some might call this Metacritic and Wikipedia narrative misrepresentation 'viral marketing' to 'describe' the structure of organized crime risk management. Some might call the cordless death squad murder of Fernando Velez 'viral marketing' to 'describe' the structure of organized crime. Some might call the tanking of the Driver series after this game was produced 'viral marketing' to describe the structure of organized crime.
An organized criminal consultant, Terry Black, was hired to consult on the script for Driver 3D Renegade. That game has THE MOST realistic dialogue of any organized crime media I have been exposed to--dialogue whose nuances EXPOSE fictional detective "Actual Dan Tanner", also known as "Renegade Tanner", as being trafficked by the Lost Cause, unaware, and fighting organized crime because he's got integrity and is 100% ethically opposed to criminal activity. Here's the first clue that Tanner isn't in organized crime: when he goes to hold crime lords accountable, he goes after them directly, instead of attacking the people the crime lords exploit for personal gain. He doesn't speak the New Order 'lingo', and that's what drives the tension of Driver 3D Renegade.
In New Order/Lost Cause criminal code lingo, "not = knot/true", "never=now and forever", "no = new order/affirmative", "I'm good = I'm agricultural goods, so go ahead and do what you've inquired about". Because I'm not seeking to join organized crime, I note when I hear it, sometimes verbally document it, but don't practice speaking it/don't know how to speak it/don't have any desire to be drawn into organized crime, because obeying new order language/practicing what it instructs leads to the commission of capital felonies.
So, why is this "Actual Tanner"? Because Tanner as depicted in every other Driver game is Lost Cause propaganda, meant to ruin his reputation. Sometimes it's people who don't even look like "Actual Tanner" playing Tanner. Sometimes it's "Actual Tanner", being piloted around while he's unconscious, completely unaware that people are using his body to kill informants and "go undercover". Often it's "Macross-style" recut footage with a completely different plot--designed to paint Tanner as a remorseless psychopath on a serial killing spree. "Actual" Tanner is the opposite of a remorseless psychopath. In Driver 3D Renegade, Tanner pulls a firearm ONCE, and chooses not to pull the trigger, surrendering the perp to the authorities instead--and this is AFTER the perpetrator murdered his significant other.
So, who is "Actual Tanner" based on? Victims of the Lost Cause, framed with propaganda that depict them as the opposite of who they are, surrounded by high-tech organized criminals who operate in mobile, shifting, interchangeable rings.
Driver is the highest-concept series I've ever seen, it makes Grand Theft Auto look like an enormous paperwork snafu. I wonder if Rockstar Games' reputation management were so embarrassed, they put a hit on Driver 3D Renegade programmer and designer Fernando Velez.
In my point of view, is the best game for Mature 3DS players. Because have the feeling of a racing game and the emotion of destruct the criminals. Ubsoft does its better.
An average title overall. Qualities such as smooth driving controls and an impressive open setting are let down by inconsistent levels of challenge, a city lacking in population, repetitive gameplay and, unfortunately, an irritating and clichéd main character.
Damn shame that some idiot has given this game a low score because they gave it to their kids without seeing that there is an M for Mature rating on the box, myself and the missus were laughing after reading their review while we were playing it, especially at the 3rd mission which during the cut scene there are images of fully nude women while someone is telling you you're going to need to go and smash some guys F*king face in to make an example of him. Was just picturing that person who gave the game a 0 walking past their kid hearing that cut scene as the kid cried their eyes out at the 3ds. good job!
Apart from that tho, this is a solid enough game, its short and it is indeed ubisoft quickly getting some games out at launch but for what it is as a driving game it shows hope of what the system is capable of while you bomb around the city at really nice speeds with car models which are on par with the GTA games from the ps2 also if you want a cool enough proper gritty story on your 3ds this one will fill that gap in your game shelf with lovely amounts of swearing, nude pics and the odd imagery **** in the background with his brains showing on the bonnet of his car after you ram him into a wall. :D definitely not Mario Kart!
Driver Renegade is a game I was always curious about. Not an open world fan. Never played a Driver game prior so going in blind. Only played Stuntman Ignition for relation & assuming what the series vibes are vaguely.
I wanted to know as a launch title period game why fans weren't into it, critics over thinking, Nintendo fans ignore it, what it's actually lacking qualities are, after a few hours I can see why. It does feel rushed out, while still 'some' personality/fun in there.
First did I enjoy the game, yes actually.
The 1 liners, themes & contexts were odd at times but still worked/enjoyable in their own way. But the gameplay was entertaining.
The camera photo at the beginning is a nice touch for your profile in the main menu. Next the camera moves around the mechanic/uncover cop looking room for each option. It's small but nice personality. Options bottom screen, fancy top screen.
Would I rate the game low for personality over all, hmm, in the city I know most people do, it is fairly empty, odd cars pass by besides opponents, it's got a mix of streets, buildings, parks some up & over bridges, tunnels, standard stuff, I don't mind it really I'm not picky on empty cities as long as the missions are enjoyable enough, menu has more personality but still.
While the city isn't memorable (you can get used to the layout even if does blend in) but you can get around it & the bottom screen map does a good job telling you where to go if you get stuck.
With it being the odd cars it can be easy to avoid them and hit/miss opponents. The controls/driving model do a fair job for what they are.
Circle Pad/D-pad to move works great. B to accel, Y to brake, A to boost/rage meter, X to handbrake, L & R for car attacks left or right side (or strafe/force left & right I guess even if intended as an attack). I was sad no rear view camera button/mirror HUD element, or drift help button but oh well. You can get by. Controls are fixed you can't edit them. But they are a good layout.
They are fair vehicle controls. For driving and hitting cars/buildings in missions. You can drift with enough control to get little Rage meter increases even on the tight bridges or tunnels in the game between areas. But special buildings or lamps/benches/roadworks objects increase rage as well. You don't go that much faster but it does the job.
I wish the checkpoint missions had a line to follow then only an arrow/flare smoke though but it's still playable.
For a game for teens/adults, the themes make sense the difficulty is really easy even on hard. But if you want that by all means. Didn't bother me then if annoying missions and hard ones in a short game even if 20 story missions/84 career side missions, 50 cars total in the game (20 via story hard mode, rest gold cups in career assuming?). For a handheld it works.
The story is about an ex police officer named Tanner that isn't a fan of the way things are going in the city/with the law so he quits.
He then saves a senator in story mode mission 1 and things go on from there he goes uncover and you do 20 missions.
Without saying much more just the intro and you meet more people as you go along. It's a fair start to the game. The rest of the cutscenes are enjoyable. Some voice acting like I said earlier is odd at times (gameplay or cutscenes) but it didn't put me off the game at all.
All a mix of vehicle missions (hit cars, point a to point b, destroy buildings, that sort of thing). All what I expected. I'd compare it to Burnout with it's stunts/takedowns and so on but less polished/more cop story focused which is fine and was intriguing to me (besides what I'd heard of Driver San Fransisco's story as context).
This is not GTA style game. Driver never was either so don't compare it to that/think of it as that if you seer it in stores/pick it up
After you do the story (cutscenes in between, easy missions even on hard difficulty and you get a car for them on hard mode, the cars are fictional but vary in stats and design of a pickup truck/Ute, sedan, RX-8 looking, some supercars, etc.).
You can do the career mode at any time. These are the side missions and what the story mode preps you for is the types of missions this mode offers.
Missions vary from time trial (point a to b),
-Rampage (destroy cars in limited time),
-Demolition Run (stunts/destroy objects in time, had issues understanding how to do stunts, destroying objects only doesn't count I tried),
-Killing Road (checkpoints without rules)
-Elimination (opponents gone after each lap till last one left)
-Afterburner (takedown everyone by hitting them enough times)
-& Freedom Racing (finish first no rules).
12 per type, 7 types, 84 short missions.
All points on the map. You get two times for time trial of gold/silver & position.
With a level bar to showcase progress. Gold cups offer cars I think?
There are 9 rock/9 techno/8 funk songs to select while doing missions.
A fun driving game, not biggest mission variety, but different game modes, okay story mode and nice stereoscopic 3D. As there are not many good driving or even racing games on the 3DS, this is one of the best.
48 out of 100? Too high... The game looks like a DS game, for the love of God! This game is an insult to Driver series. If you go back to the ol' Driver games... This is WORSE than what they did to Final Fantasy (no, IT'S NOT TOO MUCH!). Rated M for mature when the gameplay is for 3 years old. 0 realism, bad gameplay, not many modes and story is so bad... 2 of this 3 goes for the soundtrack. The other one, for the little fun I had for 1 hour before finishing it, as it's freaking short too. Too bad Ubisoft. I thought you could have a redemption of what you did at NDS, but no, you're still making crap. COP was your only good game for DS, don't do the same for 3DS. If you get this game (don't buy it, if they give it to you as a present or whatever), burn it.
Rated M for Manure.
The game is easily the worst in the DRIVER franchise, and that's coming from a guy who unapologetically likes DRIV3R. Say what you will about the Driver series, but the driving mechanics always feel intuitive with a good level of weight. This feels like the cars are always drifting and it takes forever for them to gain momentum. The city feels empty and dead. I highly prefer the outdated, older titles who bring a much bigger charm to the table. The story mode is a disgrace and seemed to be an afterthought in terms of gameplay. It's basically the two same missions you play over and over, with increasing difficulty by powering up the enemies that have to be wrecked. Our protagonists dialogue during the chases is dumb, childish and annoying since he keeps repeating the same three lines for hours, I had to mute the game to continue. The story is equally bad with Tanner being portrayed as a psychotic killer who's seemingly possessed by a demon. I have no idea who made that 'edgy' decision but that person should never be allowed to work in the industry again. The whole game feels less like what made the Driver series great: a grounded story with solid gameplay & ideas, but rather resembles a Fast and the Furious cashgrab game. The only Driver game that I have not finished, since playing it felt like a waste of time.
SummaryThe first and exclusive action driving game on Nintendo 3DS that lets you experience the intensity of urban car chases. As former cop John Tanner, you work outside the law to fight crime in the gritty streets of New York and defeat the 5 crime lords who own the city.